This report presents the findings of a qualitative study that asked 38 secondary science teachers, ‘How can natural history museums effectively support science teaching and learning?’ A partnership of four natural history museums across England, teachers from their local areas and a university education department were involved. The museums work in partnership to support school science at 11–18. In-depth focus groups held at the museums and questionnaires were used.
Across the country many schools and communities are trying to create and support efforts to institutionalize partnerships for learning, including those that rethink the use of time across the school day and year, and across the developmental continuum. These partnerships are not merely transactional in nature but rather transformative: partnering entities work together to integrate and complement their services with the shared goal of supporting children’s learning. Referred to by different terms—integrated, expanded, or complementary learning—the concept has one critical element in common
This report focuses on the use of games as resources to support the educational aims, objectives, and planned outcomes of teachers who understand that games are an important medium in contemporary culture and young people's experiences. The report provides an assessment of game-based learning in UK schools. It is intended to test out the hype and enthusiasm for using games in education and to identify a sensible rationale and practical strategies for teachers to try out games in the classroom.
This report for educators aims to examine the current landscape of adult informal learning using digital technologies. It provides new data on adult use of technology for informal learning and outlines the existing landscape of tools, resources and services which can support this. It aims to develop a shared understanding of the ways in which digital technologies are used for adult informal learning, and how this could be supplemented to enhance and transform adult informal learning in the future.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Institute of Museum and Library Services—recognizing an opportunity to leverage our shared public service missions— joined forces on a leadership initiative to help public broadcasters, libraries, and museums collaborate on the local level to meet community needs. This initiative resulted in the funding of 20 Community Collaboration projects. The Partnership for a Nation of Learners: Joining Forces, Creating Value report provides grantee success stories that can guide local organizations who would like to collaborate on behalf of their
In 2008, CSAS conducted a market study in partnership with the Center for Research, Evaluation, and Assessment (REA) at the Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS), University of California, Berkeley, with funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. The purpose of the market study was to help answer some highly practical questions for CSAS, including: Which after-school programs are "doing" science? What exactly are they doing? What are their needs? By collecting data that answered these questions, CSAS proposed to gain a greater understanding of existing science programs in after-school settings
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Bernadette ChiJason FreemanShirley Lee
In 2008, with funding from The Noyce Foundation, CSAS undertook a review of staff development for after-school STEM. A select group of CSAS members, representing key staff development providers, formed a community of practice. The discussions of that community, combined with the existing research base, were used to create this report. I hope you will find the report useful in defining the need for after-school STEM staff development, a range of strategies, and the priorities for future projects.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Jason FreemanRena DorphBernadette Chi
Renaissance East of England and Museums, Libraries and Archives Council East of England (MLA East of England) commissioned this research from the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries (RCMG) at the University of Leicester to investigate the impact that museums in the East of England region have on the attainment of secondary-age pupils completing an assessed piece of work as a result of their museum visit. Funding for the project has come from Renaissance, a £150 million programme to transform England’s regional museums, and MLA East of England. This exploratory research has emerged from
This action plan lays out a structure that will allow stakeholders from local, State, and Federal governments, as well as nongovernmental STEM education stakeholder groups, to work together to coordinate and enhance the Nation's ability to produce a numerate and scientifically and technologically literate society and to increase and improve the current STEM education workforce. Strategies for producing the next generation of innovators are not explicitly addressed in this action plan and will require subsequent study. A coherent system of STEM education is essential to the Nation's economy and
The Maker Program Blueprint offers a template for afterschool or summer programs and addresses the types of spaces that can be used, ideas about schedules and format, and the materials and personnel needed to create and sustain a program.
In January 2012, New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) hosted Design-Make-Play: Growing the Next Generation of Science Innovators. The two-day conference brought together leaders of schools, community-based programs, research and development organizations, the funding community, universities, government and business. They gathered at NYSCI to assemble evidence supporting the belief that designing, making and playing can create new pathways into science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), particularly among children. A core argument of Design-Make-Play is that informal learning centers like
Recognizing that the Maker movement embodies aspects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning that are the hallmarks of effective education — deep engagement with content, critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, learning to learn, and more — NYSCI, in collaboration with Dale Dougherty and Tom Kalil, approached the National Science Foundation to sponsor a two-day workshop. Over 80 leaders in education, science, technology and the arts came together at NYSCI to consider how the Maker movement can help stimulate innovation in formal and informal education