This poster was presented at the 2014 AISL PI Meeting in Washington, DC. It describes a project designed to increase informal learning opportunities for blind youth in STEM.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
National Federation of the BlindMark Riccobono
Research chemists from the Center for Enabling New Technologies Through Catalysis (CENTC) worked collaboratively with the Liberty Science Center (LSC) to develop a hands-on activity to educate visitors about how small molecules derived from petroleum feedstocks are used to make larger molecules that are then utilized in the production of everyday consumer goods. Researchers, faculty, and students provided the chemistry content and LSC worked with Blue Telescope Studios to create a user-friendly program for the Ideum Multitouch Table. The resulting “Molecule Magic,” an engaging and intuitive
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Center for Enabling New Technology Through Catalysis (CENTC)Abby O'Connor
This poster was presented at the 2014 AISL PI Meeting. It describes a project that uses location-based augmented reality games on smartphones to engage youth in activities developed by informal science institutions.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Missouri Botanical GardenBob Coulter
Informal Community Science Investigators (iCSI) creates a network of four geographically diverse informal science institutions working together on strategies to engage youth ages 10-13 through location based augmented reality (AR) games played on smartphones. These high-interest, kid-friendly games will be used by families visiting the institutions and by youth who enroll in more intensive summer camp programs. Using AR games, participants will engage in playful but scientifically-grounded investigations drawing on each institution's research, exhibits, and natural spaces. For example, a botanical garden might engage young visitors through AR games with themes related to native and invasive species, while a zoo might create a game experience focusing on illegal wildlife trade. Participants in the iCSI summer camp program will have more intensive experiences, including work with the host institution's scientists, opportunities to develop original augmented reality games, and experiences with game-related service learning and citizen science programs. For both target groups (families and campers), the location specific games build understanding of both the institution's mission and the broader realm of scientific research and application. The project will test the notion of participants as "learner hero," the link between game play and the individual's development of competency, autonomy and the relationship to real world experience, in this case through community action on the subject of the game developed. To that end, participants will be encouraged to extend their involvement through related investigations on site and participation in community activities and projects that can be done at home. Social media tools such as Facebook and web sites managed by the host institutions will provide recognition for this extended engagement, helping participants maintain ties to the program. Additionally, program resources provide assistance to adult family members in nurturing and sustaining youth interest in STEM activities and careers. A major effort of the project will be development of a new software infrastructure called TaleBlazer for the augmented reality game that will enable teachers and students to develop their own game that incorporates real data collection and scientific model building. The new platform will enhance the game play platform MITAR developed with NSF funding.
This poster was presented at the 2014 AISL PI Meeting in Washington, DC. STAR Library Education Network (STAR_Net) is a national program led by the Space Science Institute’s National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL). STAR stands for Science-Technology Activities and Resources (www.starnetlibraries.org). Core partners include the American Library Association, Lunar and Planetary Institute, and the National Girls Collaborative Project. Other partners include the National Academy of Engineering, Engineers Without Borders-USA, IEEE-USA, the National Renewable Energy Lab, American Geophysical
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TEAM MEMBERS:
SPACE SCIENCE INSTITUTE/National Center for Interactive LearningPaul Dusenbery
This is the final report of the Informal Science Education (ISE) supplemental two year NSF grant for the partnership between CCI Solar Fuels and Westside Science Club that ran between October 2012 and July 2014. After a brief program overview and goals, it lists the program components. Then it traces the history of each partner, including a partnership with Wildwood High School in Santa Monica, and LA Makerspace. Each section also briefly outlines the evaluation performed by a professional evaluator. The program will continue with a partnership with a local Pasadena, CA museum called Kidspace
This poster shows the development of the project Scientists for Tomorrow during the three years of its implementation: two first years under the full funding of the NSF and the third year as a no-cost extension. Also the poster describes how the project was incorporating more community centers and with it more participants through the development of the "self-sustained" mode of implementation. The poster introduces also the next step of the project - the Scientists for Tomorrow - National Alliance.
This poster describes Skynet Junior Scholars (NSF award numbers 1223687, 1223235, 1223345) project. Skynet Junior Scholars engages middle and high school aged youth in the study of the Universe using the same tools as professionals by: targeting youth audience enrolled in the 4-H program; building accessibility standards into the SJS design ; using research quality, multi-wavelength telescopes. These telescopes are part of the Skynet Robotic Telescope Network.
This is the poster for the CCI Solar Fuels and Westside Science Club collaboration presented by Michelle Hansen and Benjamin Dickow at the 2014 AISL PI meeting in Washington DC.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
California Institute of Technology Center for Chemical InnovationMichelle Hansen
This poster presented at the 2014 AISL PI Meeting describes an outdoor informal science learning project that trains volunteer naturalists to lead environmental programs for middle school students.
This poster provides an overview, program goals, evaluation plan, and research questions for the AISL project, Techbridge Broad Implementation: An Innovative Model to Inspire Girls in STEM Careers. The poster was presented at the 2014 AISL PI Meeting.
The Educational Gaming Environments group (EdGE) at TERC embarked on a research project to study serious online collaborative gaming environments as a vehicle for engaging the public with National Science Digital Library (NSDL) resources. The goal of the project was two-fold: to design and test serious games that use a prototype virtual resource center; and to build a community and framework for creating a Serious Games Pathway to deliver NSDL resources into this burgeoning community with the aim of facilitating STEM learning. As part of this endeavor, the external evaluators under the