The aim of this qualitative case study was to explore the use of stories as tools for learning within formal and informal learning environments. The design was based on three areas of interest: (a) the story as a tool for learning; (b) the student as subjects engaging with the story; and (c) the context in which the story learning activity takes place. In this study, students were engaged in a themed exhibit about human and animal senses at a public science centre. A story was created to support students’ engagement and interaction with the themed exhibit. The story was specially designed to
This toolkit provides materials to better prepare role models to engage girls in STEM. The toolkit provides instructional materials, activities, and professional development resources.
This study focuses on the combined role of zoos and an out-of-school-time program focused on environmental issues in influencing children’s relationship with and sense of responsibility toward animals and the environment.
This article reflects on the author's experience leading the 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) program, which aimed to create a "culture of STEM" for both participants and staff. The author describes the experience of the children, the training of staff, and places for improvement.
This paper sketches the context for participation in science by girls from historically underrepresented populations and offers a detailed description of Sisters4Science (S4S) and its personalized, girl-centered pedagogy. The S4S example suggests a need to complement current out-of-school science programs with lessons from girl-centered practice and research.
A personal essay by a former public school teacher in the Teach for America program highlights the differences between school and afterschool education.
Studies of the effects of afterschool programs on student learning have yielded equivocal findings. This paper argues that such findings stem from weak conceptualizations of the relationship between afterschool programming and learning. The authors use socio-cultural learning theory to reveal specific dimensions of afterschool programs that have positive impact on learning, drawing on almost 200 documents from the afterschool literature to substantiate and elaborate these dimensions. Findings illuminate why afterschool programs that provide “more school after school” significantly limit
Interactive technologies are employed in museums to enhance the visitors' experience and help them learn in more authentic ways. Great amounts of time and money and many man-hours of hard work have been spent. But do such systems indeed achieve their goals? Do they contribute to a greater user experience (UX) and learning effectiveness? In this paper we describe the use of the "Walls of Nicosia" a 3D multi-touch table installed at the Leventis Municipal Museum in Nicosia, Cyprus. Two groups of students actively participated in this empirical study (they attended the 5th year class at
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Panagiotis ZahariasDespina MichaelYiorgos Chrysanthou
The article focuses on the creation and development of an interactive science museum by middle level students as part of informal science education in the U.S. The said project which primarily targets fifth-grade students aimed at maximizing the active engagement of a learner during his or her experience. It also promotes the minimization of lecture-laden instruction while maximizing an experience-based learning system. The project which is adopted in the late part of 2006 help students to review and synthesize information, collaborate with peers, and specialize science topics.
The article discusses an effective physical science center, which can be incorporated on the reading instructions of teachers, the inclined plane center, that helps enhance science teaching. It mentions that to create an inclined plane center, one must collect various objects that roll, slide and wobble and wooden cove molding for the tracks. The author thinks that it is not necessary to understand everything about force and motion, what is important is offering students with opportunities for concrete experiences.
The summative evaluation of the Farming for Fuels classroom program and family event was conducted over two years. Two interim reports were delivered with preliminary results about specific areas of focus. This final report described the overall evaluation study methods and results, and made recommendations for potential revisions and improvements to the program. The evaluator worked with the program team at the Creative Discovery Museum to generate a list of questions to guide the evaluation study. The questions covered each of the major audiences for the program: museum educators, teachers