Design-based research (DBR) is a method for testing educational theories while simultaneously studying the process of creating and refining educational interventions. In this article, Sandoval proposes “conjecture mapping” as a technique to guide DBR processes. Conjecture mapping responds to critiques that DBR lacks clear standards and methodological rigor.
This article describes how two inquiry games promoted student science skills in a museum setting while minimizing demands on teachers, fostering collaboration, and incorporating chaperones. Students who played these games engaged in more scientific inquiry behaviors than did students in control groups.
This paper describes a model developed by education researchers seeking to bridge the gap between formal and informal learning contexts. The model matches organisational, cognitive, affective, and social-environmental aspects of learning with four key design principles to create 16 practical steps to help formal and informal educators communicate and cooperate more effectively.
This chapter explores what is already known about museums and their long-term impact on visitors, the complexities and challenges inherent in trying to study and understand long-term impacts, future research and methodological approaches that we can use to effectively assess the longterm impacts of museum experiences, and the implications of these efforts for practice.
This chapter discusses learning through the manipulation of three-dimensional objects. The opportunity to touch and interact with objects is helpful for young children as they attempt to understand abstract concepts and processes. How might parents guide children in coming to understand the complex and abstract symbolic nature of representational objects?
"Let's Talk" will bring together professionals who are engaged in facilitating, evaluating or studying dialogue in STEM and history-based institutions for a symposium in Summer of 2015 structured as a 'meta-conversation' about what we know about dialogue. The project addresses the lack of a generalizable body of knowledge about dialogue, the need for instructional models and theory to inform the use of Dialogue programming, and the opportunity to prepare future museum professionals. Co-PI's: Kris Morrissey and Robert Garfinkle. Key activities include: Research Synthesis Paper; Symposium of professionals across STEM and history-based museums; Development of theory-based resources.
In the increasingly fierce competition for leisure time and educational spending, museums are seriously challenged by edutainment, the Internet, CD-ROMs, and 500-channel satellite TV. For example, if a child is interested in dinosaurs, 20 years ago a parent would have been likely to take her to the museum to see some fossils. Today, many parents would probably begin by taking her to the computer to search the World Wide Web, where a quick search reveals thousands of dinosaur web pages. If the family did not find a site among these thousands that satisfied the child's curiosity - or if they
Students who work at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, California learn about science by explaining to the visitors from all over the world how the museum's exhibits work. The students are teen-agers who also come from all over the world to be "Explainers" for the Exploratorium. They go through a training period to learn the basics of how the exhibits work and how to share their knowledge with the general public. The student "Explainers" not only learn about science, but they also learn how to be effective communicators. After completing a semester of working in the Museum, students take
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Ellen KlagesDarlene LibreroJames Bell
Years before encountering their first formal science lessons in elementary school, children may already be practicing scientific thinking on a weekly, if not daily, basis. In one recent survey, parents reported that their kindergartners engaged, on average, in more than 300 informal science education activities per year - watching science television shows, reading science-oriented books, and visiting museums and zoos (Korpan, Bisanz, Bisanz, Boehme, & Lynch, 1997). This strikes us as a lot, but it is likely to pale in comparison to what young children may experience five years from now
This article makes two main points about research on learning in informal contexts. The first point is that much knowledge is acquired outside school. The second point highlights the challenges of studying the learning sciences in informal settings.
This paper addresses the role of museums in education in science and technology through the discussion of a specific project entitled EST "Educate in Science and Technology". The Project puts together methodologies and activities through which museums can be used as resources for long-term project work. In-service training for teachers, work in class with learning kits or with materials brought in by a science Van, and visits to the museum are planned and developed jointly by museum experts and teachers. The Project proposes a teaching and learning model which sees the museum experience as
The Research Centre for Museums and Galleries in the Department of Museum Studies at the University of Leicester was commissioned by Resource: the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries to research ways of defining and assessing the learning outcomes in museums, archives and libraries. This paper is intended to provide the context for the development of generic learning outcomes that can be used in all three domains.