There were 251 attendees, of which 176 were representatives of NSF ISE funded projects. In addition to NSF, seven other federal agencies (CPB, DOE, IMLS, NASA, NIH, NOAA, NPS, Smithsonian) that support informal science education were also represented.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Center for Advancement of Informal Science EducationAl DeSenaTom KalilBruce LewensteinCatherine McEverSheila GrinellBonnie Sachatello-SawyerRob SemperJulie JohnsonErik PetersonRick BorcheltWendy Wheeler
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
At the request of the National Science Foundation (NSF), CAISE organized a meeting for NSF Informal Science Education (ISE) Program principal investigators (PIs), July 25–26, 2008 in Washington, D.C. The ISE PI Summit 2008 provided PIs of recent and active NSF ISE grants the opportunity to discuss the state of ISE with other leaders in the field and to get updates on the latest directions in NSF funding. ISE PI Summit 2008 was held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel and the nearby National Zoo.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Center for Advancement of Informal Science EducationJanis DickinsonSteve KellingJason MobleyKen RosenbergSheila GrinellBonnie Sachatello-SawyerRob SemperJulie JohnsonErik PetersonRick BorcheltWendy WheelerCatherine McEver
To find out if zoos and aquariums successfully promote conservation, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) formed strategic partnerships and undertook a three-year, nationwide study of the impacts of a visit to a zoo or aquarium. We found that going to AZA accredited zoos and aquariums in North America does have a measurable impact on the conservation attitudes and understanding of adult visitors.
Based on the National Research Council study, Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits, this book is a tool that provides case studies, illustrative examples, and probing questions for practitioners. In short, this book makes valuable research accessible to those working in informal science: educators, museum professionals, university faculty, youth leaders, media specialists, publishers, broadcast journalists, and many others. Practitioners in informal science settings--museums, after-school programs, science and technology centers, media enterprises, libraries
In June of 2007, scientists, educators, technology specialists, and other experts of varied backgrounds, gathered at the Laboratory of Ornithology in Ithaca, NY, to discuss how to best support new and existing projects. Ideas generated during the conference were used to develop the Citizen Science Toolkit, and are now inspiring a broader conversation about collaborative research ventures.
The March 12-13, 2007 workshop at NSF on informal science education evaluation brought together a distinguished group of experts to discuss how impact categories might be best applied to various types of informal learning projects. This publication is an outcome of that meeting. The authors have strived to make the sections as helpful as possible given the primary focus of this workshop on project impacts. It should be viewed as part of an ongoing process to improve the ways in which evaluation can most benefit ISE projects, NSF, and the field. The publication is intended to help those
Presentation slides on submitting competitive Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) proposals, originally presented at the 2012 Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) Annual Conference
Most tabletop research presents findings from lab-based user studies, focusing on specific interaction techniques. This means we still know little about how these new interfaces perform in real life settings and how users appropriate them. This paper presents findings from a field study of an existing interactive table in a museum of natural history. Visitors were found to employ a wide variety of gestures for interacting; different interface elements invited different types of gesture. The analysis highlights challenges and design conflicts in the design of tabletop interfaces for public
This report outlines the proceedings of the 2011 conference called "Art as a Way of Knowing" hosted by the Exploratorium. The purpose of the conference was to gather a broad range of artists, scientists, and educators to explore the history, practice, and value of the arts as a means of inquiring into the natural world. The conference brought together some 125 leading international thinkers— representing work in education, art and science museums, contemporary art, and interdisciplinary research. In particular, conference participants explored art practice in relation to the field of public
This paper was prepared for the symposium, "Learning Science in Out-of-School Time: Research Directions," presented at the 2011 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans. The authors discuss research efforts related to the nature of afterschool science offerings in publicly funded afterschool programs for elementary school students in California and the sources of support for science programming and afterschool staff development. Findings from the Afterschool Science Network (ASN) are outlined.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Barbara MeansAnn HouseCarlin Llorente
This report outlines the proceedings of a March 2011 meeting at the Exploratorium, hosted by the Center for Informal Learning and Schools. A distinguished group of learning scholars and practitioners came together to consider ways that informal science learning institutions – museums, science centers, aquaria, etc. – might engage the general visiting public with learning as a social, cultural, and scientific phenomenon. In particular, they attempted to identify how interactive exhibits and programs could engage visitors with a wide range of learning phenomena, such as mimicry, attention
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Center for Informal Learning and Schools