We describe OctoPocus, an example of a dynamic guide that combines on-screen feedforward and feedback to help users learn, execute and remember gesture sets. OctoPocus can be applied to a wide range of single-stroke gestures and recognition algorithms and helps users progress smoothly from novice to expert performance. We provide an analysis of the design space and describe the results of two experiments that show that OctoPocus is significantly faster and improves learning of arbitrary gestures, compared to conventional Help menus. It can also be adapted to a markbased gesture set
Young people today have grown up living substantial portions of their lives online, seeking entertainment, social relationships, and a place to express themselves. It is clear that participation in online communities is important for many young people, but less clear how this translates into civic or political engagement. This volume examines the relationship of online action and real-world politics. The contributors discuss not only how online networks might inspire conventional political participation but also how creative uses of digital technologies are expanding the boundaries of politics
Science museums play a role in creating visitor experiences that relate to contemporary issues in science, and in linking audiences to the scientific enterprise and the community of scientists. In the Portal to the Public approach, science researchers are trained by museum educators with experience in inquiry-based learning, and are then given opportunities to translate their current research for museum audiences. Portal to the Public offers one solution to museums seeking to sustain a commitment to delivering experiences that reflect the dynamic pace of research, and the need to connect local
The First Synthesis Meeting was held in January 2008, at the front end of the Portal to the Public grant period. For this meeting, forty-three experts, stakeholders and members of the project team came together at Pacific Science Center for two days of dialog and reflection. Participants brought diverse knowledge and experience, and represented public, research scientist and informal science education perspectives. The First Synthesis Meeting's goal was to facilitate in-depth conversation to identify current initiatives, best practices, and future directions regarding activities in the field
Professional learning communities (PLCs)-teams of educators who meet regularly to exchange ideas, monitor student progress, and identify professional learning needs-reflect a growing interest in promoting professional development that engages teachers and administrators. Increasingly, teachers are able to participate in online and hybrid PLCs in addition to PLCs that meet face-to-face. This report examines: characteristics of PLCs, as reported in the literature; advantages and challenges of online and hybrid PLCs, compared to face-to-face PLCs; and considerations for the design and setup of
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Institute of Sciences, U.S. Department of EducationCynthia L. Blitz
This report, commissioned by the Wellcome Trust, provides a review of the value of informal science learning to science education in the UK. The study seeks to provide: a better understanding of the scope of informal science learning, its theoretical base and the types of change it can bring about in the understanding of and attitudes towards science; recommendations for robust methods for evaluating the impact of informal science learning, based on an analysis of practice in the field; recommendations on reaching deprived learners, schools and families; and recommendations based on best
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GHK ConsultingRichard LloydRoss NeilsonSuzanne KingMark DyballWellcome Trust
These audio presentation and transcript files are from a series of webinars about the NSF Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) FY14 solicitation. "AISL Webinar 101: Introduction to the Solicitation" includes an overview of the AISL program, project types, preparing competitive proposals, the review process and NSF merit criteria, other relevant programs and resources, and contact information. "AISL Webinar 102: Digging Deeper into the Solicitation" focuses on key issues in the submission and review processes, examples of project types, an introduction to the Common Guidelines for Education
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National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation
Funded jointly by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the MacArthur Foundation, in partnership with the and Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) and Urban Libraries Council (ULC), Learning Labs in Libraries and Museums supports the planning and design of 24 learning labs in libraries and museums nationwide. The inaugural cohort of 12 sites ran from January 2012 to June 2013, and a second cohort of 12 additional sites began in January 2013 and will extend through June 2014. In addition to the primary awardees, most grants included additional institutional partners, resulting in a rich community including over 100 professionals from approximately 50 participating organizations (libraries, museums, universities, and community-based organizations). The labs are intended to engage middle- and high-school youth in mentor-led, interest-based, youth-centered, collaborative learning using digital and traditional media. Inspired by YOUmedia, an innovative digital space for teens at the Chicago Public Library, as well as innovations in science and technology centers, projects participating in Learning Labs are expected to provide prototypes for the field based on current research about digital media and youth learning, and build a "community of practice" among the grantee institutions and practitioners interested in developing similar spaces.
This report is a synthesis of ongoing research, design, and implementation of an approach to education called “connected learning.” Connected learning advocates for broadened access to learning that is socially embedded, interest-driven, and oriented toward educational, economic, or political opportunity. Connected learning is realized when a young person is able to pursue a personal interest or passion with the support of friends and caring adults, and is in turn able to link this learning and interest to academic achievement, career success or civic engagement.
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Digital Media and Learning Research HubMizuko ItoKris GutierrezSonia LivingstoneBill PenuelJean RhodesKatie SalenJuliet SchorJulian Sefton-GreenS. Craig Watkins
Digital media and technology have become culturally and economically powerful parts of contemporary middle-class American childhoods. Immersed in various forms of digital media as well as mobile and Web-based technologies, young people today appear to develop knowledge and skills through participation in media. This MacArthur Report examines the ways in which afterschool programs, libraries, and museums use digital media to support extracurricular learning. It investigates how these three varieties of youth-serving organizations have incorporated technological infrastructure and digital
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Joan Ganz Cooney CenterBecky Herr-StephensonDiana RhotenDan PerkelChristo Sims
This report summarizes the results of a three-year ethnographic study, funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, into how young people are living and learning with new media in varied settings—at home, in after school programs, and in online spaces. The authors present empirical data on new media in the lives of American youth in order to reflect upon the relationship between new media and learning.
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University of California, IrvineMizuko ItoBecky Herr-Stephenson