This report from the National Research Council explores how learning changes the physical structure of the brain, how existing knowledge affects what people notice and how they learn, the amazing learning potential of infants, and the relationship between classroom learning and learning in everyday settings such as community and the workplace. It identifies learning needs and opportunities for teachers and provides a realistic look at the role of technology in education.
DATE:
TEAM MEMBERS:
National Research Council
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
This White Paper summarizes the work of C-COVES, a two-year IMLS-funded project designed to Create a Collaboration for Ongoing Visitor Experience Studies. Specifically, C-COVES was intended to research the feasibility of creating a multi-institutional network of science centers across the country united in studying the visitor experience within and across organizations nationwide. In August of 2013, 27 museum professionals from 11 science centers ranging in size, community context, and evaluation capacity, as well as 3 consulting or industry organizations, came together to elaborate the
DATE:
TEAM MEMBERS:
Museum of Science, BostonRyan Auster
This resource showcases a conference poster that the Wildlife Conservation Society presented at the 2014 Visitor Studies Association Conference and the 2014 Inclusive Museum Conference, outlining the work we undertook to explore the development of a proposed new family exhibit at the Bronx Zoo, "Safari Adventure," paired with selected results and takeaways. In 2011, the Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded WCS a grant to support our investigation and development. We asked ourselves the questions: How can zoo exhibits better connect people to nature? By what methods can we explore
This presentation was shared at the 2014 Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) annual meeting in Raleigh, NC. It describes how proposers can submit competitive proposals to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program in FY 2014. The presentation describes strategies for submitting competitive proposals to the to the NSF AISL program via solicitation 14-555/
The publication of the National Academies of Science consensus study, Learning Science in Informal Environments (2009), was an important marker in the history of informal STEM learning (ISL). With five years hindsight, we pause to reflect how far ISL has come as a field, what we have achieved, and what the future might hold. The impetus to do so came via our participation on a panel at a symposium at the 2014 NARST Meeting in Pittsburgh, PA. Our session was framed by overarching questions about the kind of research currently being conducted in ISL--and for what purpose. Some of the specific
This document was produced by Beck Tench for the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE). It provides visual documentation of the 2014 AISL PI Meeting that was held in Washington, DC.
DATE:
TEAM MEMBERS:
Beck TenchCenter for Advancement of Informal Science Education
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
In December, 2013, a group of leaders of six informal science education (ISE) assessment projects met in Palo Alto, CA for a 2-day exploration of the state of the art of measuring the impact of informal STEM education experiences. The goals for the meeting were to explore in depth the technical and practical details of the assessments, share and critique findings, and review plans for ongoing work to validate and refine measures.
This poster was presented at the 2014 AISL PI Meeting in Washington, DC. Through sustained collaborations that unite research, design, and professional development, members of the InforMath Collaborative are conducting design-based research on exhibits and programs that integrate art and science content from participating museums with the mathematics of topology and projective geometry.
This poster was presented at the 2014 AISL PI Meeting. It describes a collaborative project between Smith College and Springfield Technical Community College to improve technical literacy for children in the area of engineering education through the Talk to Me (TTM) website.
This poster was presented at the 2014 AISL PI Meeting in Washington, DC. The project seeks to develop and study a model that would integrate the science research on urban systems into science museum exhibits and programs, starting in this phase in a new "City Science" exhibit space at the EcoTarium. The goal is to learn how to assist citizens in decision-making and shaping a sustainable future for their communities.
This poster was presented at the 2014 AISL PI Meeting in Washington, DC. The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow (CoCoRaHS) network is an existing backyard citizen science project that is enhancing the research efforts of scientists and promoting climate literacy among the public by engaging volunteers in precipitation-monitoring activities.
This poster describes the work accomplished by August 2014 for the NSF-funded project "Science of Sharing: Investigating Cooperation, Competition, and Social Interdependence." It was presented at the 2014 AISL PI Meeting in Washington, DC.