The C2C award addresses the lack of validated instruments to measure teamwork and collaboration in middle and high school students in out of school time (OST) settings by implementing a rigorous four-phase process to develop new assessments. Phase 1 focuses on defining the construct of teamwork and collaboration skills so it aligns with the research literature and is relevant to outcomes in a variety of STEM OST programs. Construct maps are developed during Phase 2 to guide item development. The instruments are piloted in Phase 3 through think-aloud interviews and survey administration with a diverse set of youth and programs. Through an iterative process, items are revised or removed based on their psychometric properties. The final phase is a national field test with a cross-section of STEM OST programs. C2C's intellectual merit is its potential to advance understanding of how to measure teamwork and collaboration skills in STEM OST programs. There is a national call for more measures to evaluate 21st century skills. C2C's creation of instruments to measure teamwork and collaboration skills in STEM OST programs helps to address this gap. The work of C2C addresses broader impacts and benefit society by creating tools to understand the role STEM OST programs play in readying our nation's youth for the STEM workforce. C2C will create instruments validated specifically for this diverse population, allowing programs to understand the role they play in important societal STEM workforce readiness outcomes. C2C also benefits the informal science education field by conceptualizing the construct of teamwork and collaboration within STEM OST programs and developing validated instruments to understand the impact of these programs on youth.
In supporting education research from early childhood learning to doctoral work and beyond, EHR stimulates evidence-based innovation in teaching, instructional tools, curricula and programs. NSF-funded work in these areas has improved learning and achievement, developed more effective teaching models, and prepared a more globally competitive and diverse U.S. STEM workforce.
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National Science Foundation
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
The Conference on Public Participation in Scientific Research 2012 was held on 4 and 5 August in association with the Ecological Society of America’s 97th Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon. The conference took important steps toward formalizing the field of public participation in scientific research (PPSR); facilitated communication, collaboration, and innovation, and identified points of strength and concern for the field. Additional information about and results from the conference can be found at citizenscience.org.
Citizen science programs are increasingly popular for a variety of reasons, from public education to new opportunities for data collection. The literature published in scientific journals resulting from these projects represents a particular perspective on the process. These articles often conclude with recommendations for increasing “success”. This study compared these recommendations to those elicited during interviews with program coordinators for programs within the United States. From this comparison, success cannot be unilaterally defined and therefore recommendations vary by perspective
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
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
MobiLLab was designed by faculty at the University of Teacher Education in St.Gallen (German: Pädagogische Hochschule St.Gallen (PHSG)) to spark interest in science in secondary school pupils in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Now in its fourth year of operation, the mobiLLab team would like to evaluate the program’s effectiveness to inform further development. Specifically, we want to better understand how mobiLLab affects pupils’ science and technology interest, attitudes and knowledge development, and how positive changes can be sustained. The background investigation brings
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University of Teacher Education, St. Gallen, SwithzerlandRebecca Cors
This article is an excerpt from the book "Expanding Minds and Opportunities: Leveraging the Power of Afterschool and Summer Learning for Student Success." The authors propose a design for afterschool and summer programs that incorporates youth participation in learning experiences in contrast to current methods of education.
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The Expanded Learning and Afterschool ProjectMichael H. LevineRafi Santo
Social science research into public understanding of animal cognition has tended toward a disciplinary focus with conceptual frameworks, questionnaires, concepts and categories that do not appear to align with the findings emerging from the scientific study of animal cognition. The goal of this paper is to present a framework that aligns the dimensions of these two disparate research fields to allow for better assessment of public perceptions of animal minds. The paper identifies different dimensions that have been categorized through the empirical study of animal cognition, as well as the
This report summarizes the evaluation findings of the first year of the Science Beyond the Boundaries Early Learners Collaborative (ELC). The three-year project, funded through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), connects science centers and children’s museums to enhance early learner programming. In Year One, the ELC brought together five institutions to collaborate directly through regularly scheduled conference call discussions. During these discussions they shared their program experience, ideas on early childhood programs, and their thoughts on current early learner
This report summarizes front-end research with visitors on the topic of agriculture, conducted by the Research & Evaluation Department of the Saint Louis Science Center. This front-end study was designed to inform the internal development teams connected to the Science Center agriculture exhibit. The main objective of the research was to gather information from Science Center visitors about their familiarity and interest in the topic, their experiences with farming, their top of mind knowledge about technology and sustainability as it relates to agriculture, and their expectations for an
This article offers viewpoints on Broader Impacts 2.0. The authors point out that the National Science Board (NSB) has presented us with merit review criteria that challenge us to undertake research that marries scientific merit and broader impacts in a way that benefits the research community, our funding sources, and our society.
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American Institute of Biological SciencesRichard TankersleyPatricia S. Bourexis