The New York Hall of Science, in collaboration with the Lawrence Hall of Science, is producing and evaluating an application of recently available technology, the random-access audio player, which offers the promise of improving the effectiveness of learning at science-technology center interactive exhibits. The audio "tours" that are being produced and tested will have varying degrees of branching and layering appropriate to the nature of each exhibit unit design. A "highlights" audio tour will be created for the Lawrence Hall of Science and an audio tour focusing on a single group of light, color, and vision exhibits will be created for the New York Hall of Science. The audio tours will be tested with two different categories of audience at each site: the general public on weekends and schools groups on weekdays. Alan Friedman, Director of the New York Hall of Science, will be the Principal Investigator. The Lawrence Hall of Science will be represented by Brooke Smith. The audio tours will be written and produced by Steve Tokar, the producer of Science Today a daily radio science program on the CBS radio network. Beverly Serrell, Director of Serrell & Associates, will conduct the evaluation of the audio tours at each site.
Under the Planning Grant Guidelines The Invention Factory Science Center (IFSC) develop "The Invention Factory Science Center Phase One Plan". This new science center is the central component of mixed-use redevelopment effort at the 45-acre Roebling Industrial complex in Trenton, New Jersey. Phase One includes the development of a 3200 sq. ft. visitor's center which is scheduled to open in the Spring of 1997. The IFSC will develop "Pathways to Science and Technology: An Informal Science Learning System, which is to be an innovative, interactive computer-based system of activities designed to stimulate self-directed and continuous learning. It will have a strong regional/community base, will leverage resources from local academic, industrial, and educational institutions, and will be disseminated broadly via state-of-the-art telecommunications technology. The planning activities will include front-end evaluation of the needs and interests of the community, meetings of the advisory committee, the development of plans for the "Pathfinders" software program, and development of plans for the overall evaluation of the project. t the end of the twelve-month planning period they will have designs and cost-estimates for the interactive activities and a general plan for the Visitor center. The value that this planning grant adds to their effort is support to bring nationally recognized leaders in exhibit development and informal learning to the planning sessions.
National Public Radio (NPR) has been awarded a grant of $807,335 in declining amounts over a four year period for production of Science Friday, the weekly two-hour call-in radio show that deals with science topics. Over the four year period, NPR will make an increasingly larger commitment to the total budget of $1,763,768 until they assume total budgetary responsibility for the project in FY 2001. The series' goal is to make science easily accessible to the public and to help them realize the relevance of science and technology to everyday life. The format of the programs enables the public to engage in conversations with scientists and science educators to discuss contemporary science topics. Science issues anticipated to be included in future programs include: science and mathematics education, science literacy, science risk assessment and public policy, and the future of technology. In addition to the broadcast series, NPR will develop a web site for Science Friday which will distribute the radio series on demand via the Internet, bring Science Friday to cities and rural areas where the series is not broadcast, create live Internet chat groups where listeners can meet to discuss the program, provide sound bytes and audio files of guests, and create a "Science Day Book" which will be a calendar of events loaded with science opportunities for people in their own home towns. Science Friday also has established a joint project with Kidsnet, an established computerized clearinghouse for education through the media. Ira Flatow will continue as the series host and producer. Barbara Flagg of Multimedia Research has been engaged to assess the audience impact of the project.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Kevin KloseWilliam BuzenbergBarbara Flagg
resourceprojectProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
Science Learning, Inc. will plan and carryout a two day conference that will bring together researchers, practitioners and policy makers in an effort to seek to better understand the workings of the informal science education infrastructure. Being promoted as a seminal event for defining and understanding the role of informal science education infrastructure in facilitating public understanding of science, conference participants will better define and delineate the informal science education infrastructure, hear about studies examining the nature and function of the informal science education infrastructure, learn about research models in other fields that are related to this question, and look toward the future by proposing studies and approaches to understanding this infrastructure even better. This is an outgrowth of a projected ten-year research study conducted for LA's California Science Center looking at the impact of a major urban science center on its community. This conference will be held in association with the May, 1998 annual meting of the American Association of Museums. Participants will apply to attend; it is anticipated that approximately 100 individuals will be selected. The conference proceedings will be published and broadly dissemination after the conference. It will include the nine formal papers presented at the conference along with summaries of the small groups' sessions and conclusion. The James Irvine Foundation and the California Science Center will provide additional support for this conference.
This project creates and implements a national parent engagement and education campaign. It provides a framework for all parents to explore existing and alternative forms of assessment within the context of changes in current classroom math curriculum and practices. The campaign also provides a mechanism for enhancing communication between teachers, schools and parents in order to ensure support for math strategies and practices by all members of learning communities nationwide. Project products include: * A thirty-minute documentary on mathematics reform and assessment, to be broadcast by public television stations, that will also include a viewer's guide and local publicity materials. * A Community Education Kit containing a Leader's Guide, Parent's Handbook, and short videotapes. Project materials and activities are designed for parents of elementary-age children, with a specific emphasis for materials on grades 3-5.
The Vermont Center for the Book in collaboration with the Vermont Council on the Humanities, Montshire Museum, and other Vermont science activity centers propose to develop a national model of a four-part book discussion/science activity program of early science literacy for parents of preschool children. Parents will be trained to gain confidence in their ability to do science activity kit to keep. The project expects to reach 1200 parents and 240 professionals during this three year project.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Sally AndersonJoan NagyGregory DeFrancis
This report presents findings from a front-end evaluation of Texas Prehistory: How Do We Know?, under development by the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) planning grant. This 10,000 square-foot permanent exhibition, with accompanying traveling exhibition and educational programs, focuses on current archaeological and paleontological fieldwork taking place in Texas and explores how scientists are able to piece together the past.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Randi Korn & Associates, Inc.Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
This evaluation instrument was developed for Exploring Physics, an extra curricular program for 5-7 grade students, with a focus on female students. It is part of an NSF funded program entitled Promoting Young Women in the Physical Sciences.