The Review of NISE Network Evaluation Findings: Years 1-5 seeks to investigate the work of the NISE Network since its inception in 2005 and provide an overarching summary of NISE Net Public Impacts evaluation efforts to the NISE Network and the broader ISE field. This Review is divided into six chapters, representing the following themes: Connecting ISE Professionals with Nano Informal Science Education; Connecting University-Affiliated Individuals with Nano Informal Science Education;Engaging the Public in Learning about Nano through NISE Network Educational Products;Engaging the Public with
This report presents a summary of findings from our evaluation and conclusions that may carry broader implications. The audience for this report includes The National Science Foundation (NSF) and other funders (particularly science research funders), the leadership and staff of Nanotechnology: the Convergence of Science and Society project partners, and the informal science education field. The main body of the report is organized into two sections. The first section discusses the project's logic model, or theory of action and frames what the project set out to do and how. The project's
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Mark St. JohnPamela CastoriOregon Public BroadcastingJudy Hirabayashi
The Exploratorium is home to XTech, a science education program which began in 2006 and was primarily funded by a three-year National Science Foundation grant (Award # 05-25217) through its ITEST (Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers) initiative. XTech provided project-based afterschool activities in science, engineering, and technology to underserved middle school students from the San Francisco Bay Area. As part of the Exploratorium's Community Outreach department, XTech involved partnerships with two community-based organizations in the Bay Area "Aim High and First
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Becky CarrollAnita SmithPam CastoriExploratorium
Nanoscience is an emerging scientific field, and therefore an increasing amount of funding is flowing into nanoscience and nanotechnology research, including money from the federal government. Several studies of public understanding and public attitudes toward nanoscience have shown that most of the public is generally uninterested in and unmotivated to learn about nanoscale science and technology3. Because this emerging interdisciplinary field of science offers so much promise, and because it will have an increasing presence in everyday life, the NSF is committed to increasing public
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Mark St. JohnJenifer V. HelmsNanoscale Informal Science Education (NISE) NetworkPam CastoriJudy HirabayashiLaurie LopezMichelle Phillips
The Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Network) is a national infrastructure that links science museums and other informal science education organizations with nanoscale science and engineering research organizations. The Network's overall goal is to foster public awareness, engagement, and understanding of nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. In support of the NISE Network, this 2005 report reviews 20 secondary research documents with a focus on how nanotechnology has penetrated the consciousness of the general adult public.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Barbara FlaggNanoscale Informal Science Education (NISE) Network
During 2005-2008, the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network researched, designed, implemented, and evaluated public deliverables covering various aspects of nanoscience, nanotechnology, and nanoengineering. Working with four NISE Net museums, Multimedia Research used a web-based post-survey design to assess nanotechnology awareness in a sample of museum visitors exposed to nano-topic programs, exhibits, forums and activities (treatment group) compared with a sample of museum members who were not exposed to the deliverables (control group). Exposure to nano-topic deliverables appears to
IN 2005-2008, the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network experimented with forum models designed to provide attendees with an opportunity to learn about and discuss the implications of nanotechnology on their lives, society and the environment. For this summative evaluation, the forum Nanotechnology in Health Care was implemented at three NISE Net museums and evaluated with a pre-post one-group design. The Nanotechnology in Health Care forum model is successful in positively influencing attendees' definition of nanotechnology; their awareness, assessment, and understanding of both the
This report is the first annual report summarizing data collected about the overall impact of the Saint Louis Science Center's educational programs on participants. Data was collected between September 2006 to August 2007. Four programs, Summer Science Blast, FIRST Robotics, YES-2-Tech, and Learning Place, are spotlighted.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Jennifer HeimElisa IsraelSaint Louis Science Center
This study was conducted as a part of the formative evaluation of the NISE Network forum Nanotechnology: Risks, Benefits, and Who Decides? The purpose of the forum was to bring members of the public together to discuss whether experts, watchdogs, and/or the public should be the primary decision makers about nanotechnology policy. During the course of the forum, participants learned about nanotechnology and its societal and ethical implications from experts, had a chance to ask questions of the experts, participated in a small group discussion where they talked about the pros and cons of the
Creativity Workshop (working title) is planned to be an approximately 4,000 square foot permanent exhibit that is part of the Museum of Science's Technology Initiative. The exhibit aims to have visitors participate in interactive activities, allowing them to experience for themselves the engineering design process and creative problem solving techniques. The exhibit will be organized into three main areas: Inventors' Tools, which will introduce visitors to creative thinking tools that can be used to design new technologies and solve technological problems; Engineering Design which features
The NSF-funded Nanoscale Informal Science Education (NISE) Network produced exhibits and programs designed to develop awareness, engagement, and understanding of nanoscale science, engineering, and technology in the museum-going public. As part of the overall summative evaluation of the first five years of this grant, the Exhibits and Programs Study examines the measurable impacts of these public products on museum visitors. These exhibits and programs were developed during the first four years of the project as the NISE Network itself was growing and developing; the products show the strength
This report presents findings from the evaluation of the Baseball Stories user generated content (UGC) project. The Baseball Stories project was created by the Information and Interactive Technology Department to allow people to share stories about their experiences with baseball for display in the Baseball As America traveling exhibition. As a part of the project, a website was created where people could create and post their stories and view other stories, and an exhibition kiosk was created where people could view their or others' stories or send an email to remind themselves to create a