This issue of Legacy—which had a record number of submissions from interpreters wanting to write on the subject—deals with the challenges of making science accessible, engaging, and relevant to visitors to interpretive sites. How do we take information and ideas that can be highly technical or specicialized to a certain field of study and make it pertinent to visitors whose expertise lies elsewhere? The articles that follow tackle that subject.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Alyssa Parker-GeismanTim WatkinsPatrick Kark
Scientists are increasingly being called upon to play a more prominent role in the interface of science and society by contributing to science literacy in ways that support two-way exchanges with the public. However, many remain reluctant to participate in public engagement activities in part because they feel they lack relevant skills and experience. We surveyed scientists trained on engagement through a nationwide program called Portal to the Public and examined how participation in the program may have influenced their self-efficacy, commitment and attitudes about outreach, and perceived
This poster was presented at the 2018 Visitor Studies Association Conference. iSWOOP is a multi-year, multi-focus project, bringing national park-based research to visitors through innovative scientist-park ranger collaborations.
As part of this study, researchers at the Institute for Learning Innovation set out to understand how visitor interests emerge during interpreter-facilitated conversations in national parks; how visitor interests relate to topics and facilitation strategies used by interpreters; and to what degree interactions might spark or reinforce ongoing interests.
Supported by the National Science Foundation, the Global Soundscapes! Big Data, Big Screens, Open Ears project employs a variety of informal learning experiences to present the physics of sound and the new science of soundscape ecology. The interdisciplinary science of soundscape ecology analyzes sounds over time in different ecosystems around the world. The major components of the Global Soundscapes project are an educator-led interactive giant-screen theater show, group activities, and websites. All components are designed with both sighted and visually impaired students in mind. Multimedia
The "Expanding Repertoires COV Final Brief" is a report by the Committee of Visitors for the NSF Pathways project, "Expanding Repertoires of Practice: Improving Informal Science Learning Experiences for Preschool Dual Language Learners." As an exploratory research project, the Committee of Visitors - or COV - provided critical, reflective review on the progress of the project and served as the de facto evaluator for the project.
Summary brief describing summative evaluation associated with the MarcellusByDesign component of Marcellus Matters: EASE. Marcellus Matters: Engaging Adults in Science and Energy (EASE) was a program of Penn State University’s Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research (MCOR), in collaboration with other experts across the university. The first year of program activities took place in 2012, and the project continued through September 2016. EASE was a multidisciplinary initiative that provided adults in rural Pennsylvania with opportunities to increase their knowledge of science and energy
Summary brief describing findings from summative evaluation for the Marcellus Citizen Science Network component of the Marcellus Matters: EASE project.
Summative evaluation of one of four pieces of the Marcellus Matters: EASE project. This study examined the effectiveness of a series of environmental planning workshops geared toward local community members in counties across Pennsylvania.
Summative evaluation of one of four pieces of the Marcellus Matters: EASE project. This study examined the effectiveness of a program developed to immerse adult learners in the processes of scientific research by teaching participants to locate and report orphan and abandoned natural gas wells.
Summative evaluation of one of four pieces of the Marcellus Matters: EASE project. This study examined the effectiveness of a ten-week adult/community education program about topics related to natural gas development.