Science beyond the schoolhouse is the subject of this close-up look at informal science--education in non-traditional settings, including Boys and Girls Clubs, 4-H, zoos, aquariums, and public television. More than a dozen writers draw on personal experiences to tell why they became informal science educators and how they use the history and theory of traditional science education in their work. Among the features of this book for informal science educators are a resource directory and a special section on program evaluation. Articles include: (1) "The Symbiosis of Formal and Informal
Interactive museum exhibits have increasingly placed replicated and virtual objects alongside exhibited authentic objects. Yet little is known about how these three categories of objects impact learning. This study of family learning in a botanical garden specifically focuses on how 12 parent-child family units used explanations as they engaged with three plant types: living, model, and virtual. Family conversations were videotaped, transcribed, and coded. Findings suggested that: 1) explanations of biological processes were more frequent than other types; 2) model and virtual plants supported
Free-choice learning, a new paradigm for the learning that youth and their families engage in outside school, can play an important role in the healthy development of youth, their families, and communities.
This mixed-methods evaluation, which was conducted at the request of the museum’s Communications department, answers two questions about a suite of special family events at the Burke Museum. First, this project sought to develop a profile of Family Day visitors – including any differences in audiences across individual events, and how visitors were receiving information about the events. Second, this evaluation sought to explore visitors’ expectations of and experiences at the events. Specific evaluation questions included the extent to which expectations and experiences aligned with one
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Emily CraigBetsy O'BrienRenae YoungsBurke Museum of Natural History and Culture
MinnAqua, a program of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Fish and Wildlife, educates the state's youth about angling and aquatic resources. In 2001, MinnAqua began developing a leaders' guide so educators could carry out MinnAqua activities in their own setting. As part of the development process, a formative evaluation was undertaken to answer two questions: (a) to what extent are MinnAqua's rewrite guidelines addressed in individual lessons and the leaders' guide as a whole?, and (b) to what extent does the leaders' guide meet the educational needs of
One way to ensure that an evaluation has "utility" is to use a participatory evaluation approach where the evaluator partners with primary users to carry out various phases of an evaluation. This article provides a case study of how participatory evaluation was used in an out-of-school youth development and employment program at the Science Museum of Minnesota's Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center. Youth staff participated in a series of evaluation workshops where they learned about evaluation, made their own meaning of evaluation data, generated recommendations to improve their museum work
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) MinnAqua program educates the state's youth about angling and aquatic resources. In 2001, MinnAqua developed a Leaders' Guide so educators could carryout MinnAqua activities in their own setting. As part of the development process, a formative evaluation was undertaken to answer the questions: (a) To what extent are MinnAqua's rewrite guidelines addressed in individual lessons and the Leaders' Guide as a whole?, and (b) To what extent does the Leaders' Guide meet the educational needs of intended users in both formal and informal
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Amy Grack NelsonMinnesota Department of Natural Resources
The focus of the November 9, 2006 Community Based Science Organization (CBSO) Roundtable was to gather participant's ideas for future CBSO and the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) partnerships. These ideas were used to inform the development of a new program that would involve CBSOs and SMM. The goal was for participants to re-imagine the way SMM and CBSOs collaborate to facilitate better community-based science in Minnesota. Participants were asked to think about what this collaboration would look like. A brainstorming method was used, and to guide the brainstorming process, participants
The goal of the SISCOM program is to improve science achievement of economically disadvantaged middle school students in science, through the development, implementation, and dissemination of a replicable, model program for use with underserved youth, especially girls, in informal educational settings. A number of programs and interventions geared toward bolstering the STEM interest and achievement of urban youth have been implemented across the country. Key elements that have proven to be successful have been incorporated into the SISCOM program include the longevity of intervention
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Penny L. Hammrich, Ph.D.Kathy Fadigan, Ed.D.Judy Stull, Ph.D.
Goodman Research Group, Inc. (GRG) conducted summative evaluation of the Journey to Planet Earth: The State of the Ocean's Animals project. GRG has served as external evaluator for Journey to Planet Earth since 1999. Journey to Planet Earth is a PBS series that explores the fragile relationship between people and the world they inhabit. The most recent evaluation included two components: 1) a viewer study of the Ocean's Animals episode in the series (hosted and narrated by Matt Damon), and 2) an evaluation of the outreach initiative that complemented the series. The broad goal of the
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Marianne McPhersonElizabeth BachrachIrene F GoodmanScreenscope, Inc.American Association for the Advancement of Science
Goodman Research Group, Inc. (GRG) conducted summative evaluation of Origins of the Universe, the 4-part NOVA miniseries. The Origins series chronicled the history of the earth's formation, how the universe evolved to permit the emergence of life on earth, the likelihood that there is life beyond earth, and the tools and techniques scientists use to study the universe. In June 2007, Thomas Levenson, MIT professor and Executive Producer of the series, won the inaugural Walter P. Kistler Science Documentary Film Award for his work on Origins. An extensive outreach campaign accompanied the series
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Jennifer BeckJennie MurackUnicorn Projects, Inc.Irene F Goodman
Goodman Research Group, Inc. (GRG) conducted a summative evaluation of the second season of NOVA scienceNOW, the PBS series that explores cutting-edge scientific and technological innovation in real time. (GRG also served as the external evaluator for NOVA scienceNOW during Season One). In addition to the television series, WGBH-TV developed a companion website, a series of high school classroom activities, and a Science Cafe outreach initiative, designed to discuss, in non-academic environments, the latest developments in science. The Season Two evaluation included: 1) a viewer study