caise

Over the coming year, in response to what we've heard from you, CAISE Inquiry Groups will be working to synthesize evidence and foster conversation across the field about the contributions of informal science education (ISE) in its many and varied forms. Here’s the concept: Much if not most of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning happens outside of school; this informal, free-choice STEM learning is supported by a broad infrastructure ranging from museums and public television stations to community centers, websites, and amateur clubs; and policies operating at a variety of levels largely determine the boundary conditions under which ISE operates. These three aspects of ISE will be examined by groups made up of researchers and practitioners, now forming, who will report out through online discussion forums, conference sessions, and published reports. A fourth group will be examining strategies for building knowledge and community across this diverse field.

The community will have opportunities to participate as contributors and reviewers, in discussions online and in person, and during a March 2010 ISE Summit in Washington, D.C. If you’re interested in being kept up to date on one of these inquiries, or possibly even contributing to a group, let us know.

The inquiry process will have three main strands:

• Learning in Informal Settings What is the best evidence that people learn about science, technology, engineering, or mathematics during informal activity? An important part of documenting the contributions of informal science education (ISE) is to assemble and synthesize the evidence that learning is actually occurring. The recent report from the National Research Council (NRC), Learning Science in Informal Environments: Places, People, and Pursuits, provides a good jumping-off point for this group’s explorations. The report argues for a broad definition of learning that includes motivation, interest, and identity, among other features. The report also points out that we do not have good measures for learning in ISE settings and that we need to connect our efforts with those of allied fields of study in the learning sciences. This Inquiry Group will strengthen and connect the ISE field by 1) collecting and synthesizing the best available evidence that people are learning in a variety of ISE settings; 2) helping to refine, communicate, and advance the broad research agenda called for in the NRC report; 3) connecting best evaluation practices to extant ISE research; and 4) building bridges to other fields of learning and educational research. (Contact: Kevin Crowley, University of Pittsburgh Center for Learning in Out-of-School Environments)
• Informal Science Education Infrastructure This Inquiry Group will focus on the status and scale of two major, overlapping dimensions of the ISE infrastructure: institutional resources and human resources. Building on the 2008 CAISE Landscape Study (PDF), the group will begin by mining existing resources, identifying gaps in current data, and framing key questions such as: How many and what kinds of ISE institutions exist? Where are they located?  What resources (e.g., programs, exhibits, media, materials) do they offer?  How many and what types of audiences are reached by these resources? How many people work in the ISE field? What roles do they play?  From what backgrounds do ISE professionals come? What kinds of professional development do they engage in?  To what extent does the background and training of ISE staff bring them together as a community or keep them isolated from each other? The group will also consider strategies for developing mutually shared and supported criteria for reliably and accurately capturing such information in the future. (Contact: John Falk, Oregon State University)
• Informal Science Education Policy The environment within which ISE operates is shaped to a large extent by many sets of policies. Sometimes policies are made by ISE practitioners themselves, sometimes by government, and sometimes by other partners or potential partners. To a great extent, these policies determine the boundary conditions under which ISE operates. Policies constrain or encourage many different activities, and may limit our imagination and ambition, or direct those resources along productive or not-so-productive channels. This Inquiry Group will produce an overview of the landscape of policies affecting the practice of informal science education, with special attention to those that affect the impact, and knowledge of that impact, of ISE.  (Contact: Alan Friedman, past president Visitor Studies Association) 

If you're interested in hearing about the work as it goes along, or possibly participating in one of the Inquiry Groups, we encourage you to get in touch with us.