caise

The CAISE Inquiry Group led by John Falk of Oregon State University and Carlos Manjarrez of the Institute of Museum and Library Services has launched a national interviewing project aimed at developing a "ground up" view of the informal science education "infrastructure" that supports lifelong learning about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). People from across the spectrum of informal science education are joining the effort—and others welcome and encouraged to contribute.

Taking a broad view of STEM learning, the "Everyday Science & Technology" interview guidelines note that "examples of science and technology knowledge can be in areas like gardening, automobile engine repair, knowing about an illness or environmental issue or being very familiar with a particular natural area." Results are coming in steadily as more people join the project, with reported topics so far ranging from space travel to the science of hair.

You can find overall interviewing guidelines and questions here: Guidelines for Collecting Interviews (PDF), Interview Guide (PDF). Survey results should be entered in this SurveyMonkey form (this allows for notes of any length). To hear occasional updates and periodic discussions about the project, join the CAISE Forum and check the Infrastructure discussion forum.