caise

While informal science education (ISE) has long used the terms engage and engagement to describe many of the things we do to attract, interest, and involve people in learning about science, the public policy meaning of engagement focuses on seeking public input into policy decisions about the application of science and technology in our society. In the last several years ISE professionals have begun to explore what Public Engagement in Science in informal science education might mean.

In response to increased interest by ISE practitioners as well as to further thought in the field, the Center for the Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) has established a Public Engagement with Science Inquiry Group charged with (1) exploring conceptualizations of public engagement with science as they relates to informal science education; and (2) making recommendations with respect to leveraging opportunities, overcoming barriers, and making investment in public engagement with science in informal science education.

Public Engagement with Science (PES) in terms of informal science education is characterized by mutual learning - not one-way transmission from "experts" to publics - among people of varied backgrounds, scientific expertise, and life experiences who articulate and discuss their perspectives, ideas, knowledge, and values. A PES activity may - but does not necessarily - directly inform the direction of scientific investigations, institutions, and/or public policy.

Like other ISE models, PES includes a strong focus on increased overall interest, engagement in, and knowledge of science content and process. The goal of PES activities, in terms of an individual or a community, often includes one or more of the following:

• mutual learning for publics and scientists, such that everyone who participates develops new or more nuanced understandings of issues and opportunities;
• empowerment and skills to participate in civic activities;
• increased awareness of the cultural relevance of science, science as a cultural practice, and critiques of science-society interactions; and
• recognition of the importance of multiple perspectives and domains of knowledge, including science, values, and social and ethical concerns, to understanding and decision-making around science-based societal issues.

The key characteristic that distinguishes public engagement with science from other approaches in informal science education is that PES values and facilitates participation and learning among both publics and scientists with respect to the application of science and technology in modern society.

By incorporating PES perspectives and mechanisms into an organization's offering, the possibility exists for the producers of informal science education experiences to operate not only as storehouses and/or disseminators of knowledge, but as facilitators of the production of new knowledge and understanding through dialogue and interaction among publics, scientists, and policymakers.

In addition, the goals of PES experiences align well with the broader goals of science education as well as informal science education. These include:

• Increase and explore new forms of science literacy
• Increase awareness of the relevance of science to society
• Increase participation in science and society
• Promote interactions between scientists and publics
• Explore new models of learning and research
• Reach and expand to include new audiences.