Newsletter - Issue 14, June 2010

Paying More Attention to Paying Attention

Time and attention are fundamental to informal science learning. Beverly Serrell, evaluator and veteran observer of science centers and museums, public gardens, and aquariums, has analyzed studies of visitor behavior in more than 100 exhibitions. In an article titled "Paying More Attention to Paying Attention," she offers observations about the characteristics of what she calls “thoroughly used exhibitions.” As she notes, "Time spent paying attention is a prerequisite for learning, and studies have shown a positive relationship between the amount of time spent in an exhibition and learning (Borun et al., 1998)." Her observations are suggestive not only for designers of place-based science learning experiences, but for those who study learning across the informal science education field.

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News and Updates

  • Join the CAISE Forum. Participate in an ongoing series of online discussions about issues and topics in informal science education. Next up, June 14–28: Discussion with Beverly Serrell about "Paying More Attention to Paying Attention." Go to connect.astc.org, set up an account, find the "CAISE Forum," and enroll yourself using the word "informal" as the enrollment key. If you need help, contact info@caise.insci.org.
  • Science for the "Third Age." Readers may be familiar with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) network from an earlier CAISE Forum led by Kali Lightfoot and OLLI colleagues. They want to learn more about what informal science institutions are doing to engage older adults to help with their planning. You can help by completing this survey before June 16: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/25B7TTQ.
  • NSF ISE preliminary proposal deadline July 22. Preliminary proposals for the NSF Informal Science Education grant program are due July 22, and full proposals are due December 7. The solicitation is posted here. FAQs are on the CAISE website.

About the image

  • Photo (c) The Exploratorium, www.exploratorium.edu / Photo Credit, Amy Snyder

In the Spotlight:

Listen

ISE Spotlight

Listen: Making Sense of Sound was a project of the Exploratorium that made the act of attentive listening the primary entry point for interacting with a wide variety of natural and technological phenomena. Funded in 2003 by the National Science Foundation (DRL-0307925), the project departed from the San Francisco museum's traditional focus on the physics and physiology of sound. Instead, it made the information and aesthetic pleasure derived from engaging in attentive listening a new lens through which exhibit components and activities were realized. In addition to an exhibition and public programs, the project also resulted in a Listening traveling exhibition that is part of the Exploratorium's EXNET (Exploratorium Network for Exhibit-based Teaching) collection and a web site that includes listening activities and short online videos developed collaboratively with a cadre of "Listening Guides."

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About CAISE

The Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) works to strengthen and connect the informal science education community by catalyzing conversation and collaboration across the entire field—including film and broadcast media, science centers and museums, zoos and aquariums, botanical gardens and nature centers, digital media and gaming, science journalism, and youth, community, and after-school programs. Founded in 2007 with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), CAISE is a partnership among the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC), Oregon State University (OSU), the University of Pittsburgh Center for Learning in Out-of-School Environments (UPCLOSE), and the Visitor Studies Association (VSA). CAISE is housed at ASTC’s Washington, D.C. offices.

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