What’s informal science education?

Informal science education supports people of all ages and walks of life in exploring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

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Creating Black Hole Explorers

Black Holes: Space Warps & Time Twists

March 02, 2010 by Mary Dussault

Is it possible to create “Black Hole Explorers” out of visitors who may have only fleeting familiarity with this challenging topic?

We experimented with a networked exhibit system where visitors create a bar-coded “Explorer’s Card” that allows them to collect digital artifacts throughout the exhibition, and generate a personalized web journal.

This system is intended to a) promote active engagement; b) increase the personal relevancy of visitors’ learning experiences; c) provide visitors with opportunities to collect and reflect upon astronomical evidence for black holes; and d) support learning beyond the gallery.

We’re currently in the midst of analyzing the benefits and challenges of this experiment – stay tuned for our results!

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