 briefcaiseNewsletter of the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) Welcome to the third issue of briefCAISE, the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) newsletter. Founded in 2007 with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), CAISE is devoted to advancing and improving informal science education (ISE) in its many and varied forms—among them, film and broadcast media, science centers and museums, zoos and aquariums, botanical gardens and nature centers, digital media and gaming, science writing, and youth, community, and after-school programs. CAISE works across the ISE field to gather and communicate evidence of the contributions of informal science education and to offer professional development opportunities for those working with and seeking NSF support. In the SpotlightYouth Astronomy Apprenticeship
Youth Astronomy Apprenticeship (YAA) is an out-of-school time initiative that fosters science learning as an effective way of promoting overall youth development and competitive professional opportunities among urban teenage youth and their communities. Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the program is a collaboration between the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, the Timothy Smith Network, and the Institute of Learning Innovation, and is funded in part by NSF (DRL-0610350). Over the last two years, YAA urban youth have learned to communicate science to their communities by developing their own plays, museum exhibits, instructional activities, planetarium shows, and marketing campaigns. The YAA program progressively develops youth’s science knowledge and 21st century employable skills through several program stages. In the after-school program, youth engage in astronomy investigations, take astronomical images using robotic telescopes, learn to process astronomical images, and produce reports and presentations about their investigations. Over the last two years, the YAA program recruited 113 youth (49% boys and 51% girls) with a retention rate of 54%. In the next stage of the summer apprenticeship program, youth participate in paid positions, working with scientists and science educators from MIT and Harvard; the Underground Railway Theater; Jeff Kennedy Associates, a museum exhibition design and planning company; and ThinkCollaborative, a local marketing and advertising company. Some continue on to participate in community outreach events, where youth present their science/astronomy performances as science ambassadors at various venues in their communities across the city. Finally, some youth take on a major role in the YAA program itself and join the staff as youth assistants for the YAA after-school programs. Forty-three youth became YAA apprentices, and eight of them are currently YAA assistants. Of the assistants, 100% returned to the YAA summer apprenticeship for a second year. While the YAA program is still in a formative stage, its impact on urban youth can be transformative as exemplified by the case of Heleno, a rising senior at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester. His mother and three brothers moved to Boston from Cape Verde five years ago. When Heleno joined YAA in 2007, he had very basic computer skills but a great interest in science. He attended the after-school program, became a YAA apprentice, and then served as a YAA assistant. His communication and critical thinking skills improved greatly as he developed a passion for astronomy and even joined a local amateur astronomers club. Under the mentorship of the director of YAA, Heleno created an astronomy project for the 2007–08 science fair. In May 2008, he won one of the Massachusetts State Science Fair first prizes, the Apollo Award awarded by the Massachusetts Space Grant and a $20,000 scholarship for University of Massachusetts Amherst. Heleno is not alone in his success; other YAA students have won science fair awards and scholarships to college. And, like Heleno, 98% of the 113 youth who joined the program so far are from groups historically underrepresented in STEM, including African-American (40%), Hispanic (25%), and Somali (4%) populations. Table of Contents
Impact SightingsLearning in Science Centers and Museums: From a Review of the EvidenceEcsite-ukVisits to science centers and museums can elicit powerful emotions, which help create memorable learning experiences, reinforce existing knowledge, and encourage positive attitudes toward learning and careers in science. This was the conclusion of a review of the evidence undertaken in 2006 by Ecsite, the U.K. Network of Science Centres and Museums. Established in April 2001, the network represents more than 50 science centers and a similar number of discovery centers in museums, botanic gardens, aquariums, and zoos. (Throughout this article, the term science center is used to refer to all of these types of institutions.) This article summarizes the evidence reviewed in Ecsite-uk’s full report. Knowledge and skillsResearch into learning in science centers has largely focused on cognitive outcomes since these are often the easiest both to define and assess. Many studies have shown at least short-term increases (over weeks or months) in the range and depth of visitors’ conceptual understanding. For example, Anderson et al. (2000) studied the impact of various interactive exhibits on school children’s understanding of the principles behind electricity and magnetism. The researchers found that what was experienced in the museum was actively interpreted by the pupils (rather than just passively accepted) and incorporated into their existing mental models. Subsequent experiences of electricity and magnetism were likewise incorporated into the mental models developed during the museum experience. Similarly, Beiers and McRobbie (1992) found evidence for the impact of a series of interactive exhibits upon children’s understanding of the scientific principles of sound. Numerous studies of visitors conversations during or immediately after science center visits have shown evidence of visitors extending and enriching their conceptual understanding. For example, Allen (2002) recorded visitors’ conversations at an exhibition about frogs at the Exploratorium, San Francisco. The quality of these conversations was impressive, with content-focused conversations occurring at 83% of the exhibits and representing 97% of all of the talk recorded. Much of the conversation recorded included visitors reading aloud or paraphrasing the label text. Visitors were found to engage in conceptual conversation (hypothesizing, making generalizations, or making reference to previous knowledge) at over one-third of the exhibits. In addition to the evidence indicating the development of knowledge and understanding, considerable evidence has been amassed of visitors to museums, zoos, and science centers practicing and developing skills of exploration, observation, interpreting data, sharing ideas, and other skills directly related to scientific thinking (e.g. Allen, 2002; Ash, 2002; Borun, Chambers, & Cleghorn, 1996; Tunnicliffe, Lucas, & Osborne, 1997; Schauble et al., 2002; Crowley et al., 2001; Crowley & Jacobs, 2002). School field trips to science centers also have a measurable effect on youth. Hooper-Greenhill et al. (2005) conducted a large-scale survey of 26,000 school children and 1,600 teachers visiting 69 museums across England. They found that both teachers and children were extremely positive about their museum visits and felt that they had benefited educationally. Teachers were confident that their pupils gained new knowledge, skills, and inspiration from their visit. In a follow-up study of 762 secondary school pupils from nine schools visiting different museums and galleries, 60% of pupils achieved higher marks in a postvisit assessed piece of work compared with work they had completed prior to the visit (Watson, Dodd, & Jones, 2007). Border Crossings in Informal Science Education: DragonflyTV’s Experiment in Museum-Media CollaborationAlice ApleyThe DragonflyTV Museum-Media Experiment
The key component of DragonflyTV GPS that represented a departure from previous collaborations was a series of short, but intense, partnerships, in which DragonflyTV engaged teams of museum professionals at the 29 institutions in the production of television content. Previously, educationally oriented museum-media collaborations had largely involved museum staff in the development of supplements to a broadcast production, such as exhibits and hands-on activity centers. For example, WGBH’s Zoom series created “ZOOMzones” in selected museums, and Scholastic’s Magic Schoolbus created a touring exhibition. Within the constraints of the collaborations—DragonflyTV maintained editorial control—the museum educators were asked to think like television producers. They identified aspects of their institutions around which a DragonflyTV inquiry could be constructed. They provided content and location expertise throughout the production process. Museum educators also reviewed a rough cut of the video segment before it aired. For their part, the TV producers relinquished control over the science content of the episodes. They entrusted museum partners with identifying suitable museum exhibits and stories relevant to their institutions, testing experiments, and providing location scouting and support during shooting. The collaboration thus offered both museum and television professionals the opportunity to learn about each other’s approaches to informal science education. In 2005, RMC Research Corporation, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, began summative evaluation work on DragonflyTV, which would extend over the two GPS seasons. Through a series of interviews with museum staff and the staff of the TV show, we followed the collaborations closely. In addition to documenting partners’ expectations, challenges, and learning, the evaluation allowed us to view the work of both television and museum partners from the perspective of a broader landscape of informal education. This article outlines some of the basic differences in perspectives on informal science education as manifested by the collaboration. It also highlights how partners on both the television and museum sides of the equation were able to see their own and one another’s work through this experience. We focused specifically on the concepts of “inquiry” and “interactivity,” as we asked all of the partners to define and discuss these concepts at the beginning and the conclusion of the collaborations. We found that the differing ways in which partners understood the terms were at the center of some of the greatest challenges in working together. These concepts also revealed much about how each viewed the opportunities and limitations of media and museums for providing informal science education experiences. CAISE Landscape Study of Informal Science EducationThe first phase of a two-year study of the informal science education "landscape" has been completed by Oregon State University, under the leadership of John Falk, Co-PI of CAISE. The study, which was based on in-depth interviews with 35 people working in a wide variety of professional subcommunities, sought to characterize the state of ISE as a "community of practice" and to identify issues of common interest across the field. Among the findings: There is a "shared sense of mission (promoting public understanding of science), a variety of similar beliefs and practices (these include educational, fund-raising, and promotional activities), and a group of committed professionals who share a commitment to the mission of science education and buy in to the value of out-of-school (i.e., informal) education as an important mechanism for accomplishing that mission." Interviewees concurred that CAISE could play a useful role in "(1) improving communication within and across the ISE field and (2) championing the importance of informal science education"—in particular, as "a conduit for collecting, distilling, and promoting evidence of the impact that the ISE community contributes to the public good." For the full report and the executive summary, visit the CAISE website.
NSF ISE Letter of Intent: DeadlineThe NSF ISE Letter of Intent due date is September 18 (due by 5 p.m., proposer’s local time). A Letter of Intent is required in order to submit a full proposal. Full proposals are due December 18. ISE PI Summit 2008
The ISE PI Summit 2008 involved 251 participants, 176 of whom were project representatives of 190 projects. In addition to NSF, seven federal agencies participated in the Summit. For more information about participants and projects, visit participant and project pages, which are linked to InformalScience.org Member profiles and Project pages. Follow-up information and documentation of the ISE PI Summit 2008 is now available on the CAISE website. Our goal is to provide the broader ISE community with access to the ideas and activities that occurred at the ISE PI Summit 2008. Look for audio files, presentations, handouts, and the conference program. Highlights include sessions on the directions of NSF and the NSF ISE Program, the Framework for Evaluating Impacts of Informal Science Education Projects, evaluation workshops, and discussion groups. We invite readers to expand the conversations begun at the Summit by posting comments on Discussion Group topic pages. CAISE Leadership & Diversity Fellows SelectedThe CAISE Fellows Program aims to broaden participation by and build capacity of professionals in informal science education who are from underrepresented groups and underrepresented regions of the United States. CAISE is pleased to announce the selection of the 2008–2009 CAISE Leadership & Diversity Fellows:
Resources & Links
CAISE LeadershipSupported by a cooperative agreement with 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). Inverness Research Associates serves as the evaluator. The center is housed at ASTC’s offices in Washington, D.C.     Association of Science-Technology Centers ASTC is an international organization of science centers and museums dedicated to furthering public engagement with science among diverse audiences. Since its founding in 1973, ASTC has served as an advocate and meeting place for the ISE field. Its publications and professional development programs, including an annual meeting attended by 2,000 ISE professionals, work to improve ISE practice and advance equity and diversity. ASTC was a 2006 recipient of the National Science Board’s Public Service Award. Wendy Pollock, PI of CAISE, represents ASTC in CAISE’s work. Oregon State University OSU brings to the work of CAISE its expertise in free-choice science learning and a deep understanding of the ISE community. John H. Falk, Co-PI of CAISE, was founder of the Institute of Learning Innovation (ILI) and is now a member of the faculty in OSU’s Department of Science and Mathematics Education. Over the past 25 years, Falk has built a reservoir of knowledge about the intersection of ISE theory and practice, in particular how to support the needs of institutions and professionals striving to improve the quality of ISE. Through its partnership with CAISE, OSU is building closer connections among research on communities of practice, the creation of learning organizations, professional training and development, and ISE practice. University of Pittsburgh Center for Learning in Out-of-School Environments UPCLOSE is a group of researchers and educators dedicated to building and applying a practical theory of learning and teaching in informal environments. Through creative partnerships with museums and other nonprofits, such as CAISE, UPCLOSE explores new ways to conceptualize and evaluate informal learning. UPCLOSE’s website, InformalScience.org, seeks to promote and advance the field of informal learning in science and other domains. It is a place to share knowledge and support a community of learners to inform informal science learning standards and practices. Kevin Crowley represents UPCLOSE as CAISE Co-PI. Visitor Studies Association VSA is a professional association committed to understanding and enhancing visitor experiences in informal learning settings through research, evaluation, and dialogue. VSA’s vision is of a world where lifelong learning is embraced, and where learning in informal settings benefits individuals, communities, and society at large. VSA brings to its partnership with CAISE extensive experience assessing strategies for how to attract, educate, and serve public audiences. Alan J. Friedman represents VSA as CAISE Co-PI in consultation with a five-member volunteer oversight committee. VSA members are authoring articles for CAISE that synthesize relevant research and evaluation results and draw implications for ISE practice. They also will lead skill-building workshops about evaluation for PIs and prospective PIs, both onsite during the PI Summit and online. Inverness Research is a research and evaluation group with the mission of studying investments made in the improvement of education. Inverness founder and principal Mark St. John and his colleagues have studied science and mathematics education initiatives ranging from the evaluation of individual science exhibits to the study of large national initiatives. Inverness is currently serving as the external evaluator for CAISE, providing formative feedback and documenting the contributions of CAISE to the ISE field. Contact CAISE
Photo Credits
|
A recent collaboration between the production staff of DragonflyTV
and 29 institutions of informal science learning pushed beyond the
traditional roles of museum-media partnerships by engaging museum
professionals in the production of television content and featuring the
partner institutions on the TV show. The 14 DragonflyTV episodes produced as part of these partnerships were subtitled DragonflyTV GPS: Going Places in Science
and were produced over two production seasons. The collaborations
involved both large and small institutions, including hands-on science
centers and natural history museums, as well as visitor centers in
state and national parks. A study of the collaborations revealed some
striking differences between the two arenas of informal science
education. The process of collaborating created opportunities for the
partners to think about informal science education in ways that
extended beyond their familiar television or museum worlds and enriched
both fields. DragonflyTV is a PBS children’s series, produced
by Twin Cities Public Television in St. Paul, Minnesota, that showcases
middle school children doing their own inquiry-based investigations.
The series is currently producing its seventh season (
At
the request of the National Science Foundation, CAISE organized a
meeting for NSF Informal Science Education Program principal
investgators, July 25-26, 2008 in Washington, D.C. The ISE PI
Summit 2008 provided PIs of recent and active NSF ISE grants the
opportunity to discuss the state of ISE with other leaders in the field
and to get updates on the latest directions in NSF funding.