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Project Descriptions

Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education: Investigating the Long Term Impact of a Science Center on Its Community

April 10, 2002 - March 31, 2004 | Exhibitions
The goal of this project is to make a fundamental contribution towards a nationally shared understanding of the role and impact of a science center in facilitating enhanced public understanding, attitudes and behaviors toward science by means of informal learning activities. To accomplish this, this research project will investigate the following questions: 1) What are the specific long-term changes in science understanding, attitudes and behaviors that result from visiting a science center exhibition? 2) What are the factors that contribute to these long-term changes? 3) What is the relationship between science center visits and subsequent reinforcing educational experiences? This study will build on previous work conducted by ILI at the California Science Center aimed at understanding how a science center impacts its community. These studies are known collectively as the Los Angeles Science Education Research Project (LASER). A sample of participants in one of the LASER studies has expressed their willingness to participate in subsequent interviews. These interviews will be designed to capture both small and large changes in science understanding, attitudes, behaviors and other informal learning experiences subsequent to the visit to the science center.

Funders

NSF
Funding Program: ISE/AISL
Award Number: 0125545
Funding Amount: 162364

TEAM MEMBERS

  • 2013 05 23 Falk headshot
    Principal Investigator
    Institute for Learning Innovation
  • 2014 10 06 IMG 1176   Version 2
    Co-Principal Investigator
    California Science Center
  • Discipline: Education and learning science | General STEM
    Audience: General Public | Museum/ISE Professionals | Evaluators
    Environment Type: Exhibitions | Museum and Science Center Exhibits

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