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COMMUNITY:
Project Descriptions

How Do We Know What We Know? Resources for the Public Understanding of Scientific Evidence

July 1, 2005 - June 30, 2009 | Media and Technology, Professional Development, Conferences, and Networks
This project is designed to improve communication between scientists and the public focusing on the role of evidence in science. It is a two-year project that includes: 1) implementing a national survey on the public use of science web sites; 2) conducting a national Science Education Outreach Forum bringing together scientists and informal science educators; 3) implementing workshop sessions at a national conference to disseminate lessons learned from the survey and Forum; and 4) developing a prototype website on the role of evidence that will be evaluated for audience engagement and understanding. This project builds on the Exploratorium's prior NSF-funded project (ESI#9980619) developing innovative strategies using the Internet to link scientists and the public using Webcasts, annotated datasets and interactive web resources. Project collaborators include the Pew Internet and American Life Project, Palmer Station, Scripps Oceanographic Institute, FermiLab and the Society of Hispanic Physicists among others. The research and evaluation of the project has the potential for strategic impact by providing new information and models on how science centers can more effectively use the Internet to improve communication between scientists and the public while engaging learners more effectively.

Funders

NSF
Funding Program: ISE/AISL
Award Number: 0452128
Funding Amount: 1493336

TEAM MEMBERS

  • REVISE logo
    Principal Investigator
    Exploratorium
  • Melissa Alexander
    Former Co-Principal Investigator
    Exploratorium
  • Discipline: Computing and information science | Education and learning science | General STEM | Physics
    Audience: General Public | Museum/ISE Professionals | Evaluators
    Environment Type: Media and Technology | Websites, Mobile Apps, and Online Media | Professional Development, Conferences, and Networks | Professional Development and Workshops | Conferences
    Access and Inclusion: Ethnic/Racial | Hispanic/Latinx Communities

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