The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB), managed by The Consortium for Ocean Leadership, provides enriched science education and learning through a nationally recognized and highly acclaimed academic competition that increases high school students’ knowledge of the marine sciences, including the science disciplines of biology, chemistry, physics, and geology. The NOSB addresses a national gap in environmental and Earth sciences in K-12 education by introducing high school students to and engaging them in ocean sciences, preparing them for careers in ocean science and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Currently, there are 25 regions in the U.S. that compete in the NOSB, each with their own regional competitions. The regional competitions are coordinated by the Regional Coordinators, who are typically affiliated with a university in their region. Each year approximately 2,000 students from 300 schools across the nation compete for prizes and a trip to the national competition. The goal of this organization is to increase knowledge of the ocean among high school students and, ultimately, magnify the public understanding of ocean research. Students who participate are eligible to apply for the National Ocean Scholar Program.
The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) is a nationally recognized high school academic competition that provides a forum for talented students to excel in science, mathematics and technology and introduces team members, their teacher/coaches, schools and communities to ocean sciences as an interdisciplinary field of study and a possible future career path. Established by the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education in 1998 (the Year of the Ocean), the program operates within a supportive learning community framework that involves the ocean research community in pre-college education and stimulates broad interest in and excitement about science and the oceans. The basic model for NOSB is that of a two-tiered timed competition in which pairs of four-student teams answer multiple-choice, short-answer and critical thinking questions within multiple categories related to the oceans. Each fall, over 400 participating high schools prepare their teams for 25 regional ocean sciences bowl competitions held across the United States in February and early March. Winners of these Regional Bowls advance to the national finals in late April. The current structure layers a rich array of year-round academic elements onto the basic competition framework and offers a range of program enhancements including summer internships and scholarships for NOSB alumni and opportunities for teacher professional development. Four regional bowls currently receive additional funding to expand recruitment efforts and provide mentoring and field trip experiences for students from racial, ethnic and economic groups underrepresented in the ocean sciences. CORE proposes to continue to administer and manage the National Ocean Sciences Bowl for the next five years (April 2007-March 2012). Funds are requested to add two new sites and expand the diversity initiative. To improve the credentials of the nation's teachers and informal educators, the proposal seeks funding for coach and regional coordinator professional development including a focus on the fundamental principles and concepts of ocean literacy recently developed by the ocean education community. An additional new element is a longitudinal study of educational and career paths that will assess the role that the program plays in encouraging talented students to enter the pipeline into ocean science careers and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) professions. By supporting and promoting the program's unique educational and experiential opportunities, all NOSB partners and sponsors contribute to helping our nation better prepare K-12 students in science and technology and identify and cultivate future scientists and technical experts.
The Art of Science Learning, Phase 2 was an NSF-funded research and development project to investigate the value of incorporating arts-based learning techniques in STEM-related group innovation processes. The project team created a new, arts-infused innovation curriculum in consultation with leading national practitioners in the arts, creativity, and innovation, then deployed that curriculum in “innovation incubators” in San Diego, Chicago, and Worcester (Mass.) in partnership with informal STEM institutions in those cities. At each incubator, diverse members of the public (from high school
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Peter LinettSteve ShewfeltNicole BaltazarNnenna OkekeDreolin FleisherEric LaPlantMadeline SmithChloe Chittick PattonSarah LeeHarvey Seifter
Science cafés offer a place for information and discussion for all who are interested in science and its broader implications for society. In this paper, science cafés are explored as a means of informal science dialogue in order to gain more understanding of the science-society relationship. Perspectives of visitors, organisers and moderators of science cafés were analysed. Findings show that science cafés stimulate discussion and engagement via informal learning processes. Visitors come to broaden their knowledge in an informal ambiance. Organisers and moderators hope to enhance
As part of the National Science Foundation (NSF) funding for the In Defense of Food project directed by Kikim Media, the independent evaluation firm Knight Williams Inc.1 conducted a summative evaluation of the project’s key deliverables, which included: a PBS television broadcast program, an outreach effort, and an educational curriculum. This report (Study 2 of 3) focuses on the outreach effort.
This study applies social network analysis to explore the role that one science festival has played in building the state's STEM learning ecosystem. It examines the breadth and extent of collaboration among STEM educators and their partners, reviewing past and present partnerships across 449 events during the 2015 festival. Three case studies provide in-depth illustrations of partnerships. These findings represent an important step towards (a) mapping a STEM learning ecosystem, and (b) trying to understand how a festival affects the ecosystem itself. Together, study results demonstrate how the
Mathematics is a notoriously disliked subject; there is so little stigma associated with being "bad at math", that educated adults openly describe themselves in this way. There are many reasons for math's unpopularity; chief among them is that school mathematics seldom offers opportunities to engage with the richness of this potentially fascinating subject. As a result, the mathematics education pipeline in the United States is more often a filter than a pump, siphoning students out rather than bringing them along. Children have libraries to help them fall in love with literature: where do they get a chance to fall in love with math? This project presents a unique opportunity to study children engaged with mathematics in an informal setting, the Minnesota State Fair, facilitated by mathematically knowledgeable volunteers. The Math On-a-Stick mathematical playground provides a place for children to engage with mathematics by exploring patters, asking quantitative questions, and investigating shape and space to mathematize their play. The project will observe and videotape this engagement to inform the design of mathematical learning environments in a variety of outside of school time settings, such as after school programs and summer camps, that are accessible to a wider range of the population. This project is co-funded by the EHR Core Research (ECR) and Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) programs. The ECR program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in three thematic areas: STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation, and STEM workforce development. The AISL program seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments.
The project will investigate three research questions: (1) How does the design of various parts of the exhibit differently support rich mathematical interactions between children and mathematicians? (2) How do children engage different parts of the exhibit? How do differences in engagement relate to (a) exhibit design and (b) prior mathematical experience? (3) How do exhibit volunteers, mathematicians, and caregivers interact to support (or undermine) students' mathematical play? The project will use participant observation and videography to capture visitors' activities through the exhibit, analyzing them as qualitative case studies.
Rural communities across the Nation are, in general, underserved in terms of the various forms of STEM education. Clearly, they are under-represented in the realm of contemporary STEM subjects often because they are geographically isolated and cannot travel to cities where there are Science and Museum Centers for informal education opportunities. As part of its overall strategy to enhance learning in informal environments, the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program funds innovative resources for use in a variety of settings. This award will, in a collaborative effort within the community, bring STEM activities to selected communities in Arizona. Among the initial activities, there will be a STEM festival highlighting aspects of the community and its assets in an effort to gather support and begin to give perspective on identity for an extended effort of longevity. Further, these communities will be networked to facilitate discussion and to enhance effectiveness.
This project will develop STEM activities and STEM learning within a selected community by giving the community and its residents identity and opportunities for youth development and career choices. The selected communities in Arizona represent a diverse group that includes Native Americans and Latinos. In collaboration with community residents, a designed plan will be established that satisfies the needs and opportunities that can be derived from the extant community assets whether it is mining, tourism, or government facilities. Evaluation efforts are set to determine what the key features and methodologies are that facilitate STEM knowledge acquisition for each rural community. This project represents seminal and foundational work in the area of rural informal STEM education. Researchers will explore the following questions: 1) understanding how rural communities currently perceive, access, and engage in informal science learning, and the extent to which they identify themselves and/or their community in relation to science; and 2) the extent to which relevant, place-based networks can increase public awareness of local STEM assets, resources, and opportunities, and foster a science-related identity at both the personal and community level. These data will be compared to data on other rural community projects in the AISL portfolio. The partners in this effort include the Arizona Science Center, community leaders from four rural regions in Arizona, Arizona State University, and the Center of Science and Industry.
Over the past decades there has been an increasing recognition of the need to promote dialogue between science and society. Often this takes the form of formal processes, such as citizen’s juries, that are designed to allow the public to contribute their views on particular scientific research areas. But there are also many less formal mechanisms that promote a dialogue between science and society. This editorial considers science festivals and citizen science in this context and argues that we need a greater understanding of the potential impacts of these projects on the individuals involved
In the spring of 2014, the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net) Public Impacts evaluation team conducted a summative study of NanoDays, a nationwide festival of educational programs about nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. In 2014, NanoDays took place from March 29th – April 6th, 2014. The Network’s goals for NanoDays events led to the following summative evaluation questions: 1. What is the projected public reach of NanoDays events in 2014? 2. Are ‘mature’ NanoDays events successful in providing an engaging experience and promoting learning of nano concepts for
There is growing recognition that effective science communication should not merely focus on addressing scientific literacy but must also open dialogue between scientists and the public, build trust, and increase public interest in environmental research. Citizen science BioBlitzes offer a useful approach for science communicators to address many of these key aims. We explore the BioBlitz concept, learnings and outcomes based on a case study of a BioBlitz held in Sydney, Australia. We found that participants valued learning about biodiversity on the day and importantly, all participants