The Silence of the Lands is a virtual museum of natural quiet. The project promotes a model for preservation, experience, and renewal of natural heritage that empowers the active and constructive role of local communities in the collection and interpretation of natural quiet as a cultural object. This is accomplished by using ambient sounds as conversation pieces of a social dialogue aimed at transforming the virtual museum in a place of cultural negotiation; that is, to make the virtual museum a living organism linking the people, visions, interpretations, and values that pertain to a
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Elisa GiaccardiHal EdenGerhard Fischer
This report presents the findings of a qualitative study that asked 38 secondary science teachers, ‘How can natural history museums effectively support science teaching and learning?’ A partnership of four natural history museums across England, teachers from their local areas and a university education department were involved. The museums work in partnership to support school science at 11–18. In-depth focus groups held at the museums and questionnaires were used.
The focus of this literature review is out-of-school time activities in informal environments, a "vastly understudied" set of experiences (Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development 1992), and the role these experiences can have in shaping the direction of youth to pursue STEM careers. By understanding the research base on this topic we can better understand the ways that interventions can lead to more young people choosing STEM professions. Our goal is to contribute to these infrastructure building efforts by synthesizing the relevant research for ITEST project staff, NSF Program Officers and
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TEAM MEMBERS:
ITEST Learning Resource CenterJennifer DorsenBethany CarlsonLeslie Goodyear
This paper details a long-term evolving effort to provide evaluation instruction designed to address specific information needs for selected target groups from a centralized location within a networked environment. Additionally, this paper examines a content design process that focuses on user-centered data-appropriate evaluation methods where the content of the instructional system is comprehensive, organized, and presented for use by library researchers and practitioners in a variety of library settings and situational contexts. Specific examples of web-based evaluation instructional systems
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TEAM MEMBERS:
John SneadCharles McClureJohn BertotPaul Jaeger
This paper presents a summary of each of 10 evaluations conducted of NASA educational programs. The paper begins with a table outlining the titles of the evaluations and who conducted them, the date of the report, the evaluation questions, the evaluation design or methods and brief comments on the quality of each report. After the table each report is considered in more depth through an overview of what the evaluation included as well as a critique of the evaluation questions, methods and findings. The paper concludes with an overall commentary on the set of evaluations.
To explore how the United States can harness the powerful features of digital games for learning, the Federation of American Scientists, the Entertainment Software Association, and the National Science Foundation convened a National Summit on Educational Games, on October 25, 2005 in Washington, DC. The Summit brought together nearly 100 experts to discuss ways to accelerate the development, commercialization, and deployment of new generation games for learning.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Federation of American ScientistsHenry Kelly
This article describes how after-school programs can nurture young scientists and boost the country's scientific literacy. It makes a case for integrating science into high-quality afterschool programs.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
The After-School CorporationLucy FriedmanJane Quinn
An annual conference gathers young Native Americans from several states and many tribes to celebrate their culture, deal with issues they face in their communities, and get involved in tribal and state political issues.
This paper examines the approach of urban debate leagues, and specifically the New York Urban Debate League, to democracy skill building and civic engagement. In the face of concerns about lack of civic engagement and knowledge among young people, such out-of-school-time programs can often reach youth bypassed by traditional sources of civic and democracy development, providing a vision of what “democracy in action” for underserved youth might look like. Such democracy skill-building experience can empower youth to become engaged learners and participating citizens.
In stories about democratic society that take place in a democratically structured environment, Youth Radio walks the fine line between professional journalism and youth development in ways that question the automatic equation between "youth voice" and freedom of expression.
In the juvenile justice reform movement, the principles of youth organizing can help bridge the gap between the goals of social justice and individual youth development.
Annual trips to the state capital to advocate for afterschool funding not only allow young people to participate in the democratic process but also foster youth development by focusing on educational goals.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Susan BlankLucy FriedmanKathleen Carlson