There is a growing call for greater public involvement in establishing science and technology policy, in line with democratic ideals. A variety of public participation procedures exist that aim to consult and involve the public, ranging from the public hearing to the consensus conference. Unfortunately, a general lack of empirical consideration of the quality of these methods arises from confusion as to the appropriate benchmarks for evaluation. Given that the quality of the output of any participation exercise is difficult to determine, the authors suggest the need to consider which aspects
This report draws together the results from two major pieces of research–an overview of science communication activities in Britain today, and a detailed understanding of public attitudes to science. By combining the information from both studies, this report aims to inform future science communication strategies for both policy and practice. The research reported here sets a baseline for public attitudes to science, engineering and technology. The survey has been designed to be repeated at regular intervals to monitor any changes in these attitudes. By identifying a number of factors, which
The American Society for Microbiology (ASM), in association with Baker & Simon Associates, The National Association of Biology Teachers, and Oregon Public Broadcasting is developing a comprehension educational project to inform the public about the microbial world and the pivotal roles that microorganism play in the life of the planet. The project components will consist of: Four One Hour Prime Time Television Programs Curriculum Guide Community Microbial Activity Guides Community Dissemination Library Exhibition Companion Trade Book World Wide Web Home Page The Principal Investigator will be Cynthia A. Needham, Associate Professor of Microbiology at Boston University School of Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Biology at Tufts University School of Medicine. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Microbiology. The Executive Producer for the television series is Peter Baker who recently headed production of The Astronomers and has produced numerous television series for PBS and for the BBC. Barry Marrs of Recombinant BioCatallysis, Inc., and former Director of Life Sciences for Central Research and Development of the E.I. duPont de Nemours and Company will be the Science Advisory Team Leader and will be the liaison between the Science Advisory Panel and the production staff. The advisory committee will consist of: Rita Colwell, President, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute Yolonda George, Deputy director, Education and Human Resources Programs, AAAS Alice Huang, Dean for Science and Professor of Biology at New York University Holger Jannasch, Senior Scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Mary Lindstrom, Professor, University of Washington David Pramer, Assoc. Vice President for Research at Rutgers Moselio Schaechter, Professor of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University Steve Morse, Assistant Professor of Biology at Rockefeller University Henry William s, Vice President for Research, University of Maryland Graduate School, Baltimore Ralph Wolfe, Professor of Microbiology, University of Illinois Bonnie Van Dorn, Executive Director, Association of Science-Technology Centers.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Cynthia NeedhamWayne CarleyBarbara Flagg
The Wildlife Conservation Society is developing and implementing a five-year science program for 420 parents and 210 teachers of children in grades K-8. Linked directly with school curricula and the new National Science Education Standards, the program will bridge the gap between parents and schools, and position the Zoo as a partner and intermediary to help parents and teachers improve the quality and quantity of science education. The program consists of four interrelated components: 1) A series of workshops that will prepare the 420 parents and 210 teachers to work in teams for better and more widely available science education; 2) A series of education projects that will enable workshop participants to teach thousands of other parents and educators about the importance of science literacy, the need for active parental engagement in children's education, and the crucial role that informal science institutions play in augmenting formal science instruction; 3) A series of four Science Advocacy Fairs at the Zoo that are expected to raise the visitor's consciousness on a large scale about the above issues; and 4) A symposium for educators from schools and informal science centers in the region to disseminate successful methods for involving parents in science education.
This project is a funded as a component of the joint NSF/DoE Public Understanding and Engagement Initiative for middle grade mathematics. NCTM, Widmeyer-Baker and NACME are partnering to launch and deliver the Initiative. NCTM has responsibility for ensuring that the mathematics conveyed throughout the Initiative is compelling, accurate, and appropriate for middle grade learners. Their project contributions are entitled Math in the Media and the Public as Partners. Math in the Media is the title of the Problem of the Week feature, which will be designed for weekly promotions around the country. The problems will be developed across the following content strands: number, data, geometry, measurement, and patterns, functions and algebra. Problem contexts will vary. The problems of the week will be designed such that they will be simultaneously available in print and web-based formats. The Public as Partners project component will be aimed at the general public and will develop printed materials to support and engage the public in actually doing mathematics.
Learning to Work with the Public in the Context of Local Systemic Change is a five-year Teacher Enhancement initiative to build a knowledge base and develop the necessary tools and resources for teachers and administrators to engage with their parents and public in pursuit of quality mathematics, and to prepare teacher leaders and administrators to successfully lead these efforts in their schools. The project has three major components: (1) focused and sustained work with teachers, administrators, school boards, parents and the public in strategically located current and potential NSF-supported Local Systemic Change communities; (2) the development and implementation of mathematics sessions and materials designed for parents/public and informed by the project's research/findings, and the preparation of teacher leaders and administrators to conduct these sessions within their own communities; and (3) dissemination conferences and other outreach activities. More specifically, the project will (a) engage in studies that identify the elements critical for successful intervention with parents and the public, (b) develop materials that can be used by lead teachers and other educational leaders to work with peer teachers and the broader public in their home communities, and (c) provide the professional development necessary to support implementation. The plan of work for the project is designed around the following questions: (1) What does it take to secure a public that is knowledgeable of issues in mathematics education and knowledgeable of what it means to teach important and relevant mathematics for understanding? (2) Will a knowledgeable public support and/or actively advocate for mathematics reform? If so, what is the nature of their advocacy? (3) What impact will a knowledgeable and/or proactive public have on the efforts of current and potential Local Systemic Change (LSC) projects to improve the quality of mathematics instruction in schools? (4) Are there critical times during mathematics restructuring efforts when parent engagement is essential? If so, what are those times and what is the nature of support needed? (5) What are the critical issues and caveats that need to be considered in designing and delivering successful mathematics education sessions for parents and the public? (6) What kinds of public engagement can best be accomplished by teacher leaders working within their own communities? What kinds of support do local leaders need in order to work successfully with parents and the public? (7) What kinds of public engagement can best be accomplished by national mathematics education leaders who come into a community on a limited basis? The work to be performed in the project is a carefully designed effort to develop a more practice-based understanding of the critical elements needed for productive public involvement in support of quality mathematics. Sites participating in the plan of work are Portland (OR), St. Vrain (CO), and San Francisco (CA). Resources and tools (e.g., deliverables) planned include professional development materials that can be used by teacher leaders and administrators as they work with peer teachers, as well as with parents and the public; rough-cut video tapes that are potentially useful in these professional development sessions; and a website. Cost sharing is derived from participating school districts and the Exxon and Intel Foundations.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Ruth ParkerJaneane GolliherDominic PeressiniLisa Adajian
The Education Development Center (EDC) is implementing the national expansion and institutionalization of the Playing to Win (PTW) Network. With the goal of working toward universal technology enfranchisement and prior support from the NSF Informal Science Education Program, the PTW Network currently links close to fifty agencies in a mutually supportive community of neighborhood technology learning centers serving people living in low-income areas who otherwise would have little or no access to computer-based technologies. The purposes of this phase of the project are: - to increase the number of affiliates nationally - to provide effective support for their technology programs and to do so in a planned and thoughtful manner which also is flexible and responsive to the flows, demands, and unforeseen opportunities fro community technology center development -- to move the affiliate membership toward independence and self-governance. Each year of the project, PTW will work in collaboration with the United Neighborhood Centers of America, the Alliance fro Community Media, NTIA-funded programs, FreeNets, and others in three to four target areas of the US to recruitment additional primary affiliates. The goal is to add 20 additional affiliates annually who will be supported by local coordinators and another 30 with subsidized telecommunications support. PTW plans to enrich programmatic content at the centers with special emphasis on math and science. The network will support an on-line math and science program consultant and continue to recruit and support affiliates with a math/science program emphasis. The Co-Principal Investigators for the project will be Myles Gordon, Director of EDC's Center for Learning, Teaching and Technology, and Antonia Stone, Founder of PTW and PI for the previous phases of the project.
The Education Development Center, Incorporated, requests $2,081,018 to create informal learning opportunities in science, mathematics, engineering and technology utilizing the study of the ancient African civilization of Nubia as context. Educational activities and resources will be developed based on the extensive ongoing archeological research on historical Nubia. The two main components of the project are a traveling exhibit with related educational materials and a website that will provide the target audience an opportunity to access extensive on-line resources and activities. The project will provide community outreach and professional development for educators in museums, community groups, schools and libraries. The project is designed for thirty-six months' duration. In year one, a network of collaborators in the Boston area will focus on research and development; in year two, project materials will be piloted and evaluated in six cities, and on-line professional development programs will be conducted; and in year three, project materials will be disseminated directly to 60 sites and more broadly via the internet.
Unicorn Projects, Inc. is producing a project about historic mills in American and the science and technology of their operation. The project will combine a nationally broadcast one-hour PBS special with print and interactive educational materials for the home and school markets along with family-oriented personal appearance by host-author David Macaulay at selected museum and mill sites across the country. The goal of the project is to acquaint viewers and participants with the technological innovations and the scientific, social and historical significance of water-powered mills in the early part of the industrial revolution. In addition to the television program the project will produce Mill Times newspapers applicable in formal as well as informal settings, curriculum-based school videos and teachers guides, activity kits including "toys" designed to introduce concepts in applied mechanics, and family-activity programs at selected sites. The PI and Producer/Director will be Larry Klein who has produced and directed the previous Macaulay programs among many other PBS specials. David Macaulay, author of many best-selling books on architecture and technology, will be the host and will work closely with Mark Olshaker, the writer, in developing the script for the program. The Education Director will be Toby Levine. The principal technology and history advisor will be Patrick Malone, Assistant Professor of Urban Studies and American Civilization at Brown University and past president of the Society for Industrial Archaeology. The science advisor will be Theodore Ansbacher, principal of Science Services, an informal science education consulting company. Other advisors include Robert Dalzell, Gary Kulik, Judith McGaw, and Merrit Roe Smith.
WGBH will develop, produce, and distribute Wonders of the Modern World, a project that examines the science and technology behind the building of five international landmarks -- the Golden Gate Bridge, the Aswan Dam, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the Toronto Skydome, and the English Channel Tunnel connecting Great Britain and France. Wonders of the Modern World is an integrated, synergistic project that combines a nationally-broadcast, prime time television series with print, interactive components, and on-line products for home and school. The goals of the project are to educate the public about concepts in physical science, technology, and engineering and to engage youth and adults in a diverse range of science and technology activities using various media ranging from on-line telecommunications to print. The specific components of the project include: o A prime time PBS television series consisting of five one-hour programs that will be hosted by David Macaulay, author of numerous popular books on technology such as How Things Work, Cathedral, Castle, and Pyramid, o A World Wide Web site where users can conduct interactive science and technology activities, o Print guides to help with on-line activities, o Family-oriented video vignettes with experiments in structural design, o Activity kits that include the materials needed for conducting family-based science experiments, o Curriculum-based school videos, o Student/teacher guides that will help interpret the series for classroom use, and o A CD-ROM. WGBH has formed alliances with four national organizations that will undertake a major effort to engage members of underserved and low-income communities in the series and the ancillary activities. These organizations are The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, The Community Technology Centers Network, The Public Library Association, and The American Architectural Foundation. The PI and Project Director will be Paula Apsell, Executive Producer for NOV A and Head of the WGBH Science Unit. Larry Klein, Head of Production Group, Inc., will be the Series Executive Producer and Co-PI. Beth Kirsch of WGBH will serve as Director of Educational Print and Outreach, and Mark Olshaker will be series editor and scriptwriter. Ted Sicker, Executive Producer for Interactive Projects/New Media at WGBH Educational Foundation will direct the development and deployment of the on-line components of the project. Barbara Flagg will conduct formative evaluation and Irene Goodman will conduct summative evaluation.
MacGillivray Freeman Films, in collaboration with Texas A&M University's Marine Mammal Research Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, ASPIRA Association, Inc, and Media Education Consultants, is producing a 40 minute, large format film on wild dolphins. The film will feature the research being done by two scientists: Dr. Kathleen Dudzinski, a young marine scientist investigating dolphin communication and social systems, and Alejandro Acevedo-Gutierrez, a young Hispanic Ph.D. researching dolphin behavior and ecology. The film will inform the audiences about the methods, tools and significance of dolphin research and immerse them in on-going scientific investigations of wild dolphins in their natural habitat. The film will be supported by teacher's guides, a Science Career Exploration Unit for Hispanic youth distributed through ASPIRA, a School Trip Package for distribution to 11,000 teachers, and a Museum Educator Kit. The project also will provide theaters with 2,000 free passes for minority and low-income outreach programs. Greg MacGillivray, President of MacGillivray Freeman Films will be Executive Producer/Co-Producer/Co-Director/Co-Director of Photography. The other Co-Producer will be Alec Lorimore, Vice President for Film Production and Development at MacGillivray Freeman Films. The Co-Director/Co-Director of Photography will be Bob Talbot, an independent marine photographer. Dr. Bernd Wursig, Professor of Marine Mammalogy, Director of the Marine Mammal research Program, and Co-Director of the Institute of Marine Life Science at Texas A&M University will serve as the chief content advisor. Other science advisors include Alejandro Acevedo-Gutierrez, Kathleen Dudzinski, Randy Wells, Peter Tyack, and the staff scientists from the Mote Marine Laboratory. Informal science education and outreach advisors include Raylene Decatur, David Ellis, Freda Nicholson, Simone Bloom-Nathan, and Hilda Crespo. Project evaluation will be conducted by Barbara Flagg.
WGBH Educational Foundation is producing a four-hour documentary special, "Fire," to be broadcast as a NOVA special. The series will present the story of fire as an important but often overlooked key to understanding the natural world and our shared environmental history. Humans have used fire in virtually every aspect of our existence: for heat and light, as a tool and a source of power, for the private rituals of spiritual life and the monumental reshaping of entire landscapes. Fire acts as a significant agent of change in our world today, and the interaction of fire and humans is now acknowledged as a significant part of global climate change research and of biodiversity and ecosystem health studies. Fire will examine these and other powerful and fundamental scientific questions related to fire being explored today. The project will integrate fire history with an understanding of the scientific principles of fire chemistry and behavior, and it will link that knowledge with ecology, agriculture, forestry and resource management. An integrated outreach campaign will accompany the television series. It will be built around a resource kit, offered in both print and CD-ROM formats, with activities and other resources for families and youth organizations at the late elementary and early middle school level. There also will be special web pages within NOVA's award-winning web site that will include the "Fire" resource kit materials. The PI and Series Producer will be Judith Vecchione whose credits include the NSF-supported series on women scientists today, "Discovering Women." Paula Apsell, Executive Producer for NOVA, will be Executive-in-Charge. The Film Director will be Kirk Wolfinger whose prior NOVA productions include "Submarine!," "Titanic's Lost Sister," "Daredevils of the Sky," and "To the Moon." The Series Senior Advisor is Stephen J. Pyne, Professor of History at Arizona State University. Dr. Pyne is an environmental historian and author of the five-book "Cycle of Fire" suite. Other advisors include: Norman L. Christensen, Dean of the Nicholas School of Environment at Duke University; Johann Georg Goldammer, Senior Scientist and leader of the Fire Ecology and Biomass Burning Research Groups of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry; Robert Huggins, Servicewide Education Coordinator for the National Park Service; Elizabeth A. Povinelli, Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Chicago; Marcella Russell, Regional Liaison for the Massachusetts Parent Involvement Project; and Brian Stocks, Senior Fire Research Scientist at the Canadian Forest Service.