Over the last year we have been able to take a few hours each week to step back from our current work, reflect on our assumptions, learn from others, and explore new ways that our research could both uncover and help dismantle inequities and racism in the STEM education system. This eBook, and the series of blog posts on which it is based, is the result of these conversations and this reflective process. Our goal is to explore the themes and ideas that emerged from the year and how these might fundamentally change the way we think about STEM, work with families and children, and conduct
This document is aimed primarily at Informal Learning (IFL) educators working with adult learners from disadvantaged and underserved communities, who wish to:
exploit the inclusive nature of Tinkering to create engaging and relevant STEM learning experiences for adult learners and their families
better understand how and why collaboration and co-design with community organisations can help develop more inclusive programming in STEM learning for adults.
It can also serve as a useful reference for community leaders and adult educators wishing to collaborate with the IFL sector
With funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ (IMLS) Museums for America program, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (Zoo) undertook a process of improving the interpretive experience of its Wings of the World exhibit, which concluded in summer 2018. The updated exhibition sought to enhance families’ connections to nature and inspire them to become better bird neighbors, in direct alignment with the Zoo’s strategic planning.
In collaboration with the Zoo, the Lifelong Learning Group (LLG) conducted formative and summative evaluation in spring and summer 2018. The
With funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ (IMLS) Museums for America program, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (Zoo) undertook a process of improving the interpretive experience of its Wings of the World exhibit. This effort seeks to enhance families’ connections to nature and inspire them to become better bird neighbors, which is in direct alignment with the Zoo’s strategic planning.
In collaboration with the Zoo, the Lifelong Learning Group (LLG) conducted a formative evaluation. Formative evaluation was framed by an overarching question: does Wings of the World
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has placed a strategic focus on becoming more guest-focused, which includes tailoring interpretive exhibits to engage families, our primary audience. The Wings of the World exhibit building was reinterpreted to create meaningful experiences that connect families to nature through birds and inspire them to become better bird neighbors. As guests navigate the building, which reopened in April 2018, they observe more than 50 bird species from across the globe while making connections to local birds.
Over three years, Zoo guests participated in development and design through focus groups, prototyping, observations, interviews, and exit questionnaires to shape and assess the final interpretive design. Innovative opportunities to promote family interaction include an immersive, interpretive space where guests role play as a flock of migratory birds facing challenges along their journey, such as avoiding collisions with glass and finding suitable habitat. Each challenge teaches guests how they can make this journey easier for birds by addressing that particular issue in their own home. Guests can also practice their local bird identification skills by playing “Guess Who? Name that Cincinnati Bird.” And they are invited to pledge to take action on behalf of birds.
Results from evaluation conducted by Lifelong Learning Group suggest that Wings of the World successfully engages family groups. Guests took away a strong understanding of the general messages of the exhibit space, with enough specificity to articulate key conservation actions they could take to become better bird neighbors. The strongest successes in messaging were those that were cross-cutting and visible throughout the whole space: improving awareness related to bird diversity, encouraging visitors to pay closer attention to birds around them, and inspiring a connection to nature.
Increased integration and synergy between formal and informal learning environments is proposed to provide multiple benefits to science learners. In an effort to better bridge these two learning contexts, we developed an educational model that employs the charismatic nature of arachnids to engage the public of all ages in science learning; learning that aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas associated with Biodiversity and Evolution). We created, implemented, and evaluated a family-focused, interactive science event—Eight-Legged Encounters (ELE)—which
This study explored the effect of depth of learning (as measured in hours) on creativity, curiosity, persistence and self-efficacy. We engaged ~900 parents and 900 students across 21 sites in Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Alabama, Virginia and the United Arab Emirates, in 5-week (10-hr) Curiosity Machine programs. Iridescent trained partners to implement the programs. Thus, this analysis was also trying to establish a baseline to measure any loss in impact from scaling our programs and moving to a “train-the-trainer” model. We analyzed 769 surveys out of which 126 were paired. On
Support from Safeco Insurance has enabled Pacific Science Center to open early from 8 – 10 a.m. and provide free entry for families affected by autism spectrum disorder. During the event, accommodations are made for sensory-sensitive guests, including softened general lighting and decreased noise level and visual stimulation on interactive exhibits whenever possible. In addition, Science Center staff provide facilitated experiences for guests at the Puget Sound Tide Pool, in the Willard Smith Planetarium, and on the Live Science Stage. Safeco Insurance funding also provided for staff training