The Maryland Science Center is developing a large format film project on the inner workings of the human body. The film, to be produced in collaboration with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), SDA of Canada, and the Science Museum of London, will focus on the daily activities of the human body -- the simple yet astonishing things that happen throughout one's body on a single day. Emphasis will be placed on such everyday events as hearing, sneezing, eating, healing, crawling and seeing. It will be complemented by a range of ancillary educational materials including teachers' guides, a web site, and a small exhibit for placement in theater lobbies. The co-Executive Producers for the project are James O'Leary and Greg Andorfer, both from the Maryland Science Center; Richard Dale from the British Broadcasting System; Alison Roden from the Science Museum of London; and Andre Picard of SDA Productions. Michael Ackerman, Assistant Director for High Performance Computing and Communications at the National Library of Medicine of the NIH, and Lord Robert Winston, Professor of Reproductive Medicine at London's Imperial College, will be the project's principal advisors. Other advisors include: Harry Chugani, Neurochemistry, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit; Susan Greenfield, Neuropharmacology, Oxford University, London; Chris Firth, Wellcome Institute of Cognitive Neurology, London; Michael Preece, Institute of Child Health, University College, London; John B. West, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego; and Scott Frazer, Head of Biological Imaging, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena.
The Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) requests a grant from the National Center for Research Resources through the SEPA program to develop and evaluate a model biomedical science education partnership program in collaboration with the University of Minnesota's Cancer Center, Medical School, School of Public Health, and College of Veterinary Medicine. The museum will work with 19 researchers at the University to develop a multifaceted exhibition and presentation program focusing on the importance of human tissues in biological development, function, and disease. The 1500-square-foot exhibition, to be located in SMM's new Human Body Gallery, will consist of an introduction to tissues and four topical exhibit clusters. Each topic was chosen because it tells a fascinating story of how the human body works and because it represents an important current NIH research focus in health and medicine. The exhibits will emphasize the importance of understanding how tissue function and viability leads to advances in detection, treatment, and curing different diseases. The exhibits closely support the National Science Education Standards Content Standards for Life Science for grades 5-9 (representing the majority of school field trip visitors to the museum.) A complimentary presentation/outreach program will involve NIH-supported researchers in three programs designed to increase public understanding of basic biomedical science, the causes and cures for disease, and the goals and achievements of biomedical research. A Visiting Scientists Program will feature scientists in the museum presenting programs and demonstrations related to their research interests. A Scientist Mentor Program will involve scientists closely with a diverse team of high-school aged youth to develop ongoing demonstrations and community outreach programs. A Dramatic Presentation will bring home to museum visitors the wider ethical and philosophical dimensions of tissue research.
The investigators address a major educational challenge by introducing a novel format and content for science education, (a) building on past successes; (b) combining development and dissemination at a new level; and (c) centered around an interactive planetarium show aimed to inform the public on an emerging scientific discipline and medical field: Tissue Engineering. For achieving a multitude of goals, the investigators propose the establishment of a unique partnership in scientific and medical education, bringing together university researchers, clinical leaders, science center experts, and students, educators and community representatives at all levels. The project is catalyzed by the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of tissue engineering and its application to improving people's lives. The main goals fall in three categories, as follows: Education: - To communicate scientific information about the human body (principles of function will be emphasized over specific facts or terminology by focusing on a limited but fundamental set). -To convey the excitement and importance of tissue engineering research. The show will utilize engaging interactive demonstrations of tissue functions and illustrate the medical uses and potential of this field. Innovation: - To enhance the educational experience. The developers will use group-interactive technology as a tool for education by engaging participants as participants in the processing functions of the body. A special visualization/interactivity laboratory will be used where prototype interactive scenarios will be tested using focus groups, consultants and representatives of the target audiences. Dissemination: - To insure national distribution to other planetaria. The presentation system will utilize portable interactive technology (to be developed). It will be deployed to planetaria throughout the country, coordinated by the Association of Science and Techology Centers (ASTC). - To engage the target audience in the development process. Content development will be achieved by a consortium of leading research universities and medical centers, with input from a panel of worldclass experts. Visualization, interactivity and sound technologies will be developed in Pittsburgh, in a unique collaboration between the arts and sciences, based on past successes. Evaluation activities will be extensive, as will the range and targets of the spin-off educational materials. The Carnegie Science Center planetarium itself will serve in achieving group immersive visualization, akin to virtual reality, for improving target audience involvement. The expected outcome is a new way of delivering educational content, and a better understanding of the emerging field of tissue engineering by the general public.
The Children's Museum of Houston (CMH) and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) collaborated to create and travel a museum exhibit on children's environmental health for a target audience of children 5-10, their parents, caregivers, and teachers. My Home Planet Earth (MHPE) is based on the NIH-funded, interdisciplinary My Health My World educational program developed at BCM and disseminated nationally through Carolina Biological Supply. The aims of the project are to: (1) expand understanding by children (ages 5-10) and their caregivers of the health consequences of human induced changes in the environment and increase their abilities to make healthful decisions through informal self-directed activities in a museum setting; (2) encourage linkages between formal and informal education settings by providing a model for connecting classroom-based curricula to museum-based exhibits and informal learning programs, based on the My Health My World educational materials and the My Home Planet Earth exhibit and support programs; (3) help parents provide additional environmental health-related informal learning experiences for their children, and promote awareness of science and health careers; and (4) partner scientists and educators in the creation of a model environmental health sciences exhibit and support program for the field of family-centered informal learning. The exhibit and support programs are in the process of touring 18 youth museums, science centers and health museums over six years of travel (2002-2008). An estimated 1.5 million visitors will participate in the project by the end of the tour in 2008. In addition to these visitors, 1,000 families will participate in MHPE Family Learning Events, 9,000 teachers will be introduced to the My Health My World curriculum-360 of whom will participate in a day long MHMW workshop, 36 scientists will partner with host museums to enhance the learning and community impact of the project, and 180,000 children will visit the xhibit during a school field experience.
The New York Hall of Science, partnering with biomedical researchers, educators and the Association of Science-Technology Centers, is planning to develop, test, (Phase I) and nationally disseminate (Phase II) a new exhibition titled Molecules and Health. This exhibition will engage middle and high-school students and the general public in inquiry-based learning on the role of molecules in health illness and prevention. The proposed project will be a national model for conveying the molecular basis for health-related sciences, which will be increasing central to research and public understanding in the coming decades. The exhibition will be based upon Marvelous Molecules-the Secret of Life, a permanent exhibition at the Hall of Science, and will include an extensive array of biomedical and health-related exhibits. We will develop pre- and post-visit materials for teachers' use, a family guide through the exhibition, and two Explainer-run demonstrations, as well as a web site to support classroom learning. This exhibition will travel to science centers within the United States through the Association of Science and Technology Centers touring program. We anticipate that 1,000,000 science museum visitors throughout the country will see the Molecules and Health exhibition during the four year dissemination phase. We will share the results of our evaluation and the process of developing this exhibition to the science education field.
We propose to leverage the power of the Internet and the appeal of on-line gaming environments for middle school students to create a new type of learning resource in science. Case histories of medical discovery will be transformed into "problem- based" multimedia mysteries for students to solve. Through prior research we have developed and field tested a working model for an adventure series that engages middle school students. We propose to extend the model to new content. Assuming the on-line role of a Reconstructor who seeks lost medical knowledge from the past, students will unravel the origins of specific diseases or medical discoveries. The learning objectives for each episode will be multidisciplinary. The goal is to engage students in constructing their own knowledge by participating in virtual experiments, by helping them establish a context for the discoveries, and by understanding issues involved in forming public health policy. An experienced team representing medicine, biology, history of science, education, and information technology will oversee the project, assuring the integrity of the site content, and incorporating cutting edge technology. A process of iterative prototyping, focusing heavily on teachers and students will be employed to make the resource site exciting, educational, and useful in classrooms, in homes, and in museums. The field tests will be conducted in schools, representing a cross-section of the community, assuring appropriate presentation of materials to target populations.
KY-H.E.R.O.S. (Health Education Rural Outreach Scientists) is a health science education program that partners the largest science center in Kentucky with Science Heroes-- important regional biomedical research scientists. The Science Heroes, their stories and their studies serve as inspiration to our rural audience. The project objectives are to: (1) Convey the relevance of health science research to people's daily lives and promote awareness of healthy lifestyle choices and wellness; (2) Promote understanding of the fundamental principles of the scientifc process and inspire K-12 teachers to incorporate current research into their teaching of health science; and (3) Encourage students to pursue advanced science education and increase awareness of the wide range of health science related careers. The Science Center, working with the distinguished Science Heroes, their research teams and a group of 15 knowledgeable professional advisors will develop the new KY-H.E.R.O.S. science education program. The program will include new hands-on labs and demonstrations, teacher training workshops, career exploration activities, interactive videoconferencing distance learning links, and innovative public programs. Using museum-based exhibits and a wet lab, traveling exhibit components, telelinking (distance learning), an interactive website and printed and electronic materials, we will present information about the work of the Science Heroes and its relevance to the lives of participants. The focus of the program will change every two years to feature three different scientists and their work. A total of nine scientists will be included during the 5 year period covered by the SEPA grant. As the focus changes every two years to a different three scientists, all the programs and exhibits will be changed accordingly. KY-H.E.R.O.S. will be designed to serve audiences composed of school groups on field trips; teachers in workshops; classes in remote areas of the state participatng through videoconferencing; underserved groups including economically disadvantaged, minorities and young women; and the family audience that makes up about 60% of the Science Center's annual attendance. Formative and summative evaluation will be conducted by an outside firm to ensure effectiveness.
This project will disseminate neuroscience materials to secondary school science teachers via a CD-ROM. These materials will be evaluated to 1) determine changes in student attitudes toward science; 2) to assess changes in student knowledge of neuroscience concepts and 3) to quantify how students and teachers are using the Internet Neuroscience Resource ("Neuroscience for Kids"). The Scientific Attitude Inventory-II will be used to evaluate middle school student attitudes toward science before and after exposure to the Neuroscience Resource. Pretesting and posttesting of middle school students will be performed to evaluate content knowledge of neuroscience-related concepts and principles. Questions that comprise the content evaluation inventory will be based on the guidelines and benchmarks established by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Research Council, and the National Science Teachers Association. Prior to general distribution, pretests and posttests for both attitude and content knowledge will be evaluated for validity and reliability with pilot group of middle school students. An Internet version of the Neuroscience Resource will continue to be developed.
The overall goal of this project is to further develop and test one high-potential current health science research dissemination strategy initially prototyped as part of the SEPA Phase I development of the Museum of Science-s Current Science & Technology Center: updateable interactive digital multimedia displays on current research that can be networked to multiple locations, including science museums, libraries, and student centers. This SEPA project aims to broadly disseminate learning resources on nanomedicine research, capitalizing on the momentum provided by the new NSF-funded Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net), also headquartered at the Museum of Science, Boston, which has plans to place exhibits relating to nanotechnology in 100 museums by 2011. In collaboration with the NISE-Net, the SEPA-funded team will: 1) Research, write, and produce four - six multimedia stories about current nanomedicine research, including elements such as researcher profiles, interpretive animations, interactives exploring the basic science, potential for human benefit, and pathways for further inquiry, 2) Prototype an updateable and networkable software interface and a physical digital display kiosk that can serve audiences in science museums, student centers, libraries, and other public locations, 3) Evaluate the effectiveness of interface and story content and make plans for further development and distribution, and 4) Develop additional content production partnerships with research centers and media.
The Maryland Science Center, in cooperation with the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions (JHMI) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore, developed and produced BodyLink, a unique health sciences update center. The group did so with support from the National Institutes of Health SEPA (Science Education Partnership Award) Program, BodyLink, which is modeled after the Maryland Science Center's praised SpaceLink space science update center, will make today's medical and health news clear and relevant for visitors, young and old. Science and technology centers have long struggled with ways to acquaint visitors with the latest and greatest discoveries in health and biomedical science, and to interpret the significance of these findings for all ages. Museums can no longer be content with presenting only basic science, and need to expand their role as public communicators of science by presenting cutting-edge research, and by interpreting and explaining this information for visitors. BodyLink is a 1,500-square foot multimedia center where visitors can discover and appreciate the wonders of cutting-edge medical research (basic research, as well as clinical research) through interactive exhibits, stunning imagery, and facilitated demonstrations in a multimedia driven programmable space. BodyLink also includes WetLab, an open-access microbiology laboratory facility that allows visitors to conduct scientific investigations using state-of-the art research technology. Visitors can extract DNA from wheat germ, test common anti-microbial products on live bacteria, and learn Gram staining techniques, among other activities. Bodying will further serve school groups, general museum visitors, and remote-learning participants through the interactive website. BodyLink also incorporates an internship program for graduate students from the Maryland Science Center's collaborating universities. These internships give the graduate students an opportunity to interact with the general public to enhance their scientific communication skills and give them first-hand experience with investigating public understanding of scientific research.
BioTrac will expand opportunities in biomedicine for low-income, first-generation college-bound high school students, increasing the number interested in, and prepared to enter, the biomedical research pipeline. Specific objectives are to: (1) Raise awareness of careers in biomedicine and provide students with real-world biomedical research experiences; (2) Increase awareness of requirements and opportunities for related post-secondary study; (3) Increase public understanding of the importance and diversity of biomedical research; and (4) Disseminate project outcomes. In collaboration with the University of Miami (UM) and Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), the Museum will design and implement a replicable model program exposing students to research on selected priority areas outlined in the Public Health Service's Healthy People 2000 agenda. The program will focus on areas with significant local research capacity, ties to local growth industries, and relevance to Miami-Dade's diverse communities. Students will investigate each area through hands-on lab activities, on-line research, site visits to research facilities, and through interactions with research scientists at UM's nationally renowned Jackson Memorial Medical Complex. Students will work in teams to conduct community-focused research on aspects of each priority area, using technology skills acquired as part of the program to document their research through digital video, PowerPoint presentations, and development of a BioTrac website. Students will present their research at annual symposia held at the Museum. They will also serve as science explainers in the Museum's galleries, interpreting biomedical-related exhibits to the general public. During the summer before 12th grade, students will attend residential programs at University of Florida and Florida A&M University, gaining exposure to post-secondary programs leading to careers in biomedical research. Students in 11th and 12th grade will also be encouraged to participate in M-DCPS's Advanced Academic Internship Program, gaining up to three honors credits for work in institutions engaged in biomedical research. Following 12th grade, prior to beginning college, students will be placed in an eight-week summer internships at UM labs engaged in a broad spectrum of biomedical research. The Museum will disseminate students' research experiences and project findings through an BioTrac web page, ASTC and Upward Bound conferences and networks, and Museum and UM publications.