Data science is ever-present in modern life. The need to learn with and about data science is becoming increasingly important in a world where the quantity of data is constantly growing, where one’s own data are often being harvested and marketed, where data science career opportunities are rapidly increasing, and where understanding statistics, data sources, and data representation is integral to understanding STEM and the world around us. Museums have the opportunity to play a critical role in introducing the public to data science concepts in ways that center personal relevance, social connections and collaborative learning. However, data science and statistics are difficult concepts to distill and provide meaningful engagement with during the brief learning experiences typical to science museums. This Pilot and Feasibility study brings together data scientists, data science educators, and museum exhibit designers to consider these questions:
What are the important data science concepts for the public to explore and understand in museum exhibits?
How can museum exhibits be designed to support visitors with diverse backgrounds and experiences to engage with these data science concepts?
What principles can shape these designs to promote broadening participation in data science specifically and STEM more broadly?
This Pilot and Feasibility project combines multidisciplinary expert convening, feasibility testing, and early exploratory prototyping around the focal topic of data science exhibits. Project partners, TERC, the Museum of Science, Boston, and The Tech Interactive in San Jose will engage in an iterative process to develop a theoretical grounding and practical guidance for museum practitioners. The project will include two convenings, bringing together teams of experts from the fields of data science, data science education and museum exhibit design. Prior to the first convening, an initial literature summary and a survey of convening participants will be conducted, culminating in a preliminary list of big ideas about data science. Periodically, participants will have the opportunity to rank, annotate and expand this list, as a form of ongoing data collection. During the convenings, participants will explore the preliminary list, share related work from the three disciplines, engage with related data science activities in small groups, and work together to build consensus around promising data science topics and approaches for exhibits. Participant evaluation will allow for iterative improvement of the convenings and the capture of missed points or overlooked topics. After each convening, museum partners will create prototypes that respond to the convening conversations. Prototypes will be pilot tested (evaluated) with an intentionally recruited group of families that includes both frequent visitors and those who are less likely to visit the museum; diversity in terms of race, languages and dis/ability will be reflected in selection. Pilot data collection will consist of structured observations and interviews. Results from the first round of prototyping will be shared with convening participants as a way to modify the list of big ideas and to further interrogate the feasibility of communicating these ideas in an exhibit format. Results from the convenings and from both rounds of prototyping will be combined in a guiding document that will be shared on all three partner websites, and more broadly with the informal STEM learning field. The team will also host a workshop for practitioners interested in designing data science exhibits, and present at a conference focused on museum exhibits and their design.
Marbles Kids Museum will develop tools and strategies to train its staff, volunteers, and interns to engage infants, toddlers, and preschool children in activities and conversations that lay the foundation for critical early math skills. The staff capacity-building project will deepen the museum staff's understanding of early math skills, how to foster those skills, and why investment in early math is critical to long term success in school. With a content coach, the museum will research and develop early math resources, activities, and exhibit enhancements that engage children and their families. Additionally, the museum will seek to understand community needs related to early math learning, and create content for professional development video modules. The museum will modify the professional development modules to create caregiver workshops focused on fostering early math learning through everyday activities and play at home. Museum staff will share tools and lessons learned through a regional museum convening and at national conferences.
Researching the Value of Educator Actions for Learning (REVEAL) is an NSF-funded research project, led by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in collaboration with TERC and Oregon State University (OSU), which studied the impact of science center staff facilitation strategies at math exhibits. Building on and using exhibits from Design Zone—an interactive math exhibition which engaged visitors in exploring algebraic relationships and functions—the study was designed to add to the scant existing literature about the impact of staff facilitation on visitors. The study also aimed to
The Exploratorium explainer program is not only important to the young people involved, but is an integral part of the museum culture. This initiative that started to help the youth of our community has blossomed into a program that has been very helpful to the science centre. In fact, the institution would not be complete without the fresh energy of the explainers. They help the Exploratorium to continue to give the real pear to its public.
In this article, science center and museum professionals from around the world share ways that they are engaging visitors in hands-on innovation. Work from the following organizations are discussed: Exploratorium, Discovery Center of Idaho, Lawrence Hall of Science, Iridescent, Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, Ideum, Discovery Place, Ontario Science Centre, Bootheel Youth Museum, Science Centre Singapore, Children's Museum of Phoenix, Discovery Museums (Acton, MA), Discovery Center of Springfield, Missouri, Museum of Science, Boston, Questacon--The National Science and Technology
This poster was presented at the 2014 AISL PI Meeting in Washington, DC. Using STEM America (USA) is a two-year Pathways project designed to examine the feasibility of using informal STEM learning opportunities to improve science literacy among English Language Learner (ELL) students in Imperial County, California.
This poster was presented at the 2014 AISL PI Meeting in Washington, DC. It describes a project designed to increase informal learning opportunities for blind youth in STEM.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
National Federation of the BlindMark Riccobono
STEMtastic: NASA in Our Community is a two-year project designed to educate and inspire teachers, students and life-long learners to embrace NASA STEM content. The project will increase awareness of NASA activities, while educating and inspiring students to train for careers that are critical to future economic growth of the country in general, and NASA’s future missions in particular. The Virginia Air & Space Center (VASC) will partner with the Virginia Space Grant Consortium and Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. to accomplish this project. VASC will deliver NASA STEM content through (1) STEMtastic Teacher Institutes and Education Modules: (a) a series of two five-day professional development institutes for educators which will result in the (b) development and dissemination of new education modules for grades 4-9; and (2) STEMtastic Exhibits and Demonstrations: new interactive exhibits to used for live demonstrations at VASC; those demonstrations will also be delivered to traditionally underserved schools in the region. All classroom and teaching materials—educator institutes, education modules, exhibit software and demonstration modules—will be developed using NASA content and shared with other institutions to promote the expansion of knowledge about best practices in providing STEM education in both formal and informal education settings. STEMevals, a robust evaluation plan, will be implemented to assess success in each project area. Adjustments will be made along the pipeline to increase effectiveness in reaching the target audience. The project has the potential to reach countless educators, students and museum visitors throughout the U.S."
With support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Mathematics in Zoos and Aquariums project worked with zoo and aquarium staff members to integrate mathematical concepts into the interpretation of living collections. Over two years, the project developed three activities related to logic, measurement, and data analysis and conducted workshops with over 400 staff from 124 institutions. In refining the workshop model and conducting evaluation, we found that most staff increased their comfort with and use of math-based activities and that the goals of the participants and the
This grant supports a workshop focused on catalyzing STEM education R & D in Sri Lanka and in the U.S. through networking and international collaboration. The workshop is a collaboration of the US Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) and the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka. Its focus is for ASTC to share its wealth of expertise with Sri Lanka in the creation of a science center in Colombo that will engage its people in an accessible science-learning environment and provide its youth with grounding in the scientific concepts and practices. The three day workshop to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, will engage these experts in the discussion and co-creation of a plan for a science center to be built in Sri Lanka, and to consider how to develop an ongoing relationship between informal STEM educators in the US and STEM educators in Sri Lanka. The workshop will cover subjects critical to the development of an effective and successful science center, including: (1) Inquiry-based learning and the development of effective exhibits and programs, (2) Evaluation tools and techniques, (3) Local scientific knowledge and expertise that can influence planning and programing, (4) Developing effective outreach programs, (5) Public Engagement with science and society issues, and (6) Managing a science center. While using the development of the science center as a focus for the meeting, the workshop will also initiate discussions between STEM educators in the South Asia region and the United States, with the goal of developing a long-term relationship between STEM educators in the South Asia region and the United States. One or more of the US speakers and the invited US doctoral student will explore and identify new research questions on STEM education and the role of science centers as a new model for improving human resource capacities in STEM in developing countries. The workshop outcome should also advance future international collaborations and inform efforts to serve immigrant populations from South Asia in the US. This award is designated as a Global Venture Fund Award and is being co-funded by NSF's Office of International Science and Engineering.
Using STEM America (USA) is a two-year Pathways project designed to examine the feasibility of using informal STEM learning opportunities to improve science literacy among English Language Learner (ELL) students in Imperial County, California. Project partners include the Rueben H. Fleet Science Center and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). The project's goals are to support teachers in the development of informal science education opportunities for English learners, partner with students in grades 7-12 to create activities and exhibits, deliver student-produced products to community members, and sustain and disseminate the activities through the development of web-based teacher tools. The teachers will work with informal science education experts, STEM professionals, and undergraduate students to develop and implement the program lessons with their 7-12 grade students. The activities and exhibits designed for community audiences will be used in the Imperial Valley Discovery Zone, slated for completion in fall 2013. Special emphasis will be placed on understanding English scientific word frames and science content specific vocabulary to help ELL students express complex scientific concepts in English. The project deliverables in this pilot project include a comprehensive teacher professional development strategy, student-developed informal science activities and exhibits, a project website, and multiple teacher resources (lesson plans, how-to guides, training materials, and social networking tools). Teachers will receive 45 hours of professional development during the summer with an additional 20 hours of support provided during the school year. UCSD's Jacob's School of Engineering will provide training on solar energy micro-grids using a micro-grid observatory to be located in Imperial Valley. English language development training will be provided by the University of California's Professional Development Institute (UCPDI) and address the role of language objectives in scientific conceptual knowledge and language development; using science and language to improve classroom questioning/discussion; and teaching academic language to English learners. The informal science education component of the training provided by the Fleet Science Center will address topics such as questioning strategies, scientific reasoning frameworks, communicating science to public audiences, and learning "high level" science content using hands-on approaches. The project design builds on research which supports an active learning approach that mirrors scientific practice and is one of the strengths of informal science learning environments. The question to be addressed by the USA Project is: "Can informal STEM activities with embedded English Language development strategies assist English learner students to increase their English language competency and their interest in STEM subjects?" The PI seeks to identify the impact that teachers have on guiding students in inquiry-based informal STEM education, evaluate the academic outcomes for students, and measure changes in community interest, understanding, and attitudes towards STEM and STEM occupations. The USA Project is designed to reach approximately 200 underserved students and will promote the participation of at least 400 additional students, parents, and other rural community members. It is anticipated that this project will result in the development of a model for teacher-led informal STEM education, increased STEM learning opportunities for the community, and the development of a network of educational institutions that helps to bridge formal and informal STEM learning and learning environments.
Children feed alphabet letters to a talking baby dragon, drive a New York City fire truck, paint on a six-foot art wall, and crawl through a challenge course in PlayWorks™ at the Children's Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) in New York. Manhattan’s largest public play and learning center for early childhood marries the skills that children need to succeed in kindergarten with fun stuff that kids love. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funded the project through a 2006 Museums for America grant to support the museum as a center of community engagement and lifelong learning. “PlayWorks™ is a joyful place for learning science, math, reading and other things. We incorporate fun and learning into the whole design to create a scaffold of learning. Families come to the museum to supplement preschool experiences,” said Andy S. Ackerman, CMOM’s executive director. The museum also offers parents, sitters, and other care-providers guidance on engaging their children with the exhibit. Based on the concept that children’s learning and personal growth is rooted in play, the 4,000-square-foot space is divided into five learning areas: Language, Math and Physics, Arts and Science, Imagination and Dramatic Play, and Practice Play (for infants and crawlers).