October 11th, 2017
Several reports released over the past month have data, perspectives and field-wide implications of interest for science education, communication and engagement. All three are now available on InformalScience.org. These include a report from the Center for Innovative Research on Cyberlearning (CIRCLCenter), the RAND Corporation, and the Pew Research Center.
Cyberlearning Community Report: The State of Cyberlearning and the Future of Learning with Technology
The report explains what cyberlearning is and sets it in the context of a history of learning scientists and computer scientists working together. It describes six “commitments” in this research community that drive the work forward and make it distinctive. It illustrates a set of promising new design genres, such as “virtual peers and coaches” and “digital performance spaces.” These designs shed light on how the next two decades of learning with technology may be very different from the last two decades. The researchers highlight advances in scientific methods that can drive this work forward, such as the ability to combine multiple, rich data streams to study how people learn and also advances in how we can involve learners and teachers in the design of learning. The report looks to the future, suggesting strategic “big ideas” that can serve as guideposts for a future of learning technology innovations that go far beyond what we have today.
The Promise of Community Citizen Science
This paper describes community citizen science, a type of citizen science which tends to involve action-oriented research to support interventional activities or policy change. This type of citizen science can be of particular importance to those working at the nexus of science and decision-making.
Science News and Information Today
This report from the Pew Research Center presents findings from a survey on Americans’ science news and information habits, including informal STEM education venues. The study conducted among a nationally representative sample of 4000+ adults during the summer of 2017.