CAISE presents “ISE Luminaries,” a series of interviews with leading practitioners, researchers, and evaluators who shaped the informal STEM learning field as we know it with their influential work. Beginning our series is an exchange with sculptor, exhibit developer, and educator Bernie Zubrowski. What originally got you interested in exploring natural or physical phenomena? I … Read more
It is not uncommon for children to thrive in one learning context but struggle in another. What accounts for such differences? Writing in the journal Human Development, the authors Bell, Tzou, Bricker, and Baines argue that we lack theory and research for understanding how people do and do not experience meaningful learning across formal and … Read more
The theme of this year’s Mathematics Awareness Month is Math Drives Careers, the aim of which is to increase awareness of employment opportunities for students of mathematics. Although math is an important part of formal and informal learning experiences, many students and adults suffer math anxiety. One individual who has worked to cure ‘math-phobia’ through … Read more
The following blog post continues the discussion initiated by author Walter Staveloz, Director of International Relations at the Association of Science-Technology Centers, ASTC, on Paul Orselli’s blog, ExhibiTricks. In that post, Staveloz posits that we are “always learning,” and that learning is a social experience; hence, science centers and museums should facilitate interactions among and … Read more
This research brief has been made available by Relating Research to Practice (RR2P). RR2P provides short synopses of current peer-reviewed research relevant to informal science education (ISE). Research Summary Today’s students are growing up in a world in which many of the most pressing issues are global: global warming, global food security, global health, and, … Read more
The field of citizen science is evolving. CitizenScience.org was founded in 2008 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to help share resources for citizen science project leaders, and in the past three years, the National Science Foundation (NSF) Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program has funded nearly two dozen projects that involve citizen science components. … Read more
It seems fitting that citizen science, which often engages bird watchers and has roots in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is a lively topic on Twitter. That’s where we first spotted Caren Cooper, actively promoting citizen science and engaging its practitioners in discussion. Cooper is involved in multiple citizen science endeavors at the moment, ranging … Read more
We witnessed a diversity of STEM learning milestones in 2014, from the White House Maker Faire to the Mechelen Declaration in Belgium. Here are some moments from a productive, high-profile year for informal science education: Announcement of Science Learning+: Science Learning+ is an international funding partnership between the US and UK to strengthen research and … Read more
This research brief has been made available by Relating Research to Practice (RR2P). RR2P provides short synopses of current peer-reviewed research relevant to informal science education (ISE). This study, conducted in New Zealand, is an analysis of the questions that students in their final year of school were anticipated to ask, and actually asked, during … Read more
The recent BISE blog post Where’s the “M” in STEM When it Comes to Social Issues? generated some discussion on social media. Dr. John Zobitz submitted this response on behalf of the Engaging Mathematics initiative at the National Center for Science & Civic Engagement. Read on to learn how Engaging Mathematics is developing strategies for … Read more