Project Jason Museum Network

The Project Jason Museum Network, comprising a group of some 10 science museums throughout the United States and represented in this proposal by the Franklin Institute, requests partial support of a major experiment in the use of electronic field trips organized by Dr. Robert Ballard and associates at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Over a two week period in May 1989, a series of satellite television transmissions will provide more than 150,000 students at some dozen museums with live, two way interactive TV coverage of a significant underwater archaeological expedition in the central Mediterranean Sea carried out by Dr. Ballard's group. The research expedition will be widely publicized, with public interest and attention similar to that obtained during his explorations of the Titanic. A variety of archaelological, oceanographic, and technological programs will be provided to museums through a Project Jason Satellite Network established for the purpose; participating schools, teachers and school children will already be familiar with the project and its methods through curriculum materials developed by NSTA with support from NSF's Instructional Materials Development program. An extensive evaluation program will accompany the first year's effort, and the Network plans to continue providing material from Project Jason for several additional years. In addition, other forms of distance learning will be investigated and developed using the infrastructure developed for Project Jason. Overall, more than a million individuals will view programs provided by the network in live presentations or later videotapes. Direct cost sharing by the Network Members is more than $3 million, with similar amounts contributed by Dr. Ballard's group at Woods Hole.