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In this article, Kathleen Socolofsky of the Desert Botanical Gardens discusses the history of the institution, highlighting shifts in its mission and exhibit strategies. In particular, Socolofsky outlines the steps...

This study examines the historical conditions that fostered significant reform in science education. To understand these conditions, we employ a framework drawn from the new institutionalism in organization theory to...

In this article, Jeff Hayward discusses the work of his evaluation group, People, Places & Design Research, in conducting visitor research at the New York Botanical Garden in the fall...

What are the issues and concerns that researchers should be aware of when doing work in informal learning settings? Are there resources and techniques available for getting approval for this type of work from Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)? These are just some of the questions that will be addressed in a new series on navigating ... Read more

Interactive science centers are unique players in the science education community, but their positioning as both authorities on science and providers of "free choice" learning presents learning researchers with a...

Can reading skills be enhanced by instruction in the visual arts? Arts education researchers have sometimes made this claim and have argued that the visual arts can play a strong...

K-12 informal engineering education can support student confidence, interest, and awareness of the field of engineering. Studies have suggested that K-12 informal learning can influence students’ awareness of the fields...

Increasing the diversity of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce hinges on understanding the impact of the many related, pre-college experiences of the nation’s youth. While formal preparation,...

This article introduces a new interaction model called Instrumental Interaction that extends and generalizes the principles of direct manipulation. It covers existing interaction styles, including traditional WIMP interfaces, as well...

Resources » Discover Research Overview Understanding Research Types of Researchs Research Gap Integrate Research Into Practice See Also Design Evaluation There are many different ways to use research – strategic, instrumental, conceptual, and imposed, to name a few. The purposes for using research will guide how you use it. Familiarizing Yourself with the Literature In ... Read more

The growing interest in integrating the arts across the curriculum represents an important change from previous concerns about teaching the structure of individual disciplines. It will require a change in...

Computational Thinking (CT) is a relatively new educational focus and a clear need for learners as a 21st century skill. This proposal tackles this challenging new area for young learners,...

The Computational Thinking in Ecosystems (CT-E) project is funded by the STEM+Computing Partnership (STEM+C) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the integration of computing...

Complex ideas like evolution—which run counter to common, but mistaken, intuitive knowledge—are challenging, both for exhibit developers and for the evaluation and research teams who assess the impact of exhibitions....

In this paper, researchers at the Brookfield Zoo present a case study in evaluating a technology project involving partnerships between museums and formal education. THe focus is on the multiple-method...

This design experiment integrated students’ everyday discourses and knowledge into classroom scientific practice, thereby allowing for the creation of hybrid spaces, where students were able to meaningfully apply science learning...

This paper describes the integration of handheld computer technology into an existing web-based educational platform, the Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE) and the synergy it produces. This solution facilitated a...

The Balboa Park Cultural Partnership, in collaboration with several informal science education and other cultural and business organizations in San Diego, Chicago, and Worcester, MA are implementing a research and...

In this paper, James Jensen of Ottawa's National Museum of Science and Technology (NMSTC) discusses a case study that provides guidance on how to integrate "effective market research" into museum...

Although there is a growing body of research on mathematics in informal learning environments (Pattison, Rubin, & Wright, 2016; Rubin, Garibay, & Pattison, 2016), less has been done to understand...

In dozens of ways, youths' lives are shaped by data. Yet, youth seldom have the opportunity to pull back the curtain on data science to experience how data are collected,...

Integrating Science Into Afterschool: A Three-Dimensional Approach To Engaging Underserved Populations In Science, or STEM 3D, was a five year project led by The Franklin Institute. The project was created...

This cooperative agreement will support the Tech Museum of Innovation (The Tech) in San Jose, California in acquiring SOS-related hardware and software, as well as providing the technical support to...

As part of its overall effort to enhance learning in informal environments, the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the...

This article was migrated from a previous version of the Knowledge Base. The date stamp does not reflect the original publication date. Overview  Scientists, educators, policymakers, and others have noted the importance of preparing scientists, engineers, and medical doctors not only for the laboratory but for broad participation in civic life. (McGinn and Roth 1999). ... Read more