The Nature of Science at Informal Education Settings: Natural History Museums

2005 ◽  
Vol 277-279 ◽  
pp. 387-390
Author(s):  
Myeong Kyeong Shin
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Nature Of Science ◽  
Informal Education ◽  
Science Learning ◽  
Informal Science ◽  
Natural History Museums ◽  
Teaching Materials ◽  
Informal Science Learning ◽  
History Museums ◽  
On Line

The purpose of this study is to explore the characteristics of the on-line teaching materials on the websites of natural history museums particularly with regards to their educational perspectives, focusing on the nature of science. A total of twelve on-line resources from the four well established museums used in this study were selected as representative informal science teaching materials. The analyses highlighted the potential of natural history museums as an informal science learning venues.

scholarly journals Exhibitions as learning environments: a review of empirical research on students’ science learning at Natural History Museums, Science Museums and Science Centres

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nils Petter Hauan ◽  
Stein Dankert Kolstø
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Science Learning ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Natural History Museums ◽  
Science Museums ◽  
Educational Activities ◽  
History Museums ◽  
Science Centres

One aim for many natural history museums, science museums and science centres is to contribute to school-related learning in science. In this article we review published empirical studies of this challenging area. The review indicates that the effectiveness of educational activities at different types of science-communication venues (SCV) in supporting students’ science learning varies. There is also evidence of interesting differences between activities, depending on how these activities are designed. Firstly, these activities can stimulate interest and conceptual focus through a well-designed combination of structure and openness. Secondly, they can stimulate talks and explorations related to the presented topics. We have identified two possible areas which might prove fruitful in guiding further research: an exploration of the effects of different designs for guided exploratory learning, and an evaluation of the effectiveness of educational activities by studying the presence and quality of the learning processes visitors are engaged in. 

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS AS A SPACE OF SCIENCE EDUCATION IN THE KNOWLEDGE-BASED SOCIETY

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Potyrala ◽  
◽  
Karolina Czerwiec ◽  
Renata Stasko ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Informal Education ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Natural History Museum ◽  
Natural History Museums ◽  
History Museum ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
History Museums ◽  
Starting Point

The museum activity is more and more often aimed at integration with local communities, organization of scientific debates and intercultural dialogue, expansion of social network and framework for communication and mediation of scientific issues. Museums generate learning potential and create a social culture. The aim of the research was to diagnose the viability of natural history museums as the spaces of open training and increasing social participation in education for balanced development. Furthermore, it examined the possibility to create a strong interaction between schools at all levels and institutions of informal education, exchange of experience in the field of educational projects and the development of cooperation principles to strengthen the university-school-natural history museum relations. In the research conducted in the years 2016-2017 participated 110 students of teaching specialization in various fields of studies. The results of the research are connected with students’ attitudes towards new role of museums as institutions popularizing knowledge and sharing knowledge. The outcomes enable the diagnosis in terms of preparing young people to pursue participatory activities for the local community and may be the starting point for the development of proposals of educational solutions increasing students’ awareness in the field of natural history museums’ educational potential. Keywords: knowledge-based society, natural history museum, science education.

scholarly journals Measuring the long-term effects of informal science education experiences: challenges and potential solutions

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy L. Staus ◽  
John H. Falk ◽  
Aaron Price ◽  
Robert H. Tai ◽  
Lynn D. Dierking
Keyword(s):  
Science Learning ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Informal Science Education ◽  
Informal Science ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Science Center ◽  
Informal Science Learning ◽  
Learner Outcomes ◽  
Key Issues

AbstractDespite the fact that most science learning takes place outside of school, little is known about how engagement in informal science learning (ISL) experiences affects learners’ knowledge, skill development, interest, or identities over long periods of time. Although substantial ISL research has documented short-term outcomes such as the learning that takes place during a science center visit, research suggests that the genuine benefits of informal experiences are long-term transformations in learners as they pursue a “cascade” of experiences subsequent to the initial educational event. However, a number of major methodological challenges have limited longitudinal research projects investigating the long-term effects of ISL experiences. In this paper we identify and address four key issues surrounding the critical but challenging area of how to study and measure the long-term effects or impacts of ISL experiences: attribution, attrition, data collection, and analytic approaches. Our objective is to provide guidance to ISL researchers wishing to engage in long-term investigations of learner outcomes and to begin a dialogue about how best to address the numerous challenges involved in this work.

Fund natural-history museums, not de-extinction

Nature ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 598 (7879) ◽  
pp. 32-32
Author(s):  
Corrie S. Moreau ◽  
Jessica L. Ware
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Natural History Museums ◽  
History Museums
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