Abstract
Science centers and museums have been heavily invested in helping scientists engage in reaching broader publics. Starting with understanding the types of learning that happen in these institutions, the chapter explores the roles of science centers in society as defined by the Association of Science and Technology Centers. The authors explore how those roles play out in COSI, a large science center in Columbus, Ohio. Each of the roles identified is tied to programs related to the interface among school-aged youth, teachers (formal and informal educators), and scientists. The authors explore these roles by describing each program and then laying out the theoretical foundations and the desired outcomes of the engagement.
TopThe Role Of Science Centers In Learning
Within the construct of the science ecosystem of learning, there are four major “actors” upon the child who is the focus of the ecosystem: the home, school, after-school and summer programs, and STEM-focused institutions (Traphagen & Traill, 2014). Broadening the science learning ecosystem to include adults, there are also elements such as hobby clubs, conferences, and community organizations/activities (Corin, Jones, Andre, Childers & Stevens, 2017). In the particular learning ecosystem related to science, science museums, depending on their size and relationship to the larger community, play a more or less important role in being an anchor in the STEM-focused institutions of a community, especially in communities where components of the science-learning ecosystem for children is seen through collaborative lenses.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Science Festival: Generally recurring (annual) celebrations dedicated to science, STEM, with many collaborators and stakeholders to provide a wide range of activities, events, and programs for a community over a limited period of time.
Informal/Nonformal Learning: Terms used to describe institutional settings other than schools; for example, museums are typically referred to as informal settings while a program in a park is often referred to as being in a nonformal setting. Although definitions exist that distinguish these terms based on the structure of learning and the orientation of the learner, they are frequently used as synonyms.
ASTC: The Association of Science and Technology Centers – the membership organization for science centers and science museums, but also includes some natural history museums, children’s museums, and zoos/aquariums.
Free-Choice Learning: A phrase offered to the learning community by Falk & Dierking provides a means by which ‘learning’ is separated from the approach to teaching for learning.
Citizen-Science: The involvement of the public in scientific research across a range of phenomena using scientific practices.
Science Museum/Science Center: Early science museums (18 th & 19 th centuries) as natural history museums with collections on display. In the 20 th century, science centers emerged with a greater focus on use of technology (exhibits, experiences included) to educate. Although there is little difference to visitors/publics, the difference in is the centrality of a collection.
COSI: A large science center (using both size and budget definitions) founded in 1964 and located in Columbus, Ohio.