Measuring the Ephemeral: Evaluation of Informal STEM Learning Experiences

1. Measuring the Ephemeral: Evaluation of Informal STEM Learning Experiences Broader Impacts Infrastructure Summit Arlington, VA April 16th-18th, 2014 Images courtesy of ISE PI Meeting 2012 attendees From left to right: Geoffrey Haines-Stiles; Mohini Patel Glanz, NWABR; Scot Osterweil; April Luehmann

2. Jamie Bell, Trevor Nesbit, Kalie Sacco, Grace Troxel (Association of Science-Technology Centers) John Falk (Oregon State University, Free-Choice Learning Program) Kirsten Ellenbogen (Great Lakes Science Center) Kevin Crowley (University of Pittsburgh Center for Learning in Out-of-School Environments) Sue Ellen McCann (KQED Public Media)

3. Museums & science centers Zoos Botanical Aquaria Media (TV, Radio, Film) NSF AISL Program Festivals, cafes, events Cyber & Gaming Youth & Community Programs Citizen Science caise Convene, Connect, Characterize, Communicate Broader Impacts/ISE informal science.org Practice-and- Research Evaluation Capacity Building ^CAISE major initiatives for 2012-2015^

4. Framework for Evaluating Impacts of Informal Science Projects (2008)

5. Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places and Pursuits National Academies Press, 2009 Surrounded by Science: Learning Science in Informal Environments National Academies Press, 2010

6. Learning Science in Informal Environments (2009) Six Learning Strands: Developing interest Understanding scientific knowledge Engaging in scientific reasoning Reflecting on science Engaging in scientific practices Identifying with the scientific enterprise

7. Taking Science to School: Learning and Teaching Science in Grades K-8 (2007) K-8 School science learning strands: Blank Understanding scientific explanations Generating scientific evidence, explanations and arguments Reflecting on how science knowledge is produced and used in society Participating in the practices of science—specialized talk, disciplinary tool use, representations

8. Informal learning environments are complex. • Challenges: • Cannot separate single experience • Experimental design is impractical • Opportunities: • Allow wide range of outcomes • Naturally learner-driven • Inspires new methods and approaches Many different types of learning experiences and interactions can take place within a single exhibition. Image attribution: How People Make Things Summative Evaluation Camellia Sanford, University of Pittsburgh, 2009 Accessed March 20th, 2014: http://informalscience.org/evaluation/ic-000-000-003-205/

9. Informal learning is collaborative and social. • Challenges: • Individual assessment can be difficult • Opportunities: • Helps us better understand how people learn High school students collaborate with an ecologist to study aquatic ecosystems. Image attribution: Making Natural Connections: An Authentic Field Research Collaboration Accessed March 20th, 2014: http://informalscience.org/projects/ic-000-000-001-050

10. LIFTOFF Evaluation Framework Data Collection: # of programs offering STEM and the intensity of those experiences Youth Impacts: attitudes, motivation, identity Professional Impacts: attitudes, demand, confidence Program Quality Impacts: frequency and intensity

11. 12 Dimensions of Success www.PEARweb.org

12. Resources for Evaluation: The PI’s Guide to Managing Evaluation InformalScience.org/evaluation/evaluation-resources/pi-guide

13. Resources for Evaluation: Evaluations on InformalScience.org InformalScience.org/evaluation

14. Building Informal Science Education (BISE) Project: Characterizing evaluations on InformalScience.org 300 275 275 261 250 225 200 Frequency of data collection methods used in the BISE synthesis reports (n=427) 175 150 128 125 100 73 75 69 50 40 25 14 11 10 10 9 8 8 6 5 3 5 6 1 0 Observation Survey Interview Drawings Other Professional critique Timing and tracking Participation data Card sort Focus group Artifact review Journals Web analytics Concept map Delphi technique Interactive methods Didn’t describe method Recorded conversations Comment cards and books

15. Informal STEM Education Assessment Projects • Advancing Technology Fluency (PI: Brigid Barron, Stanford University) • Developing, Validating, and Implementing Situated Evaluation Instruments (DEVISE) (PI: Rick Bonney, Cornell University) • Common Instrument (PI: Gil Noam, • Harvard University) • Framework for Observing and Categorizing Instructional Strategies (FOCIS) (PI: Robert Tai, University of Virginia) • Science Learning Activation Lab (PI: Rena Dorph, University of California, Berkeley) • SYNERGIES (PI: John Falk, Oregon State University Learn more at: http://informalscience.org/perspectives/blog/updates-from-the-field-meeting-on-assessment-in-informal-science-education

16. What are We Measuring? This Wordle represents constructs measured by six informal STEM education assessment projects.

17. Learn more… Jamie Bell, Project Director & PI of CAISE jbell@astc.org InformalScience.org facebook.com/informalscience @informalscience

18. InformalScience.org/about/informal-science-education/for-scientistsInformalScience.org/about/informal-science-education/for-scientists