briefcaise

John Falk

A three-year nationwide study found that a visit to a zoo or aquarium in North America had a measurable impact on the conservation attitudes and understanding of adult visitors. The study, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) (DRL-0205843) and developed through partnerships with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Institute of Learning Innovation (ILI), and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, provides additional evidence for a growing body of research that shows that informal science education experiences support the public’s science understanding and, at least in the case of zoos and aquariums, enhance the public’s appreciation for and commitment to animal conservation.

Based on several phases of data collection, including questionnaires, interviews, and follow-up interviews as much as a year later, ILI found that visitors arrive with prior knowledge, experience, interest, and motivations for their visit and that these factors influence their learning. Overall results, which include data collected from more than 5,500 visitors at 12 AZA-accredited institutions, showed that:

• A majority of visitors (55%) arrived at zoos and aquariums with specific, measurable identity-related motivations. These motivations directly impacted how visitors conducted their visits and what meaning they made from the experience.

• Overall, visitors brought with them higher-than-expected knowledge about basic ecological concepts. Some groups of visitors showed significant changes in their conservation-related knowledge. However, because of the higher-than-expected entering knowledge of most visitors, many did not show significant changes in predefined, key areas of conservation-related knowledge.
• Most visitors (61%) found that their zoo and aquarium experience supported and reinforced their values and attitudes toward conservation.
• Visits to accredited zoos and aquariums prompted many individuals (54%) to reconsider their role in environmental problems and conservation action, and to see themselves as part of the solution.
• Roughly half (42%) of all visitors believed that zoos and aquariums play an important role in conservation education and animal care.
• A majority (57%) of visitors said that their experience at a zoo or aquarium strengthened their connection to nature.
• Nearly a year after their zoo or aquarium visit, virtually all participants surveyed (87%) could talk about their visit and remember a number of details about the experience. Despite there being no change in short-term conservation knowledge, over half of visitors (61%) could talk about what they learned—either prior understandings that were reinforced or new knowledge that was gained—from their zoo or aquarium visit.

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NSF ISE PI Summit 2008 Update

Registration for the ISE PI Summit 2008, set for July 25–26 in Washington, D.C., is open to PIs of all active NSF ISE awards as well as to PIs whose projects have closed within the last year. If you are an NSF ISE PI who plans to attend but has not yet registered, please contact ise.pi.summit@caise.insci.org.

The summit will bring together approximate 200 NSF ISE PIs as well as NSF Program Officers and CAISE Fellows to share and discuss successes, challenges, and emerging issues in informal science education. Thank you to the 103 NSF ISE PIs who responded to a survey to inform the summit’s workshops and working group topics.

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CAISE Fellows Program Seeks Mentors

The CAISE Leadership & Diversity Task Force is seeking mentors interested in providing guidance to CAISE Fellows as they conceptualize and write their own NSF proposals. The CAISE Fellows Program supports professionals from all sectors of ISE who show leadership potential, including the potential to propose and lead NSF ISE grants. Mentors provide proposal writing feedback as well as model successful strategies for leadership. Further program information can be found at: insci.org/programs/fellows/ or contact John Baek at: jbaek@caise.insci.org.

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CAISE Inquiry Group on Public Participation in Research Seeks Input

Rick Bonney

The CAISE Inquiry Group on Public Participation in Research seeks input about the myriad ways that individuals and groups of non-scientists are participating in scientific investigations. Some of the questions we’re asking include:

• What are new and innovative ways in which non-scientists are contributing to or doing research?
• What are models for public-scientist interaction around scientific research?
• How do radio, television, museum visits, and other ISE experiences facilitate or push the boundaries of public participation in research?

Please send your thoughts, leads, publication references, and/or case studies to Rick Bonney at reb5@cornell.edu.

Rick Bonney is serving as an Inquiry Group leader for CAISE. He is Director of Program Development and Evaluation at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

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NSF ISE Project Monitoring System

The NSF ISE Program recently introduced the ISE Project Monitoring System, an online data collection system tailored specifically to the needs of the NSF ISE Program. The purpose of this effort is to document NSF ISE project impacts and to enhance the capacity of the NSF ISE Program to share lessons learned, best practices, and other relevant findings with the ISE field as well as with external audiences.

To date, 50 projects—mostly new awardees—have contributed data. Westat, a research organization contracted by NSF to administer the online system, is currently reviewing data with individual projects. The results of this round of data collection and analysis will be disseminated by the NSF ISE Program to the field in upcoming months. In the future, all NSF ISE projects will complete the ISE Project Monitoring System at three stages in their award cycle: a Baseline Survey, Annual Updates, and a Final Update. Each round focuses on documenting project impacts and impact indicators.

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NSF ISE Seeks Program Officers

Program Officers are central to accomplishing the mission and work of the National Science Foundation. Currently, the Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) is accepting applications to fill several Program Officer positions, including those in the ISE Program. For more information, contact Al DeSena (adesena@nsf.gov, 703-292-5106).

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Resources & Links

• CAISE website, insci.org – An ISE resource identifying the impacts of NSF ISE-funded work, synthesizing relevant research, and reporting on diverse issues and trends across the ISE spectrum.
• InformalScience.org – Supporting the field of informal science learning by providing resources to build knowledge, share outcomes, and improve practice.
• ExhibitFiles.org – An online community of exhibit practitioners building a shared collection of exhibition records and reviews.

CAISE Leadership

Supported by a cooperative agreement with NSF, CAISE is a partnership among the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC), Oregon State University (OSU), the University of Pittsburgh Center for Learning in Out-of-School Environments (UPCLOSE), and the Visitor Studies Association (VSA). Inverness Research Associates serves as the evaluator. The center is housed at ASTC's offices in Washington, D.C.

Association of Science-Technology Centers ASTC is an international organization of science centers and museums dedicated to furthering public understanding of science among increasingly diverse audiences. Since its founding in 1973, ASTC has served as an advocate and meeting place for the ISE field. Its publications and professional development programs, including an annual meeting attended by 2,000 ISE professionals, work to improve ISE practice and advance equity and diversity. ASTC was a 2006 recipient of the National Science Board’s Public Service Award. Wendy Pollock, PI of CAISE, represents ASTC in CAISE’s work.

Oregon State University OSU brings to the work of CAISE its expertise in free-choice science learning and a deep understanding of the ISE community. John H. Falk, Co-PI of CAISE, was founder of the Institute of Learning Innovation (ILI) and is now a member of the faculty in OSU’s Department of Science and Mathematics Education. Over the past 25 years, Falk has built a reservoir of knowledge about the intersection of ISE theory and practice, in particular how to support the needs of institutions and professionals striving to improve the quality of ISE. Through its partnership with CAISE, OSU is building closer connections among research on communities of practice, the creation of learning organizations, professional training and development, and ISE practice.

University of Pittsburgh Center for Learning in Out-of-School Environments UPCLOSE is a group of researchers and educators dedicated to building and applying a practical theory of learning and teaching in informal environments. Through creative partnerships with museums and other nonprofits, such as CAISE, UPCLOSE explores new ways to conceptualize and evaluate informal learning. UPCLOSE’s website, InformalScience.org, seeks to promote and advance the field of informal learning in science and other domains. It is a place to share knowledge and support a community of learners to inform informal science learning standards and practices. Kevin Crowley represents UPCLOSE as CAISE Co-PI.

Visitor Studies Association VSA is a professional association committed to understanding and enhancing visitor experiences in informal learning settings through research, evaluation, and dialogue. VSA’s vision is of a world where lifelong learning is embraced, and where learning in informal settings benefits individuals, communities, and society at large. VSA brings to its partnership with CAISE extensive experience assessing strategies for how to attract, educate, and serve public audiences. Alan J. Friedman represents VSA as CAISE Co-PI in consultation with a five-member volunteer oversight committee. VSA members are authoring articles for CAISE that synthesize relevant research and evaluation results and draw implications for ISE practice. They also will lead skill-building workshops about evaluation for PIs and prospective PIs, both onsite during the PI Summit and online.

Inverness Research is a research and evaluation group with the mission of studying investments made in the improvement of education. Inverness founder and principal Mark St. John and his colleagues have studied science and mathematics education initiatives ranging from the evaluation of individual science exhibits to the study of large national initiatives. Inverness is currently serving as the external evaluator for CAISE, providing formative feedback and documenting the contributions of CAISE to the ISE field.

CAISE Steering Committee

Contact CAISE

• Ellen McCallie, Director, 202-783-7200 x137, emccallie@caise.insci.org
• John Baek, Manager, 202-783-7200 x139, jbaek@caise.insci.org
• For general inquiries: info@caise.insci.org
• Mailing address: CAISE, 1025 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20005-6310, USA

Photo Credits

• WolfQuest: Image courtesy of eduweb, St. Paul, Minnesota.
• Why Zoos and Aquariums Matter: Image courtesy of Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Silver Spring, Maryland.
• Giant pandas: Photo courtesy of Ann Batdorf, NZP photographer, National Zoo, Washington, D.C.
• ISE Project Monitoring System banner: Image courtesy of Westat, Rockville, Maryland.

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