Developing Guidelines for Designing Challenging and Rewarding Interactive Science Exhibits

该项目将研究如何支持非正式的科学学习，同时博物馆游客与互动展品进行“生产性斗争”。通常非正式的科学学习项目侧重于发展积极的情感结果。然而，研究表明，挣扎和挑战等消极的情感经历对学习尤其有效。经历过奋斗和努力的学习者很可能采用成长型思维，他们将自己对技能和理解的掌握归功于努力，而不是天生的能力。这被证明是终身学习、学业成就和坚持不懈的重要因素。该研究将开发和完善生产性斗争及其对设计的非正式科学学习经验的影响的模型，并将制定一套灵活的基于证据的设计指南和策略，以吸引和支持参观者参与生产性斗争。该项目得到了推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）计划的支持，该计划为在各种环境中使用的研究和创新资源提供资金，作为其加强非正式环境学习总体战略的一部分。研究表明，当学习者积极参与挑战，将他们推向现有能力的极限时，就会出现以困惑甚至沮丧为表现形式的生产性斗争。要让学习者参与到富有成效的斗争中来，他们必须意识到他们的努力是值得的。本研究将(1)探索与非正式学习经验中生产性斗争情感体验相关的个体和情境因素；(2)阐述如何实施学习经验设计策略，以支持不同的学习者成功地参与生产性斗争；(3)研究生产性斗争经验、学习者特征和期望学习成果之间的关系。通过一个涉及定性比较分析、基于设计的研究和描述性定量分析的反复研究过程，拟议的项目将开发一个经过经验检验的理论模型，以及一套经过改进和检验的指导方针和策略，用于设计鼓励生产性斗争的非正式学习经验。

The project will research how informal science learning can be supported while museum visitors are engaged in "productive struggle" with interactive exhibits. Often informal science learning projects focus on developing positive affective outcomes. Research has shown, however, that negative affective experiences such as struggle and challenge can be particularly powerful for learning. Learners who experience struggle and effort are likely to adopt a growth mindset, in which they attribute their mastery of skills and understanding to effort rather than innate ability. This been shown to be an important factor in lifelong learning, academic achievement, and persistence. The research will develop and refine a model of productive struggle and its impact in designed informal science learning experiences, and will elaborate a flexible set of evidence-based design guidelines and strategies for eliciting and supporting visitor engagement in productive struggle. This project is supported by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program which funds research and innovative resources for use in a variety of settings as a part of its overall strategy to enhance learning in informal environments.Research suggests that productive struggle, which manifests itself as confusion or even frustration, can occur when learners actively engage in challenges that push them just beyond the limits of their existing capabilities. For learners to engage in productive struggle, they must perceive that their efforts will be worthwhile. The research will (1) explore the individual and contextual factors associated with the emotional experience of productive struggle during informal learning experiences, (2) elaborate how learning experience design strategies can be implemented to support diverse learners to successfully engage in productive struggle, and (3) examine the relationships between productive struggle experiences, learner characteristics, and desired learning outcomes. Through an iterative research process involving qualitative comparative analysis, design-based research, and descriptive quantitative analysis, the proposed project will develop an empirically-tested theoretical model and a refined and tested set of guidelines and strategies for designing informal learning experiences which encourage productive struggle.