Science Learning+: Youth learning in Public Participation in STEM Research opportunities (crowdsourcing and citizen science) facilitated by natural history museums

公众参与科学研究（PPSR），通常被称为众包或公民科学，让参与者参与真实的研究，这既促进了科学发现，也增加了参与者在生活和职业中理解和使用科学的潜力。这个为期四年的研究项目考察了青年参与自然历史博物馆（NHM）促进的PPSR项目。与PPSR一样，NHM也有科学研究和科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）教育的双重重点。 该项目中的国家卫生机构已经建立了面对面和在线的PPSR方案，并与当地城市社区组织建立了密切的联系。总之，这些特点使NHM适当的非正式学习环境，研究年轻人如何参与PPSR和他们学到了什么。 本研究重点关注三种类型的PPSR经验：短期的户外活动，如bioblitzes，长期的户外环境监测项目，和在线PPSR项目，如众包的ID现场观察。这项研究的结果将通过PPSR网络以及整个领域的非正式STEM学习来分享，以加强STEM中的青年计划，使青年能够在他们的社区中参与STEM研究和活动。该项目由科学学习+资助，这是国家科学基金会（NSF）和惠康信托基金与英国经济和社会研究理事会之间的国际伙伴关系。这项联合资助工作的目标是朝着改善非正式STEM经验的知识基础和实践迈出转型步伐。在NSF内部，科学学习+是推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）计划的一部分，该计划旨在加强非正式环境中的学习，并扩大STEM学习经验的获取和参与。 该研究采用观察，调查，访谈和学习分析，探讨三个首要问题，青年学习：1）什么是学习环境的性质，什么样的活动做青年参与时，参加NHM主导的PPSR？2)青年通过参与国家卫生管理局领导的公民科学计划，在多大程度上发展了三种科学学习成果？这三个方面是：a）对科学内容的理解，B）确定自己在科学实践中的作用，以及c）利用科学采取行动的能动性？3)在NHM主导的PPSR中，什么样的项目特征和设置促进了青少年的这三个科学学习成果？基于在美国和英国的多个NHM发生的研究，本研究的更广泛的影响包括为NHM从业者提供基于研究的建议，这将有助于使PPSR项目和学习科学更容易获得和生产力的青年。该项目是加州大学戴维斯分校和开放大学（英国）以及牛津大学（英国）的教育研究人员与美国和英国三个NHM的公民科学从业者、教育工作者和环境科学家之间的合作：NHM伦敦、加州科学院和NHM洛杉矶。

Public Participation in Scientific Research (PPSR), often referred to as crowdsourcing or citizen science, engages participants in authentic research, which both advances science discovery as well as increases the potential for participants' understanding and use of science in their lives and careers. This four year research project examines youth participation in PPSR projects that are facilitated by Natural History Museums (NHMs). NHMs, like PPSR, have a dual focus on scientific research and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. The NHMs in this project have established in-person and online PPSR programs and have close ties with local urban community-based organizations. Together, these traits make NHMs appropriate informal learning settings to study how young people participate in PPSR and what they learn. This study focuses on three types of PPSR experiences: short-term outdoor events like bioblitzes, long-term outdoor environmental monitoring projects, and online PPSR projects such as crowdsourcing the ID of field observations. The findings of this study will be shared through PPSR networks as well as throughout the field in informal STEM learning in order to strength youth programming in STEM, such that youth are empowered to engage in STEM research and activities in their communities. This project is funded through Science Learning+, which is an international partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Wellcome Trust with the UK Economic and Social Research Council. The goal of this joint funding effort is to make transformational steps toward improving the knowledge base and practices of informal STEM experiences. Within NSF, Science Learning+ is part of the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program that seeks to enhance learning in informal environments and to broaden access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences. The study employs observations, surveys, interviews, and learning analytics to explore three overarching questions about youth learning: 1) What is the nature of the learning environments and what activities do youth engage in when participating in NHM-led PPSR? 2) To what extent do youth develop three science learning outcomes, through participation in NHM-led citizen science programs? The three are: a) An understanding of the science content, b) identification of roles for themselves in the practice of science, and c) a sense of agency for taking actions using science? 3) What program features and settings in NHM-led PPSR foster these three science learning outcomes among youth? Based on studies occurring at multiple NHMs in the US and the UK, the broader impact of this study includes providing research-based recommendations for NHM practitioners that will help make PPSR projects and learning science more accessible and productive for youth. This project is collaboration between education researchers at University of California, Davis and Open University (UK), and Oxford University (UK) and citizen science practitioners, educators, and environmental scientists at three NHMs in the US and UK: NHM London, California Academy of Sciences, and NHM Los Angeles.