Developing innovative techniques for using museum-based theater and gaming to support visitor understanding of complex systems

作为加强非正式环境中学习的总体战略的一部分，推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）项目资助了用于各种环境的创新研究、方法和资源。该项目将采用基于设计的研究过程来研究和开发一种创新的戏剧游戏，这将提高游客对需要改变概念的复杂主题的理解。该项目将研究一种新颖的体验，帮助游客在非正式的科学教育场所参与困难的内容，以一种新的方式利用现有的展览和收藏资产，并创造一个比完整的展览项目需要更少资金的游客参与的场所。对于公众来说，这个项目将结合展览开发、博物馆剧院和促进新兴的基于游戏的学习理论的最佳实践，创造一种新颖的体验，以一个进化的故事情节深深地吸引游客，让他们探索博物馆，并以新的方式相互互动。在该领域，该项目将研究戏剧游戏如何在博物馆环境中成为有价值的、可行的体验，以及哪些游戏机制和支持有助于玩家的概念思维。虽然该项目带有戏剧元素的游戏将专注于进化，但经过测试的策略将为更广泛的非正式STEM教育提供有效方法的宝贵信息，无论观众对科学思想表现出重大误解或不适。该项目将通过会议和研讨会、学术报告、从研究到实践的实施指南以及关于让公众参与戏剧游戏的最佳实践的培训视频来传播研究结果。该项目将专注于创建和修改一个理论框架，该框架描述了内容、项目形式和促进程度，以创造支持参观者对进化的思考的概念变化的体验，并由此延伸到其他复杂的主题。项目团队和顾问将共同合作，在戏剧节目中建立不同层次的便利和挑战，将整个博物馆的物品和体验联系起来，帮助游客构建一个进化的故事。项目研究将侧重于戏剧游戏的三种变体的创建，以测试一个理论框架，该框架描述了支持参观者对进化理解的概念转变所需的游戏动态和促进体验。这项工作将分四个阶段进行，将由明尼苏达科学博物馆的研究人员进行，并通过外部评估过程进行输入和审查。指导研究的问题是：(1)游戏设计功能如何以及以何种方式支持进化概念的概念转变？(2)玩家在不同游戏中的结果是否不同？如果是，以什么方式？(3)还有什么其他因素（玩家特征、合作、进化信念）影响玩家的结果？(4)什么是促进比赛和支持游客体验的最佳做法？本研究将为参与式博物馆戏剧体验的研究领域做出贡献；拓宽我们对促进和游戏玩法在非正式学习中的作用的理解；并帮助展览和程序开发人员对各种展览组件的潜力和对齐的编程做出明智的选择。

As part of its overall strategy to enhance learning in informal environments, the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program funds innovative research, approaches and resources for use in a variety of settings. The project will use a design-based research process to research and develop an innovative theatrical game that will improve visitors' understanding of complex topics requiring conceptual change. This project will research a novel experience that helps visitors engage with difficult content in informal science education venues, uses existing exhibit and collection assets in a new way, and creates a venue for visitor engagement that requires less capitalization than a full exhibition project. For the public, this project will blend best practices from exhibit development, museum theater, and facilitation with emerging theories about game-based learning to create a novel experience that deeply engages visitors with an evolution storyline and allows them to explore the museum and interact with one another in new ways. For the field, the project will examine how theatrical games can be valuable, viable experiences in museum environments and what game mechanics and supports contribute to players' conceptual thinking. While the project's games with theatrical elements will focus on evolution, the tested strategies will provide valuable information about effective approaches for informal STEM education more broadly wherever audiences exhibit major misconceptions or discomfort with scientific ideas. The project will disseminate findings through conferences and workshops, academic reports, a research-to-practice implementation guide, and a training video about best practices for engaging the public in theatrical gaming.The project will focus on the creation and modification of a theoretical framework that describes the content, program format, and degree of facilitation necessary to create experiences that support conceptual change in visitors' thinking about evolution--and, by extension, other complex topics. The project team and advisors will collaboratively will build varying levels of facilitation and challenge into theatrical programming that connects objects and experiences across the museum to help visitors construct a story of evolution. Project research will focus on the creation of three variants of a theatrical game to test a theoretical framework that describes the game dynamics and facilitation necessary for experiences that support conceptual shifts in visitors' understanding about evolution. This work will take place in four phases, and will be conducted by researchers at the Science Museum of Minnesota with input and review through an external evaluation process. The questions guiding the research are: (1) How, and in what ways, do game design features support conceptual shifts in evolution concepts?; (2) Do player outcomes differ in each game? If so, in what ways?; (3) What other factors (player profile, collaboration, evolution beliefs) influence player outcomes? (4) What are the best practices for facilitating the games and supporting visitors' experiences? The research will contribute to the under-studied field of participatory museum theatre experiences; broaden our understanding of the roles facilitation and gameplay have in informal learning; and help exhibit and program developers make informed choices about the potential of various exhibit components and aligned programming.