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

作为在非正式环境中加强学习的总体战略的一部分，推进非正式STEM学习(AISL)计划为各种环境中使用的创新研究、方法和资源提供资金。该项目将使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，该游戏将提高参观者对需要概念变化的复杂主题的理解。该项目将研究一种新颖的体验，帮助参观者参与非正式科学教育场所中的困难内容，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本的参观者参与场所。对于公众来说，这个项目将把展品开发、博物馆剧院和便利化的最佳实践与新兴的基于游戏的学习理论结合起来，创造一种新颖的体验，以演变的故事情节深度吸引参观者，并允许他们探索博物馆并以新的方式相互互动。对于该领域，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，以及游戏机制和支持对玩家的概念性思维有何贡献。虽然该项目的带有戏剧元素的游戏将专注于进化，但经过测试的策略将提供有关更广泛的非正式STEM教育的有效方法的有价值的信息，只要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、节目格式和便利程度，以创造支持参观者对进化的想法的概念变化的体验--进而，其他复杂的主题。项目团队和顾问将合作在戏剧节目中建立不同程度的促进和挑战，将整个博物馆的物品和体验联系起来，帮助参观者构建一个进化的故事。项目研究将集中在创造一个戏剧游戏的三个变体，以测试一个理论框架，该框架描述了游戏动态和体验所需的便利，支持参观者对进化的理解的概念转变。这项工作将分四个阶段进行，将由明尼苏达州科学博物馆的研究人员进行，并通过外部评估过程进行投入和审查。指导这项研究的问题是：(1)游戏设计特征如何以及以什么方式支持进化概念的概念转变？(2)每个游戏的玩家结果是否不同？如果是，以什么方式？；(3)哪些其他因素(球员个人资料、协作、进化信念)影响玩家的结果？(4)促进游戏和支持参观者体验的最佳实践是什么？这项研究将有助于参与式博物馆剧院体验这一未被研究的领域；扩大我们对促进和游戏在非正式学习中所起作用的理解；并帮助展览和项目开发人员就各种展览组成部分和协调一致的节目的潜力做出明智的选择。

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.