Research Synthesis: Examining the Role of Authenticity in Informal Science Learning

博物馆、科学中心、动物园和其他非正式的科学教育(ISE)机构经常把重点放在“真实”的理念上，以吸引公众。真实性包括向参观者或学习者提供真实的、原创的、甚至令人敬畏的东西--无论是对象、背景还是体验。虽然在ISE环境中工作的教育工作者、展品设计师和程序开发人员通常认为真实性是许多非正式学习体验的重要组成部分，但这可能只是实践中传统驱动的假设，而不是有证据支持的策略。这个项目试图更好地理解如何和/或为什么“真实的东西”可能(或可能不)对支持非正式科学学习很重要。通过研究已知的真实性和学习，该项目将为ISE中的最佳实践提供信息，并指出可能需要进一步研究的知识差距。它由推进非正式STEM学习(AISL)计划资助，该计划旨在促进对非正式环境中STEM学习的设计和发展的新方法和基于证据的理解。这包括提供多种途径来扩大获得和参与STEM学习经验的途径，推进对非正式环境中STEM学习的创新研究和评估，以及发展参与者对更深层次学习的理解。本研究综述采用系统的方法来确定和汇编理论和实证文献，以更好地理解真实性在支持非正式科学学习中可能发挥的作用。本项目将收集与“真实性”对学习者结果的影响有关的ISE文献，并将着眼于邻近的学科，如心理学、人类学、传媒学、语言学、营销学和其他学科，以寻求相关的理论观点和实证工作，以进一步了解真实性在ISE中的潜在作用。该项目的初始阶段将集中于收集理论观点和立场，以帮助解释“真实性”的价值或重要性(或可能不重要)，因为它与学习、兴趣和经验有关。来自多个学科的专家小组将召开会议，帮助确定可能澄清真实性的作用或影响的关键观点和框架。第二阶段集中于收集和评估实证研究，这些研究支持(或驳斥)最初多学科研究真实性所确定的相关观点和理论。为了确保审查的广度和深度，个人投资主管、研究图书馆管理员、研究生和专题课程将参与识别、评估、总结和综合相关研究(包括灰色文献)，以产生一份初步综合报告，由先前小组中的选定专家进行审查。第二次召集从业者(展品开发人员、教育工作者、程序设计人员等)将被用来进一步将调查结果与背景联系起来，以便更好地为当前提供有效ISE的实践提供信息。由此产生的产品包括同行评议的研究综合和从业人员手册。拟议项目的更广泛影响在于，有可能在展品和程序设计以及提供与ISE相关的体验方面为ISE实践提供信息。尽管物体或体验的真实性的重要性最终可能取决于个人，但这项研究将能够为从业者和学者提供指导，帮助他们做出有时困难的设计选择。这样的见解也可以为其他学习环境(例如课堂)以及其他学科领域(例如历史、人类学、艺术)提供信息。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Museums, science centers, zoos and other informal science education (ISE) institutions often focus on the idea of "authenticity" to engage the public. Authenticity includes providing something real, original, or even awe-inspiring to the visitor or learner--be it an object, a context, or an experience. While those educators, exhibit designers, and program developers who work in ISE settings often recognize authenticity as an important part of many informal learning experiences, this may be simply be an assumption driven by tradition in practice versus a strategy supported by evidence. This project seeks to better understand how and/or why "the real thing" may (or may not be) important for supporting informal science learning. By examining what is already known about authenticity and learning, the project will inform best practices in ISE as well as point to gaps in knowledge that might need further research. It is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments. This includes providing multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences, advancing innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments, and developing understandings of deeper learning by participants.This research synthesis takes a systematic approach to identify and compile both theoretical and empirical literature to better understand the role authenticity may play in supporting informal science learning. This project will gather ISE literature related to the effects of "authenticity" on learner outcomes, and will look to neighboring disciplines such as psychology, anthropology, media studies, linguistics, marketing and others to seek relevant theoretical perspectives and empirical work that might further understanding of the potential role of authenticity in ISE. The initial phase of the project will focus on gathering theoretical perspectives and positions that help explain the value or importance (or perhaps non-importance) of "realness" as it relates to learning, interest, and experience. A panel of experts from multiple disciplines will convene to help identify key perspectives and frameworks that may clarify the role or impacts of authenticity. A second phase focuses on gathering and assessing empirical studies that support (or refute) the relevant perspectives and theories identified from the initial multi-disciplinary foray into authenticity. To ensure breadth and depth of review, the PIs, research librarians, graduate students, and special topics classes will engage in identifying, evaluating, summarizing, and synthesizing the relevant research (including gray literature) to produce an initial synthesis report that will be reviewed by select experts from the earlier panel. A second convening of practitioners (exhibit developers, educators, program designers, etc.) will be used to further contextualize the findings in ways that may better inform current practices in providing effective ISE. The resulting products include a peer-reviewed research synthesis and a practitioner handbook.The proposed project's Broader Impacts lie in the potential to inform ISE practice in exhibit and program design and in the delivery of ISE-related experiences. Although the importance of the authenticity of an object or experience may ultimately be determined by the individual, this study will be able to provide guidance to help practitioners and scholars in making sometimes difficult design choices. Such insights may also inform other learning environments (e.g. the classroom) as well as other disciplinary areas (e.g. history, anthropology, art).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.