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

研究综述：检验真实性在非正式科学学习中的作用

• 批准号: 1906889
• 负责人: James Kisiel
• 金额: $ 25万
• 依托单位: California State University-Long Beach Foundation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-10-01 至 2023-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1906889&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Research; Synthesis; Examining; Role; Authenticity

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.

博物馆、科学中心、动物园和其他非正式的科学教育（伊势）机构通常专注于“真实性”的概念来吸引公众。真实性包括提供一些真实的，原创的，甚至是令人敬畏的访问者或学习者-无论是一个对象，一个上下文，或一个经验。虽然那些在伊势环境中工作的教育工作者，展览设计师和程序开发人员经常认识到真实性是许多非正式学习经验的重要组成部分，但这可能仅仅是一种由传统驱动的假设，而不是由证据支持的策略。 该项目旨在更好地理解“真实的事物”如何和/或为什么对支持非正式科学学习可能（或可能不）重要。通过研究关于真实性和学习的已知知识，该项目将为伊势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，该计划旨在推进非正式环境中STEM学习的设计和开发的新方法和基于证据的理解。这包括提供多种途径，以扩大获得和参与STEM学习经验，推进创新研究和评估STEM学习在非正式环境中，并发展更深入的学习参与者的理解。本研究综合采用系统的方法来识别和编译理论和实证文献，以更好地理解真实性可能在支持非正式科学学习中发挥的作用。该项目将收集与“真实性”对学习者结果的影响有关的伊势文献，并将关注心理学，人类学，媒体研究，语言学，市场营销等邻近学科，以寻求相关的理论观点和实证工作，可能进一步了解真实性在伊势中的潜在作用。 该项目的初始阶段将侧重于收集理论观点和立场，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，以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。 第二阶段的重点是收集和评估实证研究，支持（或反驳）从最初的多学科进军到真实性的相关观点和理论。为了确保审查的广度和深度，PI，研究图书馆员，研究生和专题班将参与识别，评估，总结和综合相关研究（包括灰色文献），以产生一个初步的综合报告，将由早期小组的专家进行审查。 第二次召集从业人员（展览开发人员、教育工作者、程序设计人员等）将用于进一步将调查结果置于情境中，以便更好地为提供有效伊势的当前实践提供信息。由此产生的产品包括同行评审的研究综合和从业者手册。拟议项目的更广泛的影响在于潜在的通知伊势实践中的展览和程序设计，并在提供ISE相关的经验。虽然一个对象或经验的真实性的重要性可能最终由个人决定，这项研究将能够提供指导，以帮助从业者和学者在作出有时困难的设计选择。 这种见解也可以通知其他学习环境（如教室）以及其他学科领域（如历史，人类学，艺术）。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。