Ice Worlds: A Giant Screen Film and Outreach Project

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）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，扩大STEM学习经验的获取和参与，推进非正式环境中STEM学习的创新研究和评估，以及发展参与者对深度学习的理解。“冰雪世界”媒体项目将激励数百万儿童和成人获得关于极地环境、地球气候以及人类在地球复杂系统中的地位的新知识，从而支持一个知情的、有STEM素养的公民。以美国国家科学基金会资助的THOR对Thwaites冰川的考察为特色，以及世界各地许多美国国家科学基金会支持的研究人员的贡献，冰世界将与巨幕影院、电视、在线和其他非正式场合的观众分享投资STEM的重要性。项目的主要成果包括一部巨幅电影、为美国原住民中学生举办的电影制作工作坊（最终将制作成纪录片）、为非正式教育工作者举办的气候叙事专业发展项目，以及知识建设总结性评估。该项目最大的目标受众是中学学习者（11-14岁）；专门为美国土著青年和非正式科学实践者设计的活动。创新的外展将吸引在科学方面缺乏服务的青年，激励新一代科学家和调查性思想家。该项目的专业发展计划将建立非正规教育工作者参与社区和传播科学的能力。“冰雪世界”项目是由媒体制作方巨人银幕电影公司、新西兰自然历史博物馆、美国公共广播公司和奥斯卡奖提名电影导演（Yes/No Productions）合作完成的。其他合作者包括西北大学、美国印第安人科学与工程学会、美国土著新闻协会、一组博物馆和科学中心的合作伙伴，以及一个由科学和土著专家组成的顾问团队，这些专家与美国国家科学基金会资助的北极环境变化研究计划有关。该项目的目标是：1)提高公众对极地生态系统环境变化过程和后果的理解；2)探索巨屏形式在传授知识、激发动力和关爱自然方面的有效性；3)通过一个针对美国土著青年的具体项目，广泛地提高中学生对STEM主题和追求的兴趣、信心和参与度。4)建立非正式教育工作者的能力，在他们的社区中分享气候变化的故事。主要的评估问题是：1)《冰雪世界》电影在多大程度上影响了STEM追求和环境问题解决方面的学习、参与和动机；2)从短期和长期来看，陪伴媒体对青少年在大屏幕上学习的附加价值是什么；3)以文化为基础的美国原住民青年讲习班的影响是什么。评估工作将包括一个美国土著青年顾问团和一个由科学中心从业人员组成的顾问团，负责这部巨幅银幕电影的开发和评估过程。影片的形成性评估将包括招募来自不同背景的青年，包括土著青年的代表，在合作伙伴网站的巨幕影院观看影片。观影后调查和小组讨论将探讨他们在参与、学习、唤起空间存在和激励影响方面的电影体验。对已完成的影片进行总结性评估，评估其即时和长期影响。将对评估产生的所有定量数据进行统计分析，包括前后知识分数的比较。对部落青年媒体项目的评估将包括一段重要的形成性评估和社区参与，以使活动符合参与学生的需求和兴趣。将采用适合文化的措施、定性方法和框架来评估学习影响。将对数据进行分析，以确定讲习班对青年参与者以及导师和其他利益攸关方参与者的学习影响。社区气候故事专业发展部分的评估将包括经验教训和实施建议。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

As part of its overall strategy to enhance learning in informal environments, the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program 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. The Ice Worlds media project will inspire millions of children and adults to gain new knowledge about polar environments, the planet’s climate, and humanity’s place within Earth’s complex systems—supporting an informed, STEM literate citizenry. Featuring the NSF-funded THOR expedition to Thwaites glacier, along with contributions of many NSF-supported researchers worldwide, Ice Worlds will share the importance of investments in STEM with audiences in giant screen theaters, on television, online, and in other informal settings. Primary project deliverables include a giant screen film, a filmmaking workshop for Native American middle school students that will result in a documentary, a climate storytelling professional development program for informal educators, and a knowledge-building summative evaluation. The project’s largest target audience is middle school learners (ages 11-14); specific activities are designed for Native American youth and informal science practitioners. Innovative outreach will engage youth underserved in science inspiring a new generation of scientists and investigative thinkers. The project’s professional development programs will build the capacity of informal educators to engage communities and communicate science. The Ice Worlds project is a collaboration among media producers Giant Screen Films, Natural History New Zealand, PBS, and Academy Award nominated film directors (Yes/No Productions). Additional collaborators include Northwestern University, The American Indian Science and Engineering Society, the Native American Journalism Association, a group of museum and science center partners, and a team of advisors including scientific and Indigenous experts associated with the NSF-funded Study of Environmental Arctic Change initiative.The goals of the project are: 1) to increase public understanding of the processes and consequences of environmental change in polar ecosystems, 2) to explore the effectiveness of the giant screen format to impart knowledge, inspire motivation and caring for nature, 3) to improve middle schoolers’ interest, confidence and engagement in STEM topics and pursuits—broadly and through a specific program for Native American youth, and 4) to build informal educators’ capacity to share stories of climate change in their communities. The main evaluation questions are 1) to what extent does the Ice World film affect learning, engagement, and motivation around STEM pursuits and environmental problem solving 2) what is the added value of companion media for youth’s giant screen learning over short and longer term, and 3) what are the impacts of the culturally based Native American youth workshops.The evaluation work will involve a Native American youth advisory panel and a panel of science center practitioners in the giant screen film’s development and evaluation process. Formative evaluation of the film will involve recruiting youth from diverse backgrounds, including representation of Native youth, to see the film in the giant screen theater of a partner site. Post viewing surveys and group discussions will explore their experience of the film with respect to engagement, learning, evoking spatial presence, and motivational impact. A summative evaluation of the completed film will assess its immediate and longer term impacts. Statistical analyses will be conducted on all quantitative data generated from the evaluation, including a comparison of pre and post knowledge scores. An evaluation of the Tribal Youth Media program will include a significant period of formative evaluation and community engagement to align activities to the needs and interests of participating students. Culturally appropriate measures, qualitative methods and frameworks will be used to assess the learning impacts. Data will be analyzed to determine learning impacts of the workshop on youth participants as well as mentors and other stakeholder participants. Evaluation of the community climate storytelling professional development component will include lessons learned and recommendations for implementation.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.