Research to Understand and Inform the Impacts of Ambient and Designed Sound on Informal STEM Learning

这一服务于实践的研究项目由推进非正式STEM学习计划(AISL)资助，该计划旨在：(A)促进对非正式环境中STEM学习的设计和开发的新方法和基于证据的理解；(B)为扩大获得和参与STEM学习经验提供多种途径；(C)推进对非正式环境中STEM学习的创新研究和评估；以及(D)让所有年龄段的公众在非正式环境中学习STEM。该项目旨在支持非正式STEM学习(ISL)研究人员、设计师和教育工作者与声音研究人员和声学生态学家之间的合作，共同探索听觉体验(音景)在学习中的作用。在非正式的STEM学习空间中，对话促进了STEM的学习，是与家人和朋友一起探索STEM现象的重要经验的一部分，关注音景的影响可能对学习有重要影响。了解音景如何促进、激发、分散甚至压倒思考和对话，将为ISL教育者和设计师提供证据，为他们的实践提供参考。该项目的结构反映了ISL受众和体验的复杂性；因此，合作伙伴包括位于芝加哥一个多元化移民社区的北帕克村自然中心；Wild Indigo，一个主要服务于中西部城市非裔美国游客的五大湖奥杜邦计划；一家课后/夏令营提供商，在新墨西哥州前进，服务于新墨西哥州西南角农村地区的家庭，以及俄亥俄州的四个地点，大都会公园，哥伦布动物园和水族馆，富兰克林公园温室和植物园，以及科学和工业中心。调查人员将进行大规模的探索性研究，以回答一个未被研究的问题： 环境声音如何影响非正式学习空间中的STEM学习？ 的研究人员和实践者将描述不同室外和室内展览/学习空间的声音场景。研究人员将观察800名参观者，跟踪吸引力、注意力、停留时间和分享学习情况。除了观察，研究人员还将与另外150名参观者一起进行有声思考的采访，研究人员将与参观者同行，捕捉相关笔记，而参观者实时描述他们的经历。使用机器学习算法的相关和聚类分析将被用来识别研究参与者的不同声音、音景、反应和反思的模式。特别是，这些分析将确定与注意力增加和共享学习相关的声音特征。在整个项目中，一组评估员将监测进展并支持持续改进，包括指导制定与项目合作伙伴共同定义的文化响应性研究指标。评估员还将记录项目对能力建设的影响程度，以及对项目合作伙伴的规划和设计考虑的影响。这项探索性研究是一个更大的研究议程中的第一步，为未来的实验研究设计奠定了基础，这些实验研究设计测试了特定音景和访客学习之间的关系的因果关系。这项研究的结果将通过研讨会、演讲、期刊文章、促进对话和与研究重点和研究结果一致的短片广泛传播给非正式学习研究人员和实践者。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。

This Research in Service to Practice project is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to (a) advance new approaches to and evidence-based understanding of the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments; (b) provide multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences; (c) advance innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments; and (d) engage the public of all ages in learning STEM in informal environments. This project is designed to support collaboration between informal STEM learning (ISL) researchers, designers, and educators with sound researchers and acoustic ecologists to jointly explore the role of auditory experiences—soundscapes—on learning. In informal STEM learning spaces, where conversation advances STEM learning and is a vital part of the experience of exploring STEM phenomena with family and friends, attention to the impacts of soundscapes can have an important bearing on learning. Understanding how soundscapes may facilitate, spark, distract from, or even overwhelm thinking and conversation will provide ISL educators and designers evidence to inform their practice. The project is structured to reflect the complexity of ISL audiences and experiences; thus, partners include the North Park Village Nature Center located in in a diverse immigrant neighborhood in Chicago; Wild Indigo, a Great Lakes Audubon program primarily serving African American visitors in Midwest cities; an after-school/summer camp provider, STEAMing Ahead New Mexico, serving families in the rural southwest corner of New Mexico, and four sites in Ohio, MetroParks, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, and the Center of Science and Industry.Investigators will conduct large-scale exploratory research to answer an understudied research question: How do environmental sounds impact STEM learning in informal learning spaces?  Researchers and practitioners will characterize and describe the soundscapes throughout the different outdoor and indoor exhibit/learning spaces. Researchers will observe 800 visitors, tracking attraction, attention, dwell time, and shared learning. In addition to observations, researchers will join another 150 visitors for think-aloud interviews, where researchers will walk alongside visitors and capture pertinent notes while visitors describe their experience in real time. Correlational and cluster analyses using machine learning algorithms will be used to identify patterns across different sounds, soundscapes, responses, and reflections of research participants. In particular, the analyses will identify characteristics of sounds that correlate with increased attention and shared learning. Throughout the project, a team of evaluators will monitor progress and support continuous improvement, including guidance for developing culturally responsive research metrics co-defined with project partners. Evaluators will also document the extent to which the project impacts capacity building, and influences planning and design considerations for project partners. This exploratory study is the initial in a larger research agenda, laying the groundwork for future experimental study designs that test causal claims about the relationships between specific soundscapes and visitor learning. Results of this study will be disseminated widely to informal learning researchers and practitioners through workshops, presentations, journal articles, facilitated conversations, and a short film that aligns with the focus and findings of the research.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.