Science Learning+: Youth learning in Public Participation in STEM Research opportunities (crowdsourcing and citizen science) facilitated by natural history museums

公众参与科学研究(PPSR)，通常被称为众包或公民科学，让参与者参与真实的研究，这既促进了科学发现，也增加了参与者在生活和职业中理解和使用科学的潜力。这项为期四年的研究项目考察了由自然历史博物馆(NHM)推动的PPSR项目的青年参与情况。NHMS和PPSR一样，双重专注于科学研究和科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)教育。该项目中的卫生保健机构建立了面对面和在线PPSR项目，并与当地的城市社区组织保持着密切的联系。综上所述，NHMS的这些特点使其成为研究年轻人如何参与PPSR以及他们学到了什么的合适的非正式学习环境。本研究聚焦于三种PPSR体验：短期的户外活动，如生物闭塞，长期的户外环境监测项目，以及在线PPSR项目，如众包野外观测ID。这项研究的结果将通过PPSR网络以及在整个实地非正式STEM学习中分享，以加强STEM的青年方案编制工作，从而使青年有能力在其社区从事STEM研究和活动。该项目由科学学习+资助，这是国家科学基金会(NSF)和惠康信托与英国经济和社会研究理事会之间的国际合作伙伴关系。这一联合筹资努力的目标是采取变革性步骤，改善非正式STEM经验的知识库和实践。在国家科学基金会内，Science Learning+是推进非正式STEM学习(AISL)计划的一部分，该计划旨在加强在非正式环境中的学习，并扩大获得和参与STEM学习经验的机会。这项研究采用观察、调查、访谈和学习分析的方法来探索关于青少年学习的三个首要问题：1)学习环境的性质是什么，青少年在参与NHM领导的PPSR时从事什么活动？2)通过参与NHM领导的公民科学计划，青少年在多大程度上发展了三种科学学习成果？这三个是：a)对科学内容的理解，b)在科学实践中对自己角色的识别，以及c)利用科学采取行动的代理感？3)NHM领导的PPSR中的哪些计划特征和背景促进了青少年的这三种科学学习成果？基于在美国和英国的多个NHM机构进行的研究，这项研究的更广泛影响包括为NHM从业者提供基于研究的建议，这将有助于使PPSR项目和学习科学对年轻人更容易获得和更有成效。该项目是加州大学戴维斯分校和开放大学(英国)和牛津大学(英国)的教育研究人员与美国和英国三个NHM：NHM伦敦、加州科学院和NHM洛杉矶的公民科学从业者、教育工作者和环境科学家合作的项目。

Public Participation in Scientific Research (PPSR), often referred to as crowdsourcing or citizen science, engages participants in authentic research, which both advances science discovery as well as increases the potential for participants' understanding and use of science in their lives and careers. This four year research project examines youth participation in PPSR projects that are facilitated by Natural History Museums (NHMs). NHMs, like PPSR, have a dual focus on scientific research and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. The NHMs in this project have established in-person and online PPSR programs and have close ties with local urban community-based organizations. Together, these traits make NHMs appropriate informal learning settings to study how young people participate in PPSR and what they learn. This study focuses on three types of PPSR experiences: short-term outdoor events like bioblitzes, long-term outdoor environmental monitoring projects, and online PPSR projects such as crowdsourcing the ID of field observations. The findings of this study will be shared through PPSR networks as well as throughout the field in informal STEM learning in order to strength youth programming in STEM, such that youth are empowered to engage in STEM research and activities in their communities. This project is funded through Science Learning+, which is an international partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Wellcome Trust with the UK Economic and Social Research Council. The goal of this joint funding effort is to make transformational steps toward improving the knowledge base and practices of informal STEM experiences. Within NSF, Science Learning+ is part of the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program that seeks to enhance learning in informal environments and to broaden access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences. The study employs observations, surveys, interviews, and learning analytics to explore three overarching questions about youth learning: 1) What is the nature of the learning environments and what activities do youth engage in when participating in NHM-led PPSR? 2) To what extent do youth develop three science learning outcomes, through participation in NHM-led citizen science programs? The three are: a) An understanding of the science content, b) identification of roles for themselves in the practice of science, and c) a sense of agency for taking actions using science? 3) What program features and settings in NHM-led PPSR foster these three science learning outcomes among youth? Based on studies occurring at multiple NHMs in the US and the UK, the broader impact of this study includes providing research-based recommendations for NHM practitioners that will help make PPSR projects and learning science more accessible and productive for youth. This project is collaboration between education researchers at University of California, Davis and Open University (UK), and Oxford University (UK) and citizen science practitioners, educators, and environmental scientists at three NHMs in the US and UK: NHM London, California Academy of Sciences, and NHM Los Angeles.