A Review of the Informal Learning Research Literature in Science, Mathematics and Technology

数学、科学和技术方面的非正式学习是教育公众的一种日益重要的工具。在他们的一生中，普通公民在非正式学习环境中花费的时间比在学校里花费的时间要多得多。如果这些努力在没有得到理解的情况下继续下去，那么使非正式学习经验发挥作用的动力是对宝贵资金资源的浪费。研究传播有限公司(RCL)提出了一项努力，调查在数学、科学和技术方面的非正式学习，并为这一重要领域的未来研究发展一些方向。这一过程的第一步将是审查非正规数学、科学和技术教育的三个主要领域的现有文献：电视/广播、社区项目、以及科学博物馆和技术中心，重点放在评估研究上，这些研究表明哪些策略有效，哪些策略无效。这一努力的结果将是一本关于目前已知的数学、科学和技术领域的非正式学习研究的全面出版物。

Informal learning in math, science, and technology is an increasingly important vehicle for educating the public. Throughout their lifetime, the average citizen will spend a much greater amount of time in informal learning environments than in school. For these efforts to continue without benefit of understanding, the dynamics of what makes informal learning experiences work, is a waste of valuable funding resources. Research Communications Ltd. (RCL) proposes an effort to investigate what has been learned about informal learning in math, science, and technology and to develop some directions for future research in this important area. The first step in the process would be to review the existing literature in the three primary areas of informal education for math, science, and technology: television/radio, community projects, and science museums and technology centers with a focus on evaluation studies that have shown what strategies have worked and those that have not. The outcome of this effort would be a comprehensive publication of what is currently known about informal learning research in math, science and technology.