Elementary, Secondary and Informal Education: Conceptualizing and Assessing Web-based Informal Science Learning

匹兹堡大学的学习研究和发展中心设计了一个研究项目，以检查非正式（校外）基于网络的学习的过程和结果。 “基于网络的非正式科学教育的概念化和评估”将是一项为期三年的研究，记录和分析非正式学习者作为个人和社会群体如何使用和学习基于网络的活动。 方案执行主任还将制定一个框架和工具，用于评价非正式的网上学习环境，并制定有效的网上学习活动准则。 这项研究将利用博物馆开发的网站，这些网站对这些博物馆的展览起到补充作用。 这些网站之所以被选中，是因为根据PI的说法，“博物馆和其他非营利开发商已经超越了传统的内容，创造了真正的虚拟非正式学习环境。“这项研究的成果将包括更好地了解学习者参与网络活动时发生的认知和社会过程;评估非正式网络学习活动的框架和工具;以及与这项研究有关的网络注释书目。

The Learning Research and Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh has designed a research project to examine the process of and outcomes of informal (out of school) web-based learning. "Conceptualizing and Assessing Web-based Informal Science Education" will be a three-year research study to document and analyze how the informal learner, both as an individual and in a social group, uses and learns from web-based activities. The PIs will also develop a framework and tools for evaluating informal web-based learning environments and guidelines for effective web-based learning activities. This research will use web sites developed by museums and that are complementary to exhibits in those museums. These sites are being selected because according to the PIs, "museums and other nonprofit developers are already going beyond traditional content to create true virtual informal learning environments." The outcomes of this research will include a better understanding of the cognitive and social processes that occur as learners engage in web-based activities; a framework and tools for evaluating informal web-based learning activities; and a web-based annotated bibliography relevant to this research.