Tinkerzeum Planning Grant

马萨诸塞大学阿姆赫斯特分校的科学推理研究所将通过这项计划拨款进行一项可行性研究，以吸引博物馆游客参与数据分析。智力优势：该项目建立在PI为中学生开发Tinkerplots软件的广泛前期工作的基础上。与此同时，它潜在地利用了许多博物馆展览，这些展览包括各种各样的数据，但没有为游客提供分析数据和得出结论的机制。该项目通过寻求证明将数据分析程序从正式环境转移到非正式环境的概念证明来建立联系。更广泛的影响：该项目将有目的地测试三个非常不同的环境——马萨诸塞州波士顿的科学博物馆；奈史密斯篮球名人堂，斯普林菲尔德，马萨诸塞州；以及密苏里州圣路易斯市的密苏里植物园——探索这种方法在这些学习环境中的优点和局限性。如果成功，该软件将具有非常广泛的应用前景。

The Scientific Reasoning Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst will conduct a feasibility study for engaging museum visitors in data analysis through this planning grant. Intellectual Merit: This project builds on the extensive prior work of the PI in developing Tinkerplots software for middle school students. At the same time, it potentially takes advantage of the many museum exhibitions that include various kinds of data but provide no mechanisms for visitors to analyze the data and draw conclusions. This project makes the connection by seeking to demonstrate the proof of concept for the transfer of this data analysis program from the formal to the informal setting.Broader Impact: This project will purposefully test three very different settings -- Museum of Science, Boston, MA; Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield, MA; and Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO -- to explore the advantages and limitations of this approach in those learning environments. If successful, the software could have very wide application.