Collaborative Research: Interpreters and Scientists Working On Our Parks

作为加强非正式环境学习总体战略的一部分，推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）项目为各种环境中使用的创新资源提供资金。该项目旨在通过将美国国家公园系统作为科学教育的资源来加强该系统。利用国家公园进行科学教育的优势在于，它们是动态变化的自然环境，为公民提供了无数的探索途径。该项目将在公园工作的科学家和每年数百万游客可以看到的翻译之间建立合作关系。基于在卡尔斯巴德洞穴国家公园进行的试点研究，研究人员将把这项工作扩展到六个具有不同特征的国家公园。这项努力的合作伙伴包括温斯顿-塞勒姆州立大学和TERC公司。这个项目的目标是为国家公园如何成为科学教育和学习的资源建立一个模式。该项目将集中在六个国家公园正在进行的研究上，研究人员通常来自学术机构。科学家们选择每个公园进行研究是因为它的独特之处，例如，卡尔斯巴德洞穴的独特之处是它的蝙蝠数量。这项提议的主要方法是将这些研究成果和结果从科学家传递给公园游客，使这个过程变得愉快、有信息、发人深省。评估因素将包括在这一过程的每一步，以便不仅确定是否发生了学习，而且确定科学转化的有效性。

As part of its overall strategy to enhance learning in informal environments, the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program funds innovative resources for use in a variety of settings. This project aims to enhance the National Parks System in the U.S. by engaging the system as a resource for science education. The advantage of using national parks for science education is that they are natural settings with dynamic changes and offering countless avenues for citizen inquiry. The project will build collaborations between park-based scientists whose work happens out of the public eye and interpreters who are visible to millions of annual visitors. Based on pilot studies done at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, the researchers will extend this work in six national parks with different characteristics. Partners in this endeavor include Winston-Salem State University, and TERC, Inc. This project's goal is to establish a model for how national parks can be resources for science education and learning. The project will concentrate on the that is being done in six national parks, by scientists who are generally from academic institutions. The scientists have selected each park for research because of its unique features, for example, Carlsbad Caverns' unique feature is its bat population. The main methodology of this proposed effort is to translate these research endeavors and results from the scientists to the park visitors in such ways as to make the process enjoyable, informative, and thought-provoking. Evaluation elements will be included every step in this process in order to not only determine if learning has occurred but also how effectively the science has been translated.