Collaborative Research: Advancing professional development and broadening participation in informal science learning via the integration of the science and art of color

这个为期五年的项目的目的是设计，交付和研究非正式科学学习（ISL）教育工作者在以公平为中心的STEAM（科学，技术，工程，艺术和数学）教学和学习的竞技场的专业发展。虽然近年来将艺术和科学相结合以促进兴趣，身份和其他STEM相关学习的战略有所发展，但就一套指导性的最佳实践而言，这一领域仍处于萌芽状态。 通过先前的工作，该团队制定并实施了一套设计原则，其中纳入了通过科学与艺术相结合扩大女孩参与科学的有效做法，主题是“自然界的色彩”的生物学、化学和光学。“持续的倡议将通过为博物馆，图书馆和课后计划的ISL教育工作者提供一种机制来影响ISL领域，以在他们的工作中采用和实施这些STEAM设计原则。该团队将长期领导（12-18个月）为ISL教育工作者提供的专业发展活动，包括：1）利用他们之前开发的四个工具包的现场研讨会; 2）在线异步学习活动，包括围绕他们的STEAM设计原则的互动教学视频; 3）同步会议，以听取内容并促进实践社区;以及4）围绕STEAM活动的开发或重新设计指导设计工作。 在该项目的前四年，该团队将与四个核心机构合作伙伴（锡特卡声音科学中心，斯诺岛图书馆，费尔班克斯北星星自治市学区课后计划和皮马县公共图书馆系统）在三个州（阿拉斯加，华盛顿和亚利桑那州）。在项目的后期阶段，他们将向全国广大受众传播他们的学习工具。 该项目由推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）计划资助，该计划旨在推进非正式环境中STEM学习设计和开发的新方法和基于证据的理解。这包括提供多种途径，以扩大获得和参与STEM学习经验，推进非正式环境中STEM学习的创新研究和评估，以及发展参与者对深入学习的理解。该项目有三个主要目标：（1）支持ISL教育工作者提供有意义的STEAM活动，（2）在合作组织中创造制度变革，（3）推进ISL领域的专业开发和STEAM编程设计。 与专业发展活动相关的研究问题涉及变化发生的方式，并集中在所有三个层面：个人，机构和ISL领域。 这些方法是定性和定量的，包括录像观察，前和后的采访，调查和在线和离线文物的分析。 此外，项目评价将评估项目专业发展模式的执行情况，以确定其成效。 方法将包括观察，访谈，调查和网站分析和程序数据。

The intent of this five-year project is to design, deliver, and study professional development for Informal Science Learning (ISL) educators in the arena of equity-focused STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) teaching and learning. While the strategy of integrating art and science to promote interest, identity, and other STEM-related learning has grown in recent years, this domain is still nascent with respect to a guiding set of best practices. Through prior work, the team has developed and implemented a set of design principles that incorporate effective practices for broadening participation of girls in science via science-art integration on the topic of the biology, chemistry and optics of "Colors in Nature." The continued initiative would impact the ISL field by providing a mechanism for ISL educators in museums, libraries and after-school programs to adopt and implement these STEAM design principles into their work. The team will lead long-term (12-18 months) professional development activities for ISL educators, including: 1) in-person workshops that leverage their four previously developed kits; 2) online, asynchronous learning activities featuring interactive instructional videos around their STEAM design principles; 3) synchronous sessions to debrief content and foster communities of practice; and 4) guided design work around the development or redesign of STEAM activities. In the first four years of the project, the team will work with four core institutional partners (Sitka Sound Science Center, Sno-Isle Libraries, the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District after-school program, and the Pima County Public Library system) across three states (Alaska, Washington, and Arizona). In the project's later stages, they will disseminate their learning tools to a broad, national audience. This project is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments. This includes providing multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences, advancing innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments, and developing understandings of deeper learning by participants.The project has three main goals: (1) To support ISL educators in offering meaningful STEAM activities, (2) To create institutional change among the partner organizations, and (3) To advance the ISL field with respect to professional development and designing for STEAM Programming. The research questions associated with the professional development activities address the ways in which change occurs and focus on all three levels: individual, institutional, and the ISL field. The methods are qualitative and quantitative, including videotaped observations, pre and post interviews, surveys and analysis of online and offline artifacts. In addition, the project evaluation will assess the implementation of the project's professional development model for effectiveness. Methods will include observations, interviews, surveys and Website analytics and program data.