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旨在为以公平为重点的STEAM（科学、技术、工程、艺术和数学）教学领域的非正式科学学习（ISL）教育工作者设计、提供和研究专业发展。虽然近年来将艺术和科学结合起来促进兴趣、身份和其他stem相关学习的策略有所发展，但就最佳实践的指导集而言，这一领域仍处于起步阶段。通过之前的工作，该团队已经制定并实施了一套设计原则，这些原则结合了有效的实践，通过科学与艺术的结合，扩大了女孩对“自然色彩”的生物、化学和光学主题的参与。通过为博物馆、图书馆和课后项目的ISL教育者提供一种机制，将这些STEAM设计原则应用到他们的工作中，持续的倡议将影响ISL领域。该团队将为ISL教育工作者领导长期（12-18个月）的专业发展活动，包括：1)利用他们先前开发的四个工具包进行面对面的研讨会；2)围绕STEAM设计原则的在线异步学习活动，包括互动教学视频；3)同步会议，汇报内容和培育实践社区；4)围绕STEAM活动的开发或重新设计进行指导设计工作。在项目的头四年，该团队将与四个核心机构合作伙伴（Sitka Sound Science Center, snos - isle Libraries， Fairbanks North Star Borough School District课后项目和Pima County Public Library system）在三个州（阿拉斯加州、华盛顿州和亚利桑那州）合作。在项目的后期阶段，他们将向广泛的全国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学习的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，扩大STEM学习经验的获取和参与，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度学习的理解。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)在STEAM编程的专业发展和设计方面推进ISL领域。与专业发展活动相关的研究问题涉及变化发生的方式，并侧重于所有三个层面：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、前后访谈、调查以及在线和离线人工制品的分析。此外，项目评估将评估项目专业发展模式实施的有效性。方法将包括观察、访谈、调查、网站分析和项目数据。

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.