Building Capacity for Co-Created Public Engagement with Science

作为加强非正式环境中学习的总体战略的一部分，推进非正式STEM学习(AISL)计划寻求促进非正式环境中STEM学习的设计和发展的新方法和基于证据的理解。这包括为扩大获得和参与STEM学习经验提供多种途径，推进对非正式环境中STEM学习的创新研究和评估，以及加深参与者对更深层次学习的理解。该项目将建立和测试一种新的模式，与公民、社区和科学家合作，共同创建公众参与科学活动的模式。要测试的创新是在科学博物馆里进行商议对话，这种对话有助于减少在社会科学问题上的两极分化，让人们在科学上有更大的发言权，并解决使科学家与公众脱节的障碍。该项目将吸引四个目标受众(非正式科学教育/ISE专业人员、公民、社区和科学家合作伙伴)。科学博物馆的合作伙伴包括波士顿科学博物馆(MOS)、俄勒冈科学博物馆、密歇根科学中心和北卡罗来纳州生命与科学博物馆。该项目旨在对ISE机构如何选择STEM参与的主题和建立公共论坛计划产生战略影响。该项目将有两个评估小组。MOS研究和评估将作为四个合作伙伴网站的形成性评估导师，共同创建他们的论坛。他们将在创建和理解该模式的潜在影响和结果时，使用基于团队的调查为网站提供评价能力建设。数据收集将包括小组调查和焦点小组。评估将探索论坛如何减少1)围绕STEM主题的公众两极分化，以及(2)科学家、民间组织和公众之间的脱节。外部总结性评价将由Rockman等人(REA)进行。他们将对项目过程进行研究，以帮助团队在公众参与的各个阶段确定挑战和克服这些挑战的战略。总结性研究将集中在项目目标上，采取定性方法。与伙伴参与者的早期访谈将探讨他们在采用这种公共参与模式方面的优势和劣势，包括他们以前与民间伙伴合作的程度。稍后的访谈将调查是什么因素促成或阻碍了这一项目。总结性评估问题还将涉及公众对科学参与态度的变化。REA将通过截取访谈和在活动结束后一周内进行的事后调查，收集峰会与会者的反馈，以探索在开展此类模式方面的知识或信心方面的任何变化。REA将在科学-技术中心协会年会期间介绍外部评价的结果，并向InformalScience ence.org发布报告。一旦模型被开发和测试，它将被传播到最初的25-30个科学博物馆小组，并最终传播到整个ISE博物馆领域。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

As part of its overall strategy to enhance learning in informal environments, the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program 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. This project will build and test a new model for co-created public engagement with science activities in partnership with civic, community, and scientist partners. The innovation to be tested is deliberative dialogues in science museums that help reduce the polarization about socio-scientific issues, giving people a greater voice in science, and addressing barriers that disconnect scientists from the public. The project will engage four target audiences (informal science education/ISE professionals, civic, community and scientist partners). Science museum partners include Museum of Science (MOS) Boston, Oregon Museum of Science, the Michigan Science Center, and the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science. The project is designed to have a strategic impact on how ISE institutions choose topics of STEM engagement and build public Forum programs.There will be two evaluation teams for the project. MOS Research and Evaluation will act as formative evaluation mentors for the four partner sites as they co-create their forums. They will provide evaluation capacity building for the sites using team-based inquiry as they create and understand the potential impacts and outcomes of the model. Data collection will include panel surveys and focus groups. The evaluation will explore how the forums can decrease 1) public polarization around STEM topics and (2) the disconnect between scientists, civic organization, and the public. The external summative evaluation will be conducted by Rockman et al (REA). They will conduct a study of the project's process to help the team identify challenges and strategies for overcoming them as they work through the phases of public engagement. The summative study will focus on the project goals taking a qualitative approach. Early interviews with partner participants will explore their strengths and weaknesses in taking on this type of public engagement model including the extent of their previous work with civic partners. Later interviews will investigate what factors have enabled or hindered this project. Summative evaluation questions will also address changes in attitudes toward public engagement with science. REA will collect feedback from summit attendees through intercept interviews and post-surveys administered within a week at the event's conclusion to explore the any changes in knowledge or confidence in undertaking this type of model. REA will present findings from the external evaluation during the annual meeting of the Association of Science-Technology Centers and publish reports to Informalscience.org. Once the model has been developed and tested it will be disseminated to an initial group of 25-30 science museums and eventually to the entire ISE museum field.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.