Seeing Scientifically: Developing Smart Microscope Exhibits That Support Authentic Visitor Observation and Scientific Inquiry of Living Microscopic Organisms

科学博物馆领域才刚刚开始寻找方法，为参观者提供真实观察复杂、实时生物现象的机会。该项目将开发和研究一个带有教学脚手架(即有用的提示)的基于显微镜的展览，以回应参观者在探索活样本和生物过程时不断变化的观点。作为在非正式环境中加强学习的总体战略的一部分，推进非正式STEM学习(AISL)计划为各种环境中使用的创新研究、方法和资源提供资金。科学观察是一项系统的、复杂的实践，在生物科学中至关重要，因为生物科学的研究严重依赖于视觉数据。使用与科学家自己使用的技术和设备类似的技术和设备，展览将使参观者能够看到和探索科学家自己看到的复杂、动态的视觉证据。展览将使用新的、更实惠的高分辨率成像技术和图像分析软件，使活着的有机体的微观图像可见。利用支持探究的“智能”(即计算机辅助)教学脚手架，该项目将开发展览，帮助非正式学习者弥合日常观察和真正的科学观察之间的差距。该平台将纳入适用于一系列生物内容和活标本的、基于先前关于在观察中学习的工作的战略。该项目平台将设计用于各种非正式的科学学习环境，包括自然中心和流动实验室以及互动科学中心。项目平台本身，包括显微镜、相关成像和学习技术，将相对便宜，使其能够到达小型科学博物馆和学校。展览将直接吸引数千名参观探索博物馆的学习者，并将通过与为纽约市地区服务的移动设备BioBus和服务于北加州农村地区的科学博物馆诺约海洋科学中心的合作，接触到服务不足的观众。该项目将超越对复杂视觉现象的模拟和建模，并为学习者提供使用真实视觉证据的体验，使他们能够深入参与生物科学的内容和实践。通过将这项工作建立在先前的理论和经验结论基础上，项目研究将完善和扩大对支架策略及其对展品上非正式科学学习的影响的理解。项目研究将调查项目如何支持学习者(1)提出对他们有意义的生产性问题(即那些可以通过观察得到答案的问题)，(2)解释他们所看到的，以及(3)将他们的观察与生物学概念联系起来，以建立对生物学学科的内容和实践的更连贯的理解。场馆、标本和内容之间以及场馆内的一系列比较研究将评估参与度和脚手架策略，特别关注以响应不同场馆观众的兴趣和需求的方式适当地整合计算成像技术。项目研究将在如何支持从事生物现象真实观察的非正式学习者方面提供重要的知识。项目研究成果和技术资源将与非正式的STEM研究人员和从业者广泛分享，这些研究人员和从业者关注于让公众参与当前的生物学研究，以及那些有兴趣支持其他学科(例如，气象学、海洋科学、环境科学)的观测的人，这些学科依赖于活的、动态的、复杂的图像证据基础。该奖项反映了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。

The science museum field is only starting to look at ways of providing visitors with opportunities for the authentic observation of complex, real-time biological phenomenon. The project will develop and research a microscope-based exhibit with pedagogical scaffolding (i.e., helpful prompts) that responds to visitors’ changing views as they explore live samples and biological processes. As part of its overall strategy to enhance learning in informal environments, the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program funds innovative research, approaches, and resources for use in a variety of settings. Scientific observation is a systematic, complex practice, critical in the biological sciences where investigation is heavily reliant on visual data. Using techniques and equipment similar to what scientists themselves use, the exhibit will enable visitors to see and explore the complex, dynamic visual evidence that scientists themselves see. The exhibit will use new and more affordable high-resolution imaging technology and image analysis software to make microscopic images of living organisms visible. Armed with "smart" (i.e., computer-assisted) pedagogical scaffolding that supports inquiry, the project will develop exhibits that help informal learners bridge the gap between everyday observation and authentic scientific observation. The platform will incorporate strategies grounded in prior work on learning through observation that will be applicable to a range of biological content and live specimens. The project platform will be designed for use to a variety of informal science learning environments, including nature centers and mobile laboratories as well as interactive science centers. The project platform itself, including the microscope, related imaging, and learning technologies will be relatively inexpensive, bring it within reach of small science museum and schools. The exhibit will directly engage thousands of learners who visit the Exploratorium and will reach underserved audiences through partnerships with BioBus, a mobile unit that serves the New York City area, and the Noyo Center of Marine Science, a science museum that serves rural areas in Northern California. The project will move beyond simulation and modeling of complex visual phenomena and provide learners with experiences using real visual evidence that can deeply engage them with the content and practice of biological science. By grounding the work in prior theoretical and empirical findings, project research will refine and broaden understanding of scaffolding strategies and their effect on informal science learning at exhibits. Project research will investigate how the project supports learners (1) asking productive questions (i.e., those answerable through observations) that are meaningful to them, (2) interpreting what they see, and (3) connecting their observations to biological concepts to build a more coherent understanding of the content and practice of biological disciplines. A series of comparative studies across and within venues, specimens, and content will assess engagement and scaffolding strategies, with a particular focus on appropriately integrating computational imaging techniques in a way that is responsive to the interests and needs of different venues' audiences. Project research will contribute important knowledge on ways to support informal learners who are engaged in authentic observation of biological phenomenon. Project research findings and technology resources will be widely shared with informal STEM researchers and practitioners concerned with engaging the public in current research in biology, as well as those interested in supporting observation in other disciplines (e.g., meteorology, ocean science, environmental science) that rely on an evidence base of live, dynamic, complex imagery.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.