Science Learning+: Youth learning in Public Participation in STEM Research opportunities (crowdsourcing and citizen science) facilitated by natural history museums

公众参与科学研究（PPSR），通常被称为众包或公民科学，让参与者参与到真正的研究中，这既推进了科学发现，也增加了参与者在其生活和职业中理解和使用科学的潜力。这个为期四年的研究项目考察了由自然历史博物馆（NHMs）推动的PPSR项目的青年参与情况。nhm和PPSR一样，有科学研究和科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）教育的双重重点。该项目的国家卫生管理机构建立了面对面和在线PPSR项目，并与当地城市社区组织保持密切联系。总之，这些特征使NHMs成为研究年轻人如何参与PPSR以及他们学到了什么的合适的非正式学习环境。本研究的重点是三种类型的PPSR经验：短期户外事件，如生物闪电战，长期户外环境监测项目，以及在线PPSR项目，如众包现场观测ID。这项研究的结果将通过PPSR网络以及整个非正式STEM学习领域进行分享，以加强青年在STEM领域的规划，从而使青年有能力参与他们社区的STEM研究和活动。该项目由“科学学习+”项目资助，该项目是由美国国家科学基金会（NSF）、惠康基金会和英国经济与社会研究委员会共同发起的国际合作项目。这项联合资助工作的目标是采取转型步骤，改善非正式STEM经验的知识库和实践。在NSF内部，科学学习+是推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）计划的一部分，该计划旨在加强非正式环境中的学习，并扩大STEM学习经验的获取和参与。本研究采用观察法、调查法、访谈法和学习分析法来探讨青年学习的三个主要问题：1)学习环境的性质是什么？2)通过参与nhm主导的公民科学项目，青少年在多大程度上发展了三项科学学习成果？这三个是：a)对科学内容的理解，b)确定自己在科学实践中的角色，以及c)利用科学采取行动的能动性。3) nhm领导的PPSR的哪些项目特点和设置促进了青少年这三种科学学习成果？基于在美国和英国的多个国家卫生保健机构进行的研究，本研究的广泛影响包括为国家卫生保健机构从业者提供基于研究的建议，这将有助于使PPSR项目和科学学习对年轻人更容易获得和更有效。该项目是由加州大学戴维斯分校、英国开放大学和牛津大学的教育研究人员与美国和英国三家国家自然科学研究所（伦敦国家自然科学研究所、加州科学院和洛杉矶国家自然科学研究所）的公民科学实践者、教育工作者和环境科学家合作完成的。

Public Participation in Scientific Research (PPSR), often referred to as crowdsourcing or citizen science, engages participants in authentic research, which both advances science discovery as well as increases the potential for participants' understanding and use of science in their lives and careers. This four year research project examines youth participation in PPSR projects that are facilitated by Natural History Museums (NHMs). NHMs, like PPSR, have a dual focus on scientific research and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. The NHMs in this project have established in-person and online PPSR programs and have close ties with local urban community-based organizations. Together, these traits make NHMs appropriate informal learning settings to study how young people participate in PPSR and what they learn. This study focuses on three types of PPSR experiences: short-term outdoor events like bioblitzes, long-term outdoor environmental monitoring projects, and online PPSR projects such as crowdsourcing the ID of field observations. The findings of this study will be shared through PPSR networks as well as throughout the field in informal STEM learning in order to strength youth programming in STEM, such that youth are empowered to engage in STEM research and activities in their communities. This project is funded through Science Learning+, which is an international partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Wellcome Trust with the UK Economic and Social Research Council. The goal of this joint funding effort is to make transformational steps toward improving the knowledge base and practices of informal STEM experiences. Within NSF, Science Learning+ is part of the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program that seeks to enhance learning in informal environments and to broaden access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences. The study employs observations, surveys, interviews, and learning analytics to explore three overarching questions about youth learning: 1) What is the nature of the learning environments and what activities do youth engage in when participating in NHM-led PPSR? 2) To what extent do youth develop three science learning outcomes, through participation in NHM-led citizen science programs? The three are: a) An understanding of the science content, b) identification of roles for themselves in the practice of science, and c) a sense of agency for taking actions using science? 3) What program features and settings in NHM-led PPSR foster these three science learning outcomes among youth? Based on studies occurring at multiple NHMs in the US and the UK, the broader impact of this study includes providing research-based recommendations for NHM practitioners that will help make PPSR projects and learning science more accessible and productive for youth. This project is collaboration between education researchers at University of California, Davis and Open University (UK), and Oxford University (UK) and citizen science practitioners, educators, and environmental scientists at three NHMs in the US and UK: NHM London, California Academy of Sciences, and NHM Los Angeles.