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Update 3, August 2005
Colin Johnson authored the ASTC report and he is the former Director of Techniquest in Cardiff. What contributions are science centres and museums making in your community? What best-practice approaches by science centres and museums make a difference to important government agendas such as increasing young people's interest in science careers or communicating challenging science topics to the public? This is a monthly update on a project focusing on such questions in the APEC region. Science centres as learning environments – the evidenceInformal learning is increasingly recognised as an important complement to formal learning in schools, colleges, universities etc, particularly in the context of lifelong learning for all citizens. In a review commissioned by the Association of Science-Technology Centers, Colin Johnson presents some of the evidence showing how science centres facilitate informal learning – ‘a process which human beings undertake not only very willingly, but with conspicuous success.’ Johnson discusses what we mean by learning, summarises key research findings on learning in science centres, and provides an extensive reference list. Go to Colin Johnson’s review on ASTC's website. Impact research and performance indicatorsTo evaluate the effectiveness of a science centre or museum in carrying out its mission, we need to ask the right questions. Carol Scott has approached the question of performance indicators by finding out what the community – museum professionals as well as museum visitors and non-visitors – expects of its museums. She has found significant agreement in the views of these groups, and suggests that this agreement may provide the basis for performance indicators. In a second paper, she discusses various issues that are still unresolved in the area of museum impact evaluation, including ‘What is the core purpose of your museum?’ Carol Scott is Manager, Evaluation and Audience Research at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia. Read more about Carol Scott’s papers before downloading them. Making a difference to low-income youth
Miami Museum & Planetarium won the 2005 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring Miami Museum of Science & Planetarium in Miami FL, USA has a very successful mentor-based program that for 10 years has worked with low-income, first-generation college-bound youth. In 2000-04, over 98% of program participants graduated from high school, compared with only 53% of all students in the region, and most went on to post-secondary education: 60% of them in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. The museum's program won the 2005 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. Download the report on this program (pdf, 160 kB) Girls in science and technologyMany science centres and museums run special programs to encourage girls’ interest in science and technology – here are some examples. Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland CA, USA has for five years been running an after-school technology program tailored specifically to the interests of girls in grades 5 to 12. And The Franklin Institute (Philadelphia PA, USA) caters for girls through programs such as Girls at the Center, which aims to encourage family involvement in girls' science learning; and the National Science Partnership for Girl Scouts and Science Museums. Check out these programs for girls. New on our websiteAs well as more information about the items above other new links this month on this site include four in-depth reports about public attitudes to science and technology in Europe, a handy planning guide to help you tailor your case for support to several different audiences, and guidelines on carrying out evaluation and audience research from the Evaluation and Research Special Interest Group of Museums Australia. More on what’s new. ContactAPEC Science Centre Impact Project Secretariat
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