Science Learning +: Examining learning processes through the integration of two informal science learning approaches: Natural History Museum-led citizen science. (360G-Wellcome-206202_Z_17_Z)

£567,746

Science Learning +: Examining learning processes through the integration of two informal science learning approaches: Natural History Museum-led citizen science. We focus our proposed practice-based, mixed-methods research on the priority areas of 1) understanding learning and 2) engagement in STEM by systematically examining the ways youth (ages 5-19 years) participate in authentic environmental science research, as facilitated by Natural History Museums (NHMs) in the US and the UK (NHM London, California Academy of Sciences, NHM Los Angeles County). Through integration of two approaches to informal science education i) natural history museums and ii) citizen science (CS), we examine three learning settings (event-based, longer-term outdoor monitoring, and online settings). Our goal is to address the overarching question: How do authentic science experiences such as NHM-led citizen science foster or support key practices of Environmental Science Agency (ESA)? Youth ESA includes: a) understanding the environmental science discipline’s content and norms, b) identifying one’s own expertise within the that discipline, and c) using the environmental science and CS project as a foundation for change in their own community. Through international collaboration between experts from diverse disciplines, environmental science, citizen science, museum practice, environmental education, learning analytics and technologies for pedagogy, this work will inform, and be informed by, science learning practice in both countries. Over four years we will: 1) explore and characterize youth participation in different learning environments, 2) examine learning outcomes across settings from a socio-cultural learning theory perspective, and 3) identify strategies that programs can implement to enhance learning outcomes. This proposal builds on years of our collaboration studying NHM-led citizen science (e.g.Ballard et al. in press), and PI Ballard (Univ. of CA, Davis) and Co-I Herodotou's (Open University) years of research on the learning outcomes of youth-focused citizen science. The NHMs, with their dual focus on science research and environmental education, established CS programs, close ties with local urban community-based organizations, and partnerships with large online CS platforms (Zooniverse and iNaturalist), provide a unique route through which we can examine how youth participation in authentic science may build their capacity and agency for science.

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Grant Details

Amount Awarded 567746
Applicant Surname Robinson
Approval Committee Science Learning+ Committee
Award Date 2016-11-07T00:00:00+00:00
Financial Year 2016/17
Grant Programme: Title Science Learning Plus
Internal ID 206202/Z/17/Z
Lead Applicant Ms Lucy Robinson
Other Applicant(s) Dr Jessica Wardlaw
Partnership Name Science Learning Plus
Partnership Value 684032
Planned Dates: End Date 2022-03-31T00:00:00+00:00
Planned Dates: Start Date 2017-05-01T00:00:00+00:00
Recipient Org: Country United Kingdom
Region Greater London