Museums and Science Centres

Question 1

Perspectives on Learning Through Research on Critical Issues-Based Science Center Exhibitions

Answer 1

^{Perspectives on Learning Through Research on Critical Issues-Based Science Center Exhibitions<br></br>(Pedretti, 2004) Science education}

^{More recent installations with a focus on ‘Critical exhibitions’ Critically explore the nature of science and the relationship among science, technology, SOCIETY and the environment.}

^{Many are ‘issue-based’, inviting visitors to consider socio-economic material from a variety of perspectives, engage in decision-making and healthy debate of complex issues, and critique the nature and practise of science and technology.}

• Exhibition 2: A Question of Truth - the Ontario Science Centre created an exhibit that views science as a human and social activity situated in culture and predominant worldviews.
• ^{There are three majour themes,}
  
  • ^{1. Frames of Reference. This section explores the distinctly human face of science, and illustrates that differences in context can lead to many valid perspectives (e.g., sun-centred vs earth-centred planetary models).}
  • ^{2. Bias in Science and Society. This theme examines a long history of oppression and marginalization for certain groups of people (and considers for example, concepts of race, prejudice and bias, slavery, sterilization, and intelligence testing)}
  • ^{3. Science and the Community. Suggests that our future depends on an informed and active citizenry (the gallery includes interviews with a diverse group of scientists, contributions created by local school children and street kids on various topics, and visitor reactions to the exhibit).}
    *

Question 2

From the debates:
Advantages of science centre’s

Main points

Answer 2

• Science museums reflect the intentions of the governments that often fund and promote them. The government is promoting the content museums represent (Delicado, 2009)
• Science museums offer hands on learning experiences centred on exploratory learning and discovery
• Aiming science exhibitions at children will increase their interest in science
• Science museums reflect research which is considered important/useful

Question 3

Science museums reflect the intentions of the governments that often fund and promote them. The government is promoting the content museums represent

Answer 3

Delicado, 2009)
• Science centres provide substantial community services, often as a fractional cost to governments since they usually manage to collect support from many sources (Persson, 2000)
• Science museums play a role in preserving historical scientific heritage, harbouring collections of instruments or specimens used in the past for research and teaching. (Delicado, 2009)
• They are cost effective because they provide an educational value (Persson, 2000) – there is an actual purpose which is of importance

Question 4

Science museums offer hands on learning experiences centred on exploratory learning and discovery

Answer 4

(Pedretti, 2004)

Science museums offer hands-on learning experiences centred on exploratory learning and discovery

• Links classroom text-book materials to something more practical and something they may actually relate to.
• Hands-on experiences make you think and talk more.
• More likely to retain the information and form own questions/opinions, especially good for kinaesthetic learners (who may not learn as well in a classroom)
• Typically, science is presented as a collection of knowledge which must be mastered, memorizes and occasionally applied to the real world.

Question 5

Aiming science exhibitions at children will increase their interest in science

Answer 5

• Links classroom text-book materials to something more practical and something they may actually relate to.
• Increase the likelihood of them wanting to study and engage in science at school, study science in further education and entering a science-based field when they are older.
• Typically, science is presented as a collection of knowledge which must be mastered, memorizes and occasionally applied to the real world.
• Installations in museums which are interactive and demonstrate how science is applied to real life situations may increase an individual’s interest on science and not have them think of science as ‘boring’, but to show them that their whole world is essentially made up of ‘science’ and by ‘scientists’
• Teachers can use exhibitions they visited with their students and continue speaking about this back in their classrooms, to keep and enhance the children’s interest in the subject.

Question 6

Science museums reflect research which is considered important/useful

Answer 6

• Science museums reflect what happens in the scientific field: discoveries, dominant theories and paradigms of the research that is considered important/useful (Delicado, 2009)
• Many exhibitions use interactions which do reflect real-life situations and show you how science is applied to things in the real-world
• Majority of science subjects are presented; physics, perception, chemistry, biology, astronomy, archaeology (sometimes) along with similar topics (Bell, 2008).
• Program staff are not always comfortable presenting complex issues and questions that lack unequivocal answers, such as ethicists or social science

Question 7

Disadvantages of science centers and museums

(Achiam and Sølberg, 2016)

Answer 7

• Cultural focus as a way of promoting science as an integral part of human culture. This doesn’t necessarily provide better scientific understanding due to the fact that it merely promotes the institute in a culture. The self-promotion is a notion that hinders the efficacy of the centre/museum providing a better understanding.
• Network function benign. While it would seem a great place for collaborations, and it can be, this is limited to contributors and researchers. Realistically students looking to increase networking are unlikely to visit a museum to meet people, especially with the large proportion targeting younger children. This can be countered by adult events at Life Centre and Hancock, however these focus on bringing in an atypical audience rather than providing information. E.g. speak about being open late and having a bar, don’t say anything about educating people with prior knowledge.
• Lack of inclusion in curricular or degrees from higher education institutes suggests that for that age group (16+), maybe there are much better ways to provide a scientific understanding. If museums or science centers were that good at conveying essential information, then they would surely be more heavily utilised by these educational institutes

Question 8

Disadvantages from various sources

science centers and museems

Answer 8

(various)

• As suggested by the Hidi and Renniger model, interest and stimulation are developed through museums/science centers but scientific understanding is developed through other means such as independent research of scientific interests.
• Falk et al. (2004) found that immediately after the visit understanding increased but 8 months after the visit, knowledge decreased.
• Shortland 1987 states ‘science and discovery centres may entertain an individual however, trivialise science and give the false impression that scientific enquiry leads to instant solutions, whereas the reality is that science can be slow, tedious and unspectacular.’
• Gregory, (1989) Superficial principles and practices may be delivered to the public and scientific misconceptions or misrepresentation of scientific ideas may be delivered.

Question 9

Disadvantages of science centres and museums

Teaching to entertainment

Answer 9

Teaching to entertainment

Science center’s - In general they are charitable organisations and despite the fact many of these centers charge entry fees, currently no UK science center covers the cost of their education activities from ticket revenue, have to apply for funding to support specific projects- therefore need to make sure there are high number of visitors to gain funding. Easiest way to increase visitor numbers is via entertainment.

According to research, attention span has decreased from 12s in 2000 to 8.25s in 2015, 4 years on this would be further reduced, less than goldfish which have attention span of 9s- 2015 report by the Consumer Insights team of Microsoft Canada, Therefore, displays are catered to grab attention not to communicate higher scientific understanding.

One-off experiences, offered by museums or centers are good for teaching students a single mechanism. this is only a one-off experience and will only impact a scientific understanding if they accept and understands the underlying mechanism of an exhibit. the exhibits may only present a student with an opportunity they will enjoy rather than understand. (Braund and Reiss)