Comparing Materials for Self-Guided Learning in Interactive Science Exhibitions

ABSTRACT

Science center exhibitions are considered to have the potential to support students' learning. To contribute to the field's knowledge of how to use this potential to the fullest, this study compares four different designs of self-guided resources for use during a science center visit. The first two (open exploration and a traditional worksheet) are similar to many currently in use, and the other two designs (guided exploratory learning, one paper-based and one tablet-based) provided more structure and explicitly aimed to support deeper engagement and exploration. Verbal and nonverbal behaviors of 64 11- to 13-year-old students were recorded by chest-mounted cameras. Video was coded and analyzed quantitatively around instances of behaviors consistent with deep engagement and learning. Findings suggest that different resource designs are associated with different levels of engagement-related behaviors, and designs for guided exploratory learning in particular have the potential to support students' progress towards conceptual understanding.

Acknowledgments

We thank Professor Stein Dankert Kolstø at the University of Bergen for his support and guidance in this study. We also thank the teachers that contributed together with their classes. Thanks also to Torgeir Ekeland, Head of the Technical Department at VilVite, for his technical support.

Notes

1. Primary school in Norway covers grades 1–7, ages 6–13.

2. Number of students per class varied from 17 to 30. Each class was divided into 5 groups (corresponding to the number of focal exhibits). This resulted in 3–6 students per group.

3. The European Exhibition Evaluation Tool (EEET) is a software tool developed by a consortium of five major European science centers and one exhibit supplier. The EEET project aims to develop a set of tools that can evaluate several important aspects of visitor behavior in science centers in a consistent and time-efficient way (www.eeet.eu).

4. The MMD frequencies are likely to be related to the length of time groups spent in the exhibition. However, prolonged engagement, and thus more discussion and exhibit handling, was a goal of the handout designs. Moreover, all groups spent comparable lengths of time in the exhibition (between 53 and 68 min, with some of the variation due to waiting time). In addition, although it would be interesting to explore inter-group differences based on demographic characteristics (e.g., ethnicity, social class) our sample is both too homogenous and too small to make valid comparisons.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nils Petter Hauan

Nils Petter Hauan, Ph.D., is Head of Development at VilVite the Bergen Science Centre, Norway. His research interests include interactive science exhibitions and, in particular, the potential of such exhibits as educational material for schools.

Jennifer DeWitt

Jennifer DeWitt is a Senior Research Associate at UCL Institute of Education, focusing on nationwide longitudinal studies examining the development of children's interests and aspirations in science, as well as the implications of research on science capital for practice in schools and informal settings. Her broader research and evaluation interests include learning and engagement in early years, families, and school groups in informal science environments, including the potential of makerspaces as tools for equity. E-mail: [email protected].