The Association of Science-Technology Centers, in partnership with the Institute for Learning Innovation, University of Pittsburgh Center for Learning in Out-of-School Environments, the Visitor Studies Association and other collaborators, will steward development of an Informal Science Education Resource Center (ISERC) to support ongoing improvement of the national infrastructure for informal science education.
For the field, the ISERC will build capacity and support continued professionalization. It will foster a Community of Practice that bridges the many varied forms in which informal STEM learning experiences are developed and delivered for informal audiences of all ages, as well as further knowledge transfer between educational research and practice. Activities will include a clearinghouse for ISE-funded awards to enable others to learn from and build upon this prior work, identification of practices and findings based on project evaluations, and leadership development, with emphasis on increasing diversity in the field. As a secondary emphasis, it will share relevant knowledge and practice with formal educators and university researchers.
For Principal Investigators (PIs) funded through ISE awards, the ISERC will create a network through PI meetings, communications and other methods that encourage sharing of deliverables, practices and findings across projects. It will encourage prospective PIs, especially from underrepresented groups and regions, through orientation to the program by web conferences, workshops and additional means.
For the ISE Program at NSF, the ISERC will assist Program Officers in reviewing the portfolio, gathering and assessing evidence of project impacts. It also will assist in identifying reviewers, gathering Highlights for internal use, and communicating
The Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) is a project funded by the National Science Foundation Advancing Informal STEM Learning program in a cooperative agreement to establish and grow a resource center that will strengthen and advance the field of informal science education (ISE). The ISE field includes professionals working in sectors such as science centers and museums, film, television, radio and other forms of media, out of school time programs, cyberlearning and gaming and science events such as festivals and cafés. The intellectual merit of this project is reflected in the theory of action that an entity that provides centralized, enhanced connectivity and quality resources for those working in informal science education institutions, programs and projects will: strengthen practice, evaluation and research; cultivate the sense of a professional field; enhance the awareness and value of the ISE sector; and lead to more strategic, effective investments. Throughout the five years of this project, the Center has worked to prove this theory, resulting in the following outcomes: An inquiry group process that led to the development and creation of five white papers on topics of interest and import to the field that have demonstrably informed exemplary proposal and project development (http://informalscience.org/about/about-caise/inquiry-group-reports ) An online"Informal Commons" repository of informal STEM education project descriptions, research papers and evaluation reports aggregated from a dozen websites whose collections provide curated, peer-reviewed tools and resources for supporting best practice in informal science education research, project development and evaluation (see supporting image or- http://informalcommons.org/) A web infrastructure that includes CAISE-created resources to inform and strengthen evidence-based, accountable practice in informal science education, such as the Principal Investigators' Guide to Managing Evaluation in Informal Science Education Projects, the Informal Science Education Evidence Wiki and the Informal Science Education Timeline (see supporting images) A series of small convenings and workshops with practitioners, evaluators and researchers on topics and strategies addressed in critical mass in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Informal Science Education (ISE) program portfolio of funded projects. Workshops on Organizational Networks, Sustainability Science and Informal Science Education, Professional Development and Media in Informal Science Education have catalyzed and informed online forums, sessions and workshops at conferences and professional development articles. Biennial "principal investigator meetings" of all active NSF Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL, formerly ISE) program projects where practitioners, evaluators and researchers working across ISE sectors come together to share their work, discuss issues and challenges, exchange new ideas and form new partnerships and collaborations (http://informalscience.org/about/about-caise/pi-meetings) The broader impacts of this project include: A stronger informal science education field that complements and supports formal schooling, advancing the nation's international standing in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) achievement and cultivating a more STEM-literate publics. A greater awareness among the scientific community of the opportunities that informal science education institutions, programs, projects and individual professionals provide for engaging and broadening the participation of diverse audiences to appreciate and understand the relevance, implications and utility of their research (see supporting image).
