This proposal is from a coalition of cross disciplinary investigators at the Lawrence Hall of Science/Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence at the University of California, Berkeley. The investigators intend to create a communications network for ocean sciences in an informal setting to improve the communication of ocean science concepts. The network would foster relationships between ocean and climate scientists in institutions of higher education and build the capacity for educators to communicate with the public about science. The network is intended to impact visitors to informal science centers, docents, educators, and scientists. It would provide experiences with new scientific knowledge about the oceans and promote climate literacy for the landlocked states of the country where ocean sciences are not usual topics for educational programs.
The network includes: 1. Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific and University of Southern California; 2. Hatfield Marine Science Center and Oregon Sea Grant at Oregon State University; 3. Virginia Aquarium and Science Center and the Minorities in Marine Science Program, Hampton University; 4. Liberty Science Center and the Institute for Marine Coastal Sciences and Rutgers University; 5. Lawrence Hall of Science and Earth & Planetary Science and Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley; 6. Birch Aquarium at Scripps and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego; and 7. Purdue University.
The goal of the project is to help a new generation of scientists and informal educators to better understand and more effectively communicate with the public the essential principles and fundamental concepts of Ocean Literacy, Climate Literacy, and Earth Science Literacy. The content is integral to understanding climate science and the science of climate change such as ocean circulation, causes of sea level rise, the influence of the ocean on weather and climate, the role of the ocean in Earth's energy, water and carbon systems, and the need for continued exploration of the ocean system.
Communicating Ocean Sciences Informal Education Network (COSIEN) brought together ocean and climate scientists in colleges and universities, and educators in informal science education institutions (aquariums, zoos, science centers) to communicate ocean science concepts and research to the public. It fostered long-term relationships between these scientists and educators across the country as they drew on one another’s expertise. COSIEN built and continues to build capacity, as well as provide materials and opportunities for university scientists and informal educators to learn how to communicate and engage with the public about science. COSIEN also strengthens the informal science education field, as it continues to create a collaborative community for its members to learn and develop their communication skills with the public, their colleagues, and professionals in other fields. The goals of COSIEN are to strengthen and expand a network of knowledgeable individuals and partnerships across institutions that share common objectives in communicating science to the public, including underrepresented audiences, supporting the professional knowledge of informal science educators, introducing current and future scientists to the role informal science institutions play in broader impact efforts, and promoting ocean/science literacy for all. To achieve these goals, COSIEN established six Regional Centers composed of a university and their local informal science institution, in order to build communities that leverage local organizations and expertise. The regional centers included: Hampton University/Virginia Aquarium, Scripps Institution of Oceanography/Birch Aquarium, Rutgers University/Liberty Science Center, Oregon State University/Hatfield Marine Science Center, University of Southern California/Aquarium of the Pacific, and University of California Berkeley/Lawrence Hall of Science. Each of these regional centers provided: professional learning for informal science educators focused on pedagogy in informal science institutions, grounded in research on learning, and centered on reflective practice though the Reflecting on Practice program. professional learning for scientists interested in learning how to communicate their science content and research more effectively to the public and to their students, and acquaint them with the role and contributions of informal science institutions in promoting the broader impact of their research through Scientist Workshops, and Communicating Ocean Sciences Instructor’s Workshops for those interested in offering these college courses. In addition, highly interactive, online professional learning opportunities focused on learning and teaching were offered. the next generation of educators and scientists—university students—with knowledge and experiences in science teaching, which include materials and outreach opportunities focused on science pedagogy in informal settings and the role they can play in broader impact efforts through the Communicating Ocean Sciences (COSIA) college courses. Over the course of the project, the activities of the Network impacted >400 educators in 40+ informal science institutions nationwide and in Canada, >240 scientists, and up to 1 million visitors to informal science institutions. Moreover, the Regional Centers created a distributed network of leaders, as the original COSIA partners took on responsibilities and leadership in disseminating the materials and mentoring new scientists and educators. Each of the original centers have provided multiple workshops using the college course and Reflecting on Practice (RoP) materials for scientists and educators in their regions, and have initiated regional learning communities for informal science professionals to continue their work together. More than 25 institutions have offered the college courses to their university students. Implementation of the course includes use of the course materials freely available at reflectiveeducators.org, and placement of university students in an informal science institution where they provide outreach to visitors. Providing communication opportunities for future scientists can broaden their view of learning and teaching and enable them to communicate more effectively in all aspects of their professional and personal lives. This is of particular benefit for students in science, as scientists’ ability to communicate with the public is increasingly seen as a priority in scientific and policy domains. In turn, college students are important role models who can make a real and substantive difference in the choices that young science center visitors make about their education and careers. The Reflecting on Practice (RoP) program for informal educators continues to expand its reach beyond the 40 institutions now using the program. RoP provides mid-career museum educators with a three-day "Coaching Workshop" focusing on how to facilitate discussions and reflections on their own practice and literature about learning and teaching science in museums. Then, these mid-career educators implement the program for other educators at their institutions. The curriculum includes a 14-session professional learning program to explore learning and pedagogy that is grounded in research and theory specific to informal science learning environments. The summative evaluation provides evidence of the effectiveness of the program impact on participants, facilitators and institutions. Key findings are reported in Tran, L. U., et al. (2013). What constitutes successful professional learning for informal educators and how do we get there? Journal of Museum Education, Volume 38, Number 3.
