Science Education through Media and Communication

The Exploratorium has been at the forefront of developing technology-based education programs that reach remote audiences worldwide and explore the use of new media in public learning environments. Firstly, since 1993, the Exploratorium Website (www.exploratorium.edu) has been one of the most visited science sites on the Web, with a current annual audience of more than 28 million distinct visits. The site has won four Webby Awards (Best Science Site, 1997-99 and 2004, and Best Education Site, 2002) and received the 2000 Award for Innovation from the Association of Science-Technology Centers for worldwide leadership in the field of Internet-based education. Among the innovative content online is The Accidental Scientist, which engages visitors in the science of everyday activities such as cooking (www.exploratorium.edu/cooking), making music (www.exploratorium.edu/music), and gardening (www.exploratorium.edu/gardening).

The Exploratorium is the locus for a variety of other programs researching the use of new technologies in education. Live@ Exploratorium features live webcasts linking museum and Internet audiences with science events and experts from around the globe. Examples include Origins (www.exploratorium.edu/origins), which provides in-depth Webcasts and ongoing links to remote research stations investigating the origins of matter, the universe, the earth, and life itself. Journey to Mars featured the first images from Mars in a month of live webcasts on Mars (including remotes from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory), a full-scale model of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover, and working mini-rovers, for the public and online audiences. In November 2006, the Exploratorium crew went to the National Optical Astronomy Observatory on Kitt Peak, in Arizona, to bring the Transit of Mercury webcast to online audiences worldwide. In 2007-08, the Exploratorium celebrated the International Polar Year with live webcasts from Antarctica and the Arctic Circle. The Exploratorium also regularly brings live solar eclipses from across the world to museum audiences and the public internationally. In the summer of 2008, the Exploratorium team went to China for that year’s total solar eclipse.

The Exploratorium is also engaged in several projects investigating how new technologies can enhance the museum learning experience, such as:

· The PIE Network (Playful Invention and Exploration), a consortium led by the MIT Media Lab that tests the use of miniature electronic devices as teaching tools, among other endeavors
· The Digital Asset Management project increased audience access to a digital library of unique Exploratorium images, activities, and other media resources.

The Learning Tools division produces publications and other media for the public, families, and educators, and currently has more than 28 titles in print. In 2006, Learning Tools released Exploratopia, the recipient of the 2008 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books. It gathers over 25 years of Exploratorium knowledge, experience, and activities in a single book. And, each year, 13,000 copies of the Exploratorium Newsletter are distributed bi-monthly.

The Department of Learning Research researches science learning, science teaching, and technology-supported learning. Learning Research also researches both online and onsite audiences, who connect with the Exploratorium through the Exploratorium’s webcasts, networked multimedia, wireless technologies, and digital libraries. Learning Research explores changes in teaching practices, and how the Exploratorium’s professional development, social learning context, and inquiry-based model of teaching translate into effective practices and improved learning, both locally and nationally. In addition, Learning Research explores how the Exploratorium’s museum educator programs affect youth development and participation in science.

11/08