Team-Based Inquiry ASTC Preconference Workshop, October 18

Workshop Goals Encourage and empower museum professionals to use team-based inquiry to improve informal education experiences 1.Understand what TBI is and how it can be used to more effectively develop educational experiences and improve professional practice 2.Value TBI as a tool 3.Develop skills to use TBI 4.Use professional resources to try implementing TBI in your own work

Speed Dating What are three surprising things that most people might not know about you? How do you currently get information to help improve your work or the educational experiences you create and deliver? How did you become involved in ISE or museum work? What experience have you had with evaluation? What is your best (or worst) science-related childhood memory? What is a current challenge in your work or at your institution that you would like to address within the next year?

Team-Based Inquiry

An approach to empowering professionals to get the data they need, when they need it, in order to improve their products and practices and create successful educational experiences QuestionInvestigateReflectImprove Systematic Led by non-evaluation professionals Collaborative and team based Small scale and focused Embedded in work Systematic Led by non-evaluation professionals Collaborative and team based Small scale and focused Embedded in work

“Horton Senses Something Small” Data collection Observations of participants Surveys with caregivers and parents Example improvements Shortened story Prompted participation Does the program engage young children? How could it be improved?

Are educational posters worth including in the NanoDays 2012 kit? NanoDays 2012 Posters Data collection Interviews with 30 visitors at three museums Informal observations Debrief with educators Example lessons learned Visitors liked the graphics and suggested improvements Educators felt graphics attracted attention and defined space

Are we achieving our meeting goals? How can we better support participants? NISE Regional Meetings Data collection Butcher paper and sticky notes: (1)What do you value most about this meeting? (2)What’s one thing you’re taking from this meeting to bring back to your institution? (3)In what ways can the Network further support you nano education work? Example lessons learned More opportunities for partners to share

Team-Based Inquiry ?

TBI In Action QuestionInvestigateReflectImprove How could this activity be improved? Collect feedback by interviewing visitors after activity. Review interview responses to identify common patterns. Brainstorm, prioritize, and implement solutions.

TBI In Action

Phase 1: Question QuestionInvestigateReflectImprove How can this activity be improved to be more engaging for visitors and better communicate the main message about nanoscience? Collect feedback by interviewing visitors after activity. Review interview responses to identify common patterns. Brainstorm, prioritize, and implement solutions.

Phase 1: Question

Ferrofluid Activity How can this activity be improved to be more engaging for visitors and better communicate the main message about nanoscience?

Phase 2: Investigate QuestionInvestigateReflectImprove Collect feedback by interviewing visitors after activity. Review interview responses to identify common patterns. Brainstorm, prioritize, and implement solutions. How could this activity be improved?

Phase 2: Investigate ConnectCollectClose

Phase 3: Reflect QuestionInvestigateReflectImprove Collect feedback by interviewing visitors after activity. Review interview responses to identify common patterns. Brainstorm, prioritize, and implement solutions. How could this activity be improved?

Step 3: Reflect

Phase 4: Improve QuestionInvestigateReflectImprove Collect feedback by interviewing visitors after activity. Brainstorm, prioritize, and implement solutions. Review interview responses to identify common patterns. How could this activity be improved?

Phase 4: Improve

Wrap-Up 1.At the end of this workshop, are there new TBI questions that you might want to investigate related to your own work or projects at your institution? 2.What are the three most important things you will take away from this workshop? 3.What are three things you would like to do at your institution or as part of your work based on what you've learned or practiced today?

Wrap-Up How can we make staff meetings more useful and efficient? What exhibit topics are visitors interested in? What communication strategies are working well and not so well on this project? What would my staff like the department to focus on over the next year? How do local community organizations currently perceive the accessibility of our institution?

TBI Guide

Questions and Comments

This presentation is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this presentation are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.