Transcript SessionB

Dr. Per-Edvin Persson
Director, Heureka, the Finnish Science Centre, Vantaa, Finland
Empowerment of People with Science
Everybody wants a science centre
Today, science centres tend to
- use multiple media (including historical objects – integration
with museums?)
- depend not just on the physical site (the virtual science centre,
web-based services)
- have contractual relationships with formal education (running
learning centres, preschools, schools)
- have established relationships with higher education (master’s
programmes in science communication, sharing professorships
with universities);
- seek on-going relations with the media (maybe we will see the
science centre channel evolve?)
- be more involved with their communities (audience diversity
programmes)
Examples at Heureka:
Learning Centre established in 2008 to produce teaching
materials for empirical science learning in close co-operation
with schools and universities. The centre employs Heureka
teachers to develop new materials, organises our school visits
and teacher training.
Heureka donated the fund to the University of Helsinki to
establish a Full Chair of Science Centre Pedagogy. The professor
will work physically out of Heureka’s Learning Centre.
Definitions used in this presentation:
-learning impact means any impact on the acquisition of
knowledge or skills by an individual or group of individuals;
-economic impact means any measurable contribution to the
economy of the surrounding community;
-social impact means any identifiable impact on social processes
in the surrounding community;
- policy impact means any identifiable influence at the decision
making level (laws, local regulations, urban planning decisions
by municipal boards or councils etc.).
Definitions of learning vary. Free-choice
learning is probably better assessed through
observation of behaviours than through
predetermined definitions of what should be
learned, as is often done in the formal education
environment.
Studies designed in this way show that learning
occurs in science centres and that significant
understanding of phenomena can be achieved.
Science centres
strengthen the
motivation of students,
and influence learning
strategies (deep
learning).
Science centres also
influence attitudes
towards science and the
career choices of young
people.
The challenge is to induce an intellectual
process that will result in a change of thinking or behaviour
without stigmatizing or preaching.
We need to light the light!
John H. Falk, Carol Scott, Lynn Dierking, Leonie Rennie and
Mika Cohen Jones 2004. Interactives and Visitor Learning.
Curator 47 (2), 171-192
Visit to science centre produced different short-term and longterm outcomes.
Short-term outcomes: knowledge and skills, motivation and
interests.
Long-term outcomes: perspective and awareness, social
learning.
Science centres provide good learning
environments for challenged students – studies
and programmes at Heureka, Finland.
Science centres perform valuable services to
strengthen science teaching in underserved and
challenged communities – a 6 million USD
programme at Liberty Science Centre, New
Jersey.
Science centres provide outreach programmes
to bring science learning to distant rural areas –
National Council of Science Museums, India.
Science centres strengthen the knowledge base of their
communities