Session Goals

In this session, we will examine the open-ended exploration of science phenomena through the practices of scientists. We consider the facilitators' primary role to be that of an "Expert Exhibit Explorer" capable of guiding others in the exploration of exhibits. 

Notes to Instructor

This session will be organized into five segments: an improv warm-up, an introduction, an activity focused on engagement categories, a discussion of science practices, and a debrief discussion.

  1. ​Improv warm-up
  2. Introduction - Science phenomena, engagement categories
  3. Activity - Engagement categories
    Break
  4. Activity - Practices
  5. ​Debrief

 

Session 2

Activity Slides (link)

Improv Warm-up 
If the participants have completed at least one session of improv, ask them to select and play an improv game that they have learned in the applied improvisation training as a fun warm-up activity.​

​Introduction
Introduce Engagement Categories . Engagement categories help us make sense of the many ways that visitors engage with exhibits. While open-ended exhibits afford a nearly limitless number of ways that a guest might interact, after many observations of guests, you are likely to be able to identify a handful of categories of types of engagement. These categories allow a facilitator to observe a visitor and quickly identify the way the visitor is interacting. 

Watch videos of different ways in which visitors engage at the MOXI Roll It Wall. Have participants characterize the engagement for each video. Reveal how MOXI staff characterized the engagement in terms of engagement categories.

Activity - Categorizing Engagement
In session 1, participants should have identified open-ended exhibits. If they did not identify some exhibits at your institution that are open-ended or have open-ended aspects, do that now. Have participants get into groups of 2-4 and either have each group choose an open ended exhibit or assign them an exhibit. Give participants 20 minutes to go explore their assigned exhibit. They should try to discover or imagine all the ways that a visitor might engage with the exhibit. Encourage them to think of visitors of different ages, abilities, backgrounds, and with the different visitor identities described by Falk. 

Participants should look at all the many ways that the exhibit can be used and try to categorize the types of engagement into 5-10 categories and name these categories. Have each group share out their categories and descriptions. 

Have participants brainstorm visitor engagement categories for the MOXI Magnetic Islands exhibit.

Break

Introduce Science Practices
Introduce the science practices and how they relate to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) used in schools. It is not important that participants have a solid understanding of the NGSS, only that they are aware of them and that Science & Engineering Practices (SEPs) are one aspect of them. Focus on science practices.

​Have participants brainstorm as many ways as they can that a person could engage in each practice at their chosen exhibit.

Have participants read two vignettes describing visitor engagement at the MOXI Roll It Wall and categorize their engagement and think about which practices the visitors are and are not using.

​Debrief
If the participants have completed at least one session of improv, ask them to think about how what they have learned during Applied Improv Training relates to the topics discussed in today's session.

Homework Activities 

Have participants reflect on the engagement categories for their chosen exhibit at their home institution. For each engagement category, participants should write a list of the science practices visitors might be engaged in (or can be engaged in).  The science practices are a good starting point for exploration of exhibits from institutions representing a wide variety of fields, not just interactive science centers and science-focused museums. Participants may also begin thinking about other practices, besides science practices, that are appropriate for the disciplinary field(s) of their home institution and include them in the list of practices for each engagement category where appropriate.

Between Sessions 2 and 3, participants should make observations in their journals of visitors at their chosen exhibit and see which practices they can observe or infer that visitors are engaged in.

Readings

Quick Read on phenomena (link)
Quick Read on practices of science and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) (link)
Quick Read on Practice Based Facilitation and engagement categories (link)