School visits to Science centres learning or enjoyment

1
School visits to Science centres learning or
enjoyment?

• Helene Sørensen
• Research Group for Science Education
• The Danish University of Education
• Helene_at_dpu.dk

2
Outline

• Background
• Five images of school visits to Museums
• Teachers views of museum visits

3
Research Project on Museum Visits

• Interviews with seven teachers (among those
  visiting Experimentarium in Autumn 2001)
• Questionnaire given to teachers (2nd 4th and 6th
  grade)

4
Students Projects

• Mari-Ann Skovlund, Helle Houkjær and Helene
• Teaching unit about light integrating visit to
  Experimentarium and work at the school
• Five exhibits at Experimentarium
• Interview of students after four months
• Per Hendriksen and Helene
• 6th grade students preparing their own
  investigations in science using Experimentarium
  as a learning resource

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Experimentarium and Hellerup Skole

• During the school year 2002/2003 the
  Experimentarium established a partnership with a
  nearby school with the aim to investigate
  possibilities for cooperation.

Experimentarium
Hellerup Skole
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Five images of school visits

• Day Out Tour
• Classroom Tour
• Inspiration Tour
• Learning Lab Tour
• Learning Resource Tour

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Day Out Tour

• The students and the teacher(s) arrive at the
  museum
• The students are told to go to the lunch area at
  12 oclock
• Here the teacher tells the students to be at the
  entrance at 2 oclock
• They leave the museum

8
Characteristics of a Day Out Tour

• No preparation beforehand
• No evaluation
• The parents only get information on when and
  where not why

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Quotations from the interview with teachers

• Berit it was the last day before the holiday
• Iris if it had been a task oriented tour there
  would have been an evaluation
• Vivi ..the science content was not evaluated..

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Why the Day Out Tour?

• As a first visit to Experimentarium (gives
  students a chance to play)
• A visit to Experimentarium gives a break in the
  school routine
• A happy ending for a teaching unit

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Classroom Tour
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Classroom Tour

• The students follow either a museum officer or
  the teacher around the museum in a big group
• The students are not allowed to walk on their own
  or to sit down, nor to look at videos or use
  interactive displays
• Or
• The students have to fill out a sheet of
  questions, which do not allow them to follow
  their own interests
• Only the teacher sits down with a cup of coffee

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Why the Classroom Tour?

• The teachers feel secure, because they know what
  the students learn
• There is a special offer at Experimentarium,
  which fits into a teaching unit
• The students meet the experts (and the teacher
  does not have the burden of being responsible for
  the teaching)

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Quotations from the interview with teachers

• Heidi I went around and disciplined the
  students..
• Heidi I listenedthe Pilot was the expert
• The museum guides are called Pilots at
  Experimentarium

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Inspiration Tour
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Inspiration Tour

• The visit is the start of a teaching unit
• The aim is that the students get ideas for their
  work
• The students may look at the net or at other
  materials to get inspiration beforehand

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Characteristics of the Inspiration Tour

• The students work on their own and get a variety
  of ideas for their work at school
• The students make up their own questions
• The parents get information on when and where and
  why

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Learning Lab Tour
19
Learning Lab Tour

• A science class (10th grade) from a nearby school
  used Experimentarium as a lab
• The students visited Experimentarium to get
  inspiration and then chose a science project
• The students formed groups and used the
  exhibition as a resource for learning
• The students were trained to do demonstrations
• The students presented their project either at
  Experimentarium or at the school

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Authentic situations

• It was clear from observations that the students
  took the demonstrations very seriously when they
  were being watched by the general public.
• With only peers as an audience the situation
  became like a normal situation in school with
  less engaged students

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Authentic situations
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Authentic situations
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Authentic situations
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Authentic situations
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Learning Resource Tour
Two classes (year 3 and 4) worked with senses and
made investigations with light and eye sight at
the school They visited Experimentarium and the
students worked with five different exhibitions
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Characteristics of Learning Resource Tour

• The visit is part of a teaching unit
• Evaluations of social behaviour and the science
  content are done
• The parents get information on when and where and
  why

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What did Students Remember?

• What do you remember from your work with light
  and eye sight?
• The students first tell about exhibitions at
  Experimentarium
• -either one of the exhibitions they had to
  explore or one of the more impressive
  exhibitions

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Learning time ? play time?

• Girl 1 It was that one with the senses, Sense
  of smell. That one with the tubes
• Boy 1 .it was the Tunnel.
• Girl 2 When we did that, where we were not
  allowed to play, then I found it the most fun to
  wear the glasses and push the buttons ..
• And then, when we were allowed to play, then it
  was the Tunnel
• Boy 2 The Tunnel

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Experimentarium /School

• The students say that Experimentarium and the
  school complement each other

• They were better at doing the experiments at
  Experimentarium because they knew them from
  school
• They could work with more concentration and had
  more time at the school
• The equipment was better and bigger at
  Experimentarium

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The Questionnaire
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Aims for the visit
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Preparation before the visit
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Quotations from the interview with teachers

• Joakim Its really important that the students
  have knowledge before a visit. Otherwise the
  Experimentarium turns into a big Circus where no
  learning takes place

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After the visit
44
32
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Quotations from the interview with teachers

• Joakim Evaluation is an important part of the
  teaching, because it takes time to recollect
  things. Often, there are golden nuggets and
  good remarks from the students, and the students
  help each other recall the experience.

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Sayings about Excursions
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Sayings about students
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Closing remarks

• Experimentarium looked at school groups as paying
  visitors
• The five types of visits was developed as en
  eye-opener
• We wanted Experimentarium to improve and
  differentiate their school programs