Taking a Layered Approach: Design Principles for STEM Materials and Facilitation Within Informal Learning Environments

• In Event: Supporting Family Talk and Practice Around Science for Young Children

Abstract

Types of scaffolding that can increase caregiver-child interactions in informal learning environments have received more attention of late (c.f., Haden et al., 2014; Ellenbogen, Luke & Dierking, 2004). Sociocultural learning theory has often guided the design of the enactment as well as the research examining such scaffolds’ use. Relatedly, Rogoff’s (2003) notion of “guided participation” and the nature of how participation is structured by families during their experiences in museums, zoos and nature centers have also garnered attention by researchers (Zimmerman, McClain & Crowl, 2013; Dooley, C.M. & Welch, M. M., 2014). This paper contributes to this literature by examining the evolution of design principles used to create “event guides” for families as part of Sci-FUN community events associated with a multi-faceted NSF-funded Math and Science Partnership initiative. As part of this MSP, community events are held annually in venues such as a local zoo, science museum, metro-park and library.

During the past three years, families have been given a variety of materials intended to scaffold their interactions within specific sites and activities based in each community partner’s venue. Project staff (mostly science, engineering and education graduate students) have also been trained to facilitate activities and interactions at various stations at each venue. In this paper we examine how the nature of the guidance in terms of the materials as well as the facilitators’ roles has changed over the course of the past three years.

Through analysis of the event guides and facilitator materials, interviews with facilitators, think-alouds about the event guides with parents, and evaluation team reports, we describe how the intent of the scaffolding has become more contextualized and focused on increasing the number, length and depth of interactions between and among family members who visit each venue. Of particular note have been the changes over time in the event guides themselves from being fairly generic and including conversation prompts such as “What was your favorite part of this activity?” to offering families a range of ways to engage at each activity station or exhibit. More specifically, each event guide now has an immediately accessible open-ended question in a prominent position, a section with a more scripted series of prompts for the “adult navigator” to engage their “young investigator,” in addition to a “talking tip” for adults that is tied directly to part of the scripted series of prompts, as well as images and scientific information related to the activity or exhibit, while also being specifically tailored to each activity or exhibit with the nature of the questions and prompts being directly related to particular affordances and constraints of the exhibit (Atkins, Velez, Goudy & Dunbar, 2008). Similarly, facilitator training has evolved and now involves more role-playing and brainstorming about how to encourage adult-child interactions, rather than solely guiding the activity. Lessons learned and concrete examples from this work and these analyses will be shared.

Authors

• Susanna E. Hapgood, University of Toledo

• Lacey Jean Strickler Eppard, University of Toledo

• Eugenia Johnson-Whitt, University of Toledo