edcoms science in a box report for bis
TRANSCRIPT
Science in a Box: Resources Mapping
March 2014
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Contents
Introduction 3
The brief 4
Our approach 5
Resources overview 6
‘Ways in’ to science activities 9
Scope of resources 23
Reaching audiences 26
Recommendations 30
Introduction
The brief
What resources exist to help community groups engage with science? Especially:•in areas with little or no existing science events•for groups not currently engaging with science
BIS Science and Society team
This research
What can be learnt from the resources? Especially:•how they might be extended beyond schools•how they might be promoted to and used by community groups
Our approach
Desk research
Web survey•National STEM Centre•Scientific ‘learned bodies’•Scientific subject associations•National museums•Science learning centres•STEMNET centres•The Wellcome Trust•Outdoor learning centres•Commercial companies producing science resource packs•Organisations promoting public engagement with science•PSCI-COM JISCMail group on public engagement with science•Contact with UK Science Festivals Network
Desk research
• Consultation with BIS team• Refined search
Reporting
Resources overview - 1
The resources found fell into 13 broad categories, or ‘ways in’ through which people might get involved in science activities.
An overview of the categories is given on the next two slides.
We mapped examples of the kinds of resources in each category, selected from a vast field. The following section describes each section and provides some examples.
Resources overview - 2
Resources overview - 3
‘Ways in’ to science activities
Simple activities for clubs / groups / schools
• Instructions for experiments/activities that can be done with easily available equipment – online, ‘how to’ videos, worksheets
• Boxes of equipment to borrow from a ‘library’ – currently aimed at schools
• Kits to send off for – currently aimed at schools
Examples:•‘Do try this at home’ experiment instructions from At-Bristol•National Science and Engineering Week activity packs from the British Science Association•Chicken Egg Hatching Kit from the Winchester Science Centre Equipment Library
Support for non-science specific clubs and groups
• Support for Scout / Cub / Brownie badges
• Science Centre community group membership
• Talks / special interest groups within wider organisations
• Instructions for facilitating debate on scientific issues
Examples:•Community group membership at the Glasgow Science Centre•Science and Technology Network at the University of the Third Age•Cub Scout Naturalist Activity Badge support from the Natural History Museum•Scientists in Congregations Scotland grant-awarding programme•Sciberbrain debate facilitation from The Biochemical Society
Support for events: outreach teams and ‘science buskers’ for hire
• Teams of demonstrators from science centres / private companies / a school
• Mobile lab with experiments to take part in
Examples:•Science Demonstration Team from W5 Science and Discovery Centre•Lab in a Lorry, from the Institute of Physics / Schlumberger Foundation•Community group visits from the Science Museum•Zombie Science public lectures from Time-Tastical Productions, supported by The Wellcome Trust / University of Glasgow
Specialist interest groups
• ‘Maker’ community• Challenges and
competitions – building things
• Nature groups
Examples:•Maker Faires •The FIRST LEGO League•Robot Wars•RSPB local groups
‘Citizen science’ activities
• Logging data on astronomy / the natural world
• Taking part in surveys / online games
Examples:•Moon Zoo from The Zooniverse•Big Garden Birdwatch from the RSPB•BBC Lab UK from the BBC•BioBlitzes from OPAL / Bristol Natural History Consortium•#Hooked from The Wellcome Trust / Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester•Global Experiment from the Royal Society of Chemistry
Festivals – local science festivals
• Science festivals that take place away from big cities and universities
Examples:•Wrexham Science Festival •Winchester Science Festival•Dunbar SciFest•Festival of the Sea – Oban, Lorn and the Isles…and many more
Festivals - music, art etc.
• Science stands, areas or events at festivals with a wider than purely scientific remit
Examples:•Einstein’s Garden at the Green Man festival•Gravity Fields festival•Uberfest•Guerilla Science
Pub and club-based events
• Researchers present their work – often with a comedy angle
• Scientists conduct demonstrations or experiment on the audience
• Debates on contentious issues
Examples:•Pint of Science festival•Science Slam•Skeptics in the Pub•Bright Club•PubSci
TV programmes
• Programmes that use science demonstrations to answer questions – may have a comedy angle
• Nature documentaries• Nature surveys to which viewers
contribute• Websites linked to programmes,
with ideas for further activities
Examples:•Dara O’Briain’s Science Brain•Bang Goes the Theory•Springwatch / Winterwatch etc.•Duck Quacks Don’t Echo
Online multimedia
• Films to download or buy
• Video clips, eg demonstrations
• Online lectures and talks
• Podcasts
• Online Q&A with scientists
Examples:•TED talks about Science•Scitalks•Vega Science Programmes•NASA Climate Reel•The Pod Delusion podcast•Ask a Scientist website
Science ‘on the street’
• A science ‘pop up shop’ in a shopping centre
Examples:•3-2-1 Ignition* from Ignite
Support for parents
• A course aimed at helping parents support their children to learn science – also available online
• Ideas for activities for parents and children to do together
• Discussion forums
Examples:•Science is for Parents Too! from the Centre for Lifelong Learning, University of York•Activate (Adults and Children Together Investigating Virtually Anything That Exists) from Shell•Mumsnet discussions about ideas for a science themed birthday party
Employee volunteering
• Children’s University involved employee volunteers in running out-of-class learning, targeting deprived areas
Examples:•The Science of Food Course from York Children’s University
Scope of resources
Prevalence
Simple activities for clubs /
groups / schools
Support for non-science specific
clubs and groups
Support for events:
outreach teams and ‘science
buskers for hire’
‘Citizen science’ activitiesSpecialist
interest groups
Festivals – local
science festivals
Festivals – music, art etc.
Pub and club-based events
TV
Online multimedia
Employee volunteering
Science on the street
Support for parents
This slide gives a visual indication of how easy it is to find resources in each of the categories, and how many were found – bearing in mind that the research looked specifically for these resources rather than ‘stumbling upon’ them as a member of the public might
Many of the resources cover a wide variety of subjects ‘Easier’ topics such as wildlife or forces more common
than more complex issues as they can be investigated using everyday resources
Chemistry is generally less well represented, perhaps because of the perception that it requires specialist equipment/skills
Gaps in coverage?
Indicative coverage of topics in the resources found
‘Engineering’ refers to resources specifically labelled with engineering content; other resources, particularly those with physics content, might also involve engineering
Reaching audiences
British Science Association
TES resources
National STEM Centre
Local STEMNET centres
Science learning centres
Local press and ‘what’s on’ websites (for events and attractions)
Tourist websites (for attractions)
Venue/festival websites
Scottish Schools Education Research Centre (SSERC) website (for science festivals in Scotland)
British Council website (for some science festivals)
Special interest websites
Funder websites (eg Wellcome Trust, learned bodies)
Social media associated with the organisers (eg UK Science Festivals Network group on LinkedIn)
Resources are not currently promoted to those not actively seeking them
Some of the BBC programme websites provide a good ‘way in’ by linking to other science activities and organisations
The resources we found were commonly promoted through:
Three broad audience groups
Think that science is ‘not for them’ but may have some science-related interests, eg building things, nature watching
Tend to actively reject anything connected with science, but may show interest if the context is right and the activity comes to them
Already taking part in, or actively seeking, science activities
Those least interested are currently least catered for
Pub and club-based events
Support for parents
Festivals – music, art etc.
Simple activities for
clubs / groups / schools
Support for non-science
specific clubs and
groups
TV
Festivals – local science festivals
‘Citizen science’
Specialist interest groups
Online multimedia
Support for events:
outreach teams and ‘science
buskers for hire’
Employee volunteering
This slide gives an indication of which resources are most likely to reach which audiences, although it is likely that there is more overlap than can be shown here.
Recommendations
Extending reach and engagement
Partnership is needed to bring science into new environments
Media - BBC websites linking to local opportunities
Celebrity involvement- popular figures promoting local opportunities
Spectacle- exciting and entertaining shows
Existing groups and clubs- especially those with a national spread
Hobby groups- may have ‘champions’ who can draw in others
Signposting could increase reach
Better online signposting creates a web of connections
Enthusiasts and Receptives search out material
Links their interest to broader science themes and allows them to find more resources
Example
Enthusiast uses the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch site
A link on the RSPB site points to the NASA Global Climate Change site with video clips that might help
the birdwatcher understand changes they see in their
garden
Individual enthusiasts
Within community groups with broad interests
Two critical interfaces – mobilising enthusiasts and empowering them
To reach the disinterested, enthusiasts need to be mobilised and empowered
Using a one stop shop to mobilise enthusiasts
…e.g. could highlight resources that a community group without a scientific interest would enjoy and share ideas on how to get people
interested
Enthusiast accesses ‘one stop shop’ to help them set up
and promote a stall demonstrating simple science
experiments
Stall set up at community fair
Engages community including ‘Disinterested
Enthusiast sees link to ‘one stop shop’ on science
museum website
Example
…helps Enthusiasts to access ‘resources’ for sharing and to
promote their activity…
A clearly signposted ‘one stop shop’ to help people share their
passion for science…
Features of ‘one-stop shop’ could be:
‘How-to’ guides and links could empower enthusiasts to take action
‘How-to’ guides to enable Enthusiasts to share their passion, eg:•How to run demonstrations at a community event•How to find a speaker for a club meeting•How to set up a debate event•How to run a local science fair
‘If you liked this, try…’ links between activities and organisations
Encouragement for Enthusiasts to share their passion:•Why it’s important•What the benefits are
Contact info
For more information, please contact
Liz Watts or Rodie Garland
www.edcoms.com