Bridging the Gap Between Ocean Science and Education: Creating Effective Partnerships through Informal Educational Institutions

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Bridging the Gap Between Ocean Science and
Education Creating Effective Partnerships
through Informal Educational Institutions

• S.D. Oceans Conference 2003

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The Ocean Institute as a venue for translating
science

• Strong connections the education community
  (90,000 students/yr 1,500 teachers in workshops
  150,000 general visitors).
• Competent teaching staff (130 staff gt500
  volunteers, pretty decent training program)

• Styling facilities 70 research vessel, 2
  historic tallships, 4 teaching labs, residential
  camp, Ocean in Motion van, adjacent to marine
  life refuge
• 60 different field courses/25 public programs

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Sea Floor Science

• NSF funded 3-year Informal Science Education
  project
• 12 site-wide exhibits and programs
• Targets middle school students/public
• Looking for convertibility solutions
• How to make exhibits and programs updateable
• Efficient and effective translation of current
  research

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The Outreach Connection
Informal Science Centers Education
programs Teacher training Distance
Learning Curriculum Planning Facilities Trained
Staff Attract funds
Education Community Needs Standards-based
quality science Teacher training
opportunities Modeling of instruction Access to
todays science Inspiration

Research Community Needs Need quality outreach
Need to focus on research Future
scientists money
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• Thinking about Quality Outreach
• A Primer for a Self-Test
• Score your project 1(low) to 5(high)
• 1. who cares test (project links to
  something learners need to or want to know)
• 2. flash-in-pan test (project has links to
  systemic change initiatives)
• 3. think test (challenges participants to go
  beyond content mastery inspire?)
• 4. over a million hitstest (proper match of
  outreach format to project deliberate
  balance quality of experience with quantity of
  participants)
• 5. Calif. budget test (commitment to efficient
  use of fundsvalue)

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The Outreach Process

• Researcher Process
• Project selection Attract/Seduce Researcher -
  Focus Session Outreach format selection -
  Submittal -Design/Development - Researcher Review
  Implementation Recognition - Evaluation
• Education Process
• Focus session standards based design
  internal peer review sections pilot staff
  training implementation evaluation -
  remediation