Bridging the Gap Between Ocean Science

and Education: Creating Effective Partnerships through

Informal Educational Institutions

S.D. Oceans Conference 2003

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; >500 volunteers, pretty decent training program)

•Styling facilities: 70’ research Styling facilities: 70’ research vessel, 2 historic tallships, 4 vessel, 2 historic tallships, 4 teaching labs, residential camp, teaching labs, residential camp, Ocean in Motion van, adjacent to Ocean in Motion van, adjacent to marine life refugemarine life refuge•60 different field courses/~25 60 different field courses/~25 publicpublic programsprograms

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

The Outreach Connection

Research Community Needs

Need quality outreach

Need to focus on research

Future scientists

money

Education Community Needs

Standards-based quality scienceTeacher training opportunities

Modeling of instruction Access to today’s science

Inspiration

Informal Science Centers

Education programsTeacher training

Distance LearningCurriculum Planning

FacilitiesTrained StaffAttract funds

Thinking about Quality Outreach

A Primer for a Self-TestScore 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 hits”test (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 funds;value)

The Outreach Process

Researcher ProcessProject selection – Attract/Seduce Researcher - Focus Session – Outreach format selection - Submittal -Design/Development - Researcher Review – Implementation – Recognition - Evaluation

Education ProcessFocus session – standard’s based design – internal peer review – sections pilot – staff training – implementation – evaluation - remediation