Engaging Visitors in Nanotechnology & Society

www.nisenet.org

Day 2 Agenda (up to the break)

“Questions” improv exercise

Intro to team-based inquiry

Tools for reflecting on visitor interactions

Practice observing and collecting data

“Flying Cars” activity

Big idea 3: Technologies work because they’re part of systems

“Light Switch” discussion

“Speed Bump” video

Practice “Flying Cars”

Improv Exercise

Questions

What skills are we practicing in this activity?

4

Scientific Inquiry

5

Professional Inquiry

Team-Based Inquiry

Team-based inquiry allows us to gather and use the information we need, when we need it, in order to improve our educational products and practices.

“Horton Hears a Who”

Data collection•Observations of participants•Surveys with caregivers and parents•Debrief with program developers

Lessons learned•Program works best for ages 3-5•Prompt participation during the story

Does the program engage young children? How could it be improved?

NanoDays 2012 Posters

Data collection•Interviews with 30 visitors at three museums•Informal observations by team•Debrief with educators

Lessons learned•Visitors liked the graphics and suggested improvements•Educators felt graphics attracted attention and defined space

Are educational posters worth including in the NanoDays 2012 kit?

Nano and Society TBI

1. What strategies support engagement and learning?

1. What strategies support engagement and learning?

2. Use the conversation log to document interactions.

2. Use the conversation log to document interactions.

3. Review the logs with others and identify patterns.

3. Review the logs with others and identify patterns.

4. Identify successful strategies and develop new techniques.

4. Identify successful strategies and develop new techniques.

Conversations

Conversation Log

Data Reflection Resources

Practice TBI

Exploring Nano & Society—You Decide

Nano & Society Big Ideas

1. Values shape technologies.2. Technologies affect social relationships.3. Technologies work because they’re part of systems.

Systems

Technologies work because they’re part of larger systems.

Systems

Technologies work because they’re part of larger systems.

Conversations about Systems

Exploring Nano & Society—Flying Cars

Day 2 Agenda (after the break)

“Alien Scientist” improv exercise

“Decisions in Innovation Systems” discussion

“Tippy Table” activity

“Decisions in Personal Lives” video

Improv Exercise

Alien Scientist

What skills are we practicing in this activity?

Nano & Society Big Ideas

1. Values shape technologies.2. Technologies affect social relationships.3. Technologies work because they’re part of systems.

Decisions in Innovation Systems

Decisions in Personal Lives

Conversations about Decisions

Exploring Nano & Society—Tippy Table

This presentation is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Award Nos. 0940143 and 0937591.Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this presentation are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.