Chapter 9 discusses how the informal learning setting can grow past beyond just the environment itself. Some of the ways for this include using media or the internet. This is a great idea such that the mobile industry is growing exponentially and carrying an extension of the informal setting allows for an extended learning experience. Although, I  believe that the informal setting can be considered any setting that does not involve sitting down and hearing a lecture or reading text. In essence, the informal setting can be as simple as a park, where a person can observe the interactions between animals or plants.

Some people are against the idea that people learn effectively through the internet. Although information may be readily available to us, it does not mean that we are not learning. In fact, we may be exposed to more topics of interest than if we did not have the internet. In my experience, I have looked up numerous topics just out of curiosity and a need to learn more. Extending the informal setting to more than just exhibits is beneficial for the future of learning.

While reading the chapter on integration of formal and informal science education, I kept thinking about a news segment I watched over the weekend – US children were ranked twenty first in the world in science knowledge. The reporters were alarmed by the fact that countries like Slovakia and Lithuania were ahead. They invited experts to discuss the reasons for the situation, as well as what needs to be done to improve that ranking. The main theme was that, in US, parents and schools are happy with mediocrity and children are not pushed hard enough to learn more, as opposed to Asian countries, where children every day go to another school for more studies after their regular school classes are over. This raised doubts in my head about the usefulness of such rankings. I have read that, in the modern world, it is not so much important to retain the vast amount of knowledge (because we can quickly lookup what we had forgotten on a device as handy as a cell phone) but the ability to use that knowledge to solve problems. The informal science education can play a very important role in developing this ability, as well as in developing an inquisitive mindset, which is also crucial in our time when new discoveries challenge the scientific beliefs of yesterday almost daily and you cannot go far on what you have learned years ago. The reporters said that, if Massachusetts were ranked as a country, if would have been sixth, so they suggested to take a look at what is done differently about science education there. Reading this chapter, I kept thinking that the difference could be an efficient integration of informal science education and the traditional one.

I was glad to realize that, all over the country, there are people who constantly think of new ways to enhance the informal science education using the latest technology, making it as widely available as possible. I think, one of the reasons US children fall behind in science is that there is too much ranking based exclusively on testing in our schools, and if students do not perform well (could be because they just did not study or were not interested enough in the subject), they are viewed as not smart enough for serious science education and are not even given much chances to take serious science courses. It is like the children have to prove their right for a good science education instead of just having that right. All that is left for them would be the informal science education, but not all states are lucky enough to have such programs as were described in this chapter. On the other hand, I was surprised to read about ways to improve the effectiveness of field trips. All those areas look pretty common sense to me and it is strange that they are not really addressed by the majority of teachers who plan the field trips. It was interesting to read that teachers can also use the informal science education for their professional development. Of course, it makes sense, I just never thought about it. I believe, the effective integrated use of informal science education for both students and teachers, and not the increased rigor of formal studies, is the way to improve US children’s science ranking.

Chapter 9 of Surrounded by Science focuses on integrating all learning experiences: formal and informal. It recognizes that most scientific information is exchanged over the internet, and that in order to be effective, informal science environments need to use new technological platforms to spread their wealth of knowledge.

I think this is a good direction to take. Most of the information I accumulate comes from sources I find on the internet, more so than through printed media such as textbooks and journals. Some reasons for this are the ease of sharing and disseminating information, and the speed at which this sharing can occur. At any given moment I can access reference tables for topics in math, chemistry and physics, or look up an important concept or idea. Despite its notoriety, Wikipedia has become a prime source for learning how different ideas are connected. It really is a web (in the ‘WWW’ sense) that can find a connection between any one or anything. In recent months, YouTube has also become a place of learning, with great contributors like Veritasium and minutePhysics providing knowledge in a high quality and entertaining fashion; it has really become the epitome of the informal learning scene. Museums and other informal learning spaces may benefit from this online exposure, and many have taken to social media to expand their outreach, through sites like Twitter and Facebook.

One issue between informal learning and formal learning is that a lot of the time they do not correspond. Because informal learning is personally driven, there is nobody to set a curriculum, and there is less structure to the learning. Rather, the informal science learner takes his or her time to get to know and become intimate with the scientific knowledge, very much in contrast to a formal environment where information is being hurled at the speed of sound. This may often create problems in integrating formal and informal learning. What can be done to maximize the productivity of school visits to informal science places? One suggestion given in the book is to prepare in advance for museum visits. Ironically, reducing the novelty of the experience results in increased effectiveness of the trip. I can relate to this as well. For some strange reason, I always appreciate things more when I have a deeper understanding of them. For example, Carmina Burana really grew on me after I spent a semester learning to sing it in chorus. Likewise, many physical concepts made more sense and resonated with me only after I took an advanced calculus-based course to understand them. In the same vein, informal science learning is optimized not in lieu of formal science learning, but because of it. That is the key message brought out in Chapter 9.

The chapter mentioned that while informal learning programs and organizations focus on “interest, emotion, motivation, and engagement” (Surrounded by Science, 166) while schools tend to place a greater emphasis on imparting knowledge. But part of imparting knowledge should involve interest and emotion and engagement and motivation.  Informal learning settings’ ability to teach and share knowledge with its visitors and participants without the formal classroom structure,  the administration of tests, or the pressure of obligated learning and remembering, is effective, I dare say more effective, than formal classroom learning. If schools and teachers incorporated interest and emotion into their instruction, I can’t see how students wouldn’t be more motivated and more likely to engage in and feel engaged by what their learning. Retention of knowledge would probably be improved, too. If learning in the classroom were as interesting and engaging as visiting a museum or other informal science learning space and participating in a hands-on activity, people would probably remember what they learned in school the same way they remembered something they learned on a school field trip, something according to Surrounded by Science, even adults could recall years after their field trip.

“The Mystery of the X-Fish” section mentioned that “perhaps the biggest bonus of the experience comes from observing the kids and how well they work together” (Surrounded by Science, 172). It’s great that kids learn to collaborate on projects and learning, and to work with each other at a young age. It’s important in all areas of study and life in general, but it is especially an important quality and skill to cultivate in future scientists. We discussed the reluctance of scientists to share information and communicate with each other about their work and findings (whether that reluctance is born from worry that the other scientists might try to take credit for and publish the former’s findings first or from lack of precedence of welcome and open communication), so imparting the importance of and encouraging communication and collaboration in youth is especially important for the scientific field if we are to make great discoveries and celebrate and benefit from them together.

Chapter 9 wrapped up what we have been talking about all semester: combining informal science learning with formal science learning.

In one of my first reflections, I remember including that informal science learning was simply insufficient towards having a firm grasp of scientific concepts. Nearly all of the knowledge of science that I have today is a result of formal science learning. That being said, formal science learning just doesn’t get the job done sometimes. The knowledge gained from formal science learning is not always practical. I personally learn more interesting material when I watch a TED talk or something of that nature. The chapter discusses some of the struggles between linking formal science learning to informal science learning. It talks about how the kind of learning that is done in informal settings such as museums, parks, and zoos is very different from the kind of learning that is done in formal settings such as a classroom or library. I think perhaps the biggest challenge to linking formal science to informal science is the rigid curriculum schools have to follow. I’m sure schoolteachers would love to teach in a more informal manner that their students would enjoy and have more interesting course material but strict and rigid guidelines to not allow for such freedom. Furthermore, the book speaks about how informal science learning is free-choice and I think this is a very important aspect as well. When you choose to walk up to something that you want to learn and make a decision to learn independently, this is when the material is retained best. However, when you are forced to learn something in school, even if it is interesting and of value, you will not retain it as well because you did not freely choose to learn this topic.

This chapter begins by discussing the in role of the media in informal learning and the ways in which exhibits are involving to meet these changing times and keep up with the technological advances in society. Many exhibits spark interest that can lead to a child seeking more information through the media as presented by the example in the beginning of the chapter. This correlates to the trend we noticed in our classes when conducting the interviews. Many of us noted that many of our interviewees learn science through the use of the internet, social media, and technological devices. For this reason, museum exhibits are evolving to keep up with these changes. Some museum exhibits have allowed people to text a number to find more information about the exhibit. Other museums, such as the Smithsonian, are using Facebook and Twitter as ways of engaging the public and getting people interested in museum exhibits. Furthermore, blogging has become a very common thing, and many museums now have blogs that relay information about the exhibits as well.

The chapter also mentions the link between informal learning and formal learning. This link is very important to be established and the way most schools establish this link is through field trips. Many times field trips end after Elementary/Middle school, however, at the high school I attended, there was a special program known as Talented and Gifted which took 15 students on two field trips a year. These field trips included visiting art museums, historical sites, game shows, etc. In addition, before each field trip we were required to write about what we hoped to learn from the trip and what we hoped to get out of it. After the the trip, we had an assignment that asked us to reflect on what we had learned and what were some of the things we found interesting. According to the article, the more engaged the teachers are during the trip, the more likely the students are to learn. I believe this is true in early childhood, however from my experience in high school, our chaperones (teachers), let us wander the museum/place to our liking and for that reason I believe we learned more. With teacher engagement it would feel like a classroom setting and forced learning which would only discourage us. When given the freedom to do as we pleased, I believe many of us gained more from the experience.

Malka Niknamfard

Prof. Adams

In my opinion, Surrounded by Science’s chapter 9 seemed to summarize and epitomize what we have sought to explain this past semester in our Macaulay Seminar. Although we spent most of the semester discussing how informal science learning is perhaps one of the most beneficial ways in which to ignite interest in science, we extrapolated on that idea and discussed how informal science learning is crucial because not only does it spark interest, but it is the driving force that sustains interest from childhood to adulthood.

I thought back to the first assignment we worked on this past semester, which was to interview people of different ages and to see how informal science is present in their lives, even if they may at times not realize it. When conducting my interviews, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that not only was informal science learning still involved in the lives of the adults that I interviewed, but also that the adults chose their career fields based on interests that had been brought about through an informal learning opportunity that prompted them to pick their future careers. This truly taught me that the interests that people have when they are young have direct impacts on their career and future lifestyles.

Because informal science learning is crucial to the sustenance of interest in science, the establishment of informal science institutions has become a leading source of science education. Through its use of interactivity and hands-on learning, informal science learning that occurs in museums, zoos, aquariums, and science centers has been directly responsible for instilling not only an interest in, but also a true love for science that simply could not be brought about in formal academic settings. Informal science opportunities are crucial in today’s society because they are responsible for igniting interest in scientific topics that most people would otherwise be exposed to via memorization and the study of mere facts that have no application to a person’s daily life. Formal science learning cannot engage individuals by forcing them to memorize facts and simply does not cater to an individual’s interests, and does not sustain a future interest in science in the same way that informal science learning does.

In this chapter, the merging of informal and formal learning is discussed, as well as the continuation of informal learning in learners’ lives.

In the beginning of the chapter, the use of cell phones as up and coming museum tools is a realistic suggestion for the new digital age.  With many people having smartphones, apps could be a useful way of offering a personalized informal learning experience using the technology.  For example, if one were to go to the Museum of Natural History’s exhibit about poisons, and had already been to the biology hall, in which they had seen some of the animals (or their relatives) relevant to the poison exhibit, they could use the app to connect their former learning experiences at the museum to their new ones, reinforcing their older knowledge while connecting it to their newer knowledge.

Also important in the chapter is the discussion of informal environments’ connection with formal institutions.  How does one connect the informal science learning with the science taught in school?  First, the book mentions field trips, which are usually planned by the teachers and help reinforce or introduce classroom ideas.  Second, the book talks about various out-of-school-time programs, which sometimes have similar goals as field trips, but other times are unrelated to the classroom experience at all.  The book mentions three common levels out-of-school-time programs have with schools:

(1) “In some cases, the out-of-school curriculum is closely connected to the school curriculum.  In such programs, the program coordinators and staff know on a week – by – week basis of the materials teachers are covering in class…” (pp. 176) – This program can be a good for reinforcing the student’s knowledge, and possibly making them interested in the knowledge if they were not before.  However, some argue it does not introduce the children to a wide enough range of topics.

(2) “In other cases, the out-of-school science programs connect their activities to the general school science curriculum and standards but not to what students are learning in class on a daily or weekly basis ” (pp. 177) – This type of program works well to reinforce knowledge children are learning in school, while possibly introducing them to new knowledge.  It is also a positive because if the program is based off general curricula, then it can take in kids from different schools, providing the children with new insights from new peers.

(3)”…in some programs, out-of-school science is entirely disconnected from school science” (pp. 177) – This program is not always good for reinforcing school learnt ideas, but is good for general informal learning.