Abstract
The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology has developed a learning concept for school classes in science centres named “learning trails”. In this concept, groups of students perform a series of thematically related experiments with installations in the science centre. The learning trails are designed to support the generic learning outcomes for science centre visits. We argue that the previously developed Engagement Profile can be used to translate exhibit properties into both media forms and generic learning outcomes for such learning concepts. Further, we implemented the learning trails in two modes: one mode used paper-based content to guide the students, while the other mode supported the use of tablet PCs where engaging content is triggered when the students approach the location of an experiment in the learning trail. We studied the engagement factors of the learning trails and observed how school classes use these. In a study with 113 students from lower secondary school (age 16), they answered short questionnaires that were integrated into the implementation of the learning trails. While the concept of the learning trails was evaluated positively, we could not find significant differences in how engaging the two implemented modes were.
Highlights
Science centres are informal learning environments [1] that offer exhibits supporting free-choice learning, as well as specific programmes for organised school class visits
We focus on school classes visiting science centres as the main target group for our work
The installations in the learning trails received different ratings. This result can be used by the science centre to evaluate which of the experiments are liked better than other experiments
Summary
Science centres are informal learning environments [1] that offer exhibits supporting free-choice learning, as well as specific programmes for organised school class visits. The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology (NTM) introduced the concept of learning trails around science centre installations grouped thematically. The learning trails combine physics experiments with technology history from the exhibitions in the science centre. The motivation for this is to foster learning from using these installations and to create dialogues and narratives [3] that explain science phenomena. The activities of the learning trails are designed for groups of up to four students at a time
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