Volunteers as Learners and Leaders: Considerations for Meaningful Service Opportunities

Informal learning institutions (ILIs) create opportunities to increase public understanding of science and promote increased inclusion of groups underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers but are not equally distributed across the United States. We explore geographic gaps in the ILI landscape and identify three groups of underserved counties based on the interaction between population density and poverty percentage. Among ILIs, National Park Service lands, biological field stations, and marine laboratories occur in areas with the fewest sites for informal learning opportunities and have the greatest potential to reach underserved populations, particularly in rural or high poverty counties. Most counties that are underserved by ILIs occur in the Great Plains, the southeast, and the northwest. Furthermore, these counties have higher Indigenous populations who are underrepresented in STEM careers. These unexpected geographic gaps represent opportunities for investments in ILI offerings through collaborations and expansion of existing resources.

Dxwdəw refers to the Black-Green Rivers confluences that made the Duwamish River in Seattle, Washington, USA, prior to the 1910s. Significant industrial activity and human-made diversions to these rivers caused heavy pollution and eliminated 97% of historic wetlands, forever altering the historic river systems, salmon runs and human and aquatic health. Today the Green-Duwamish River and Duwamish Estuary are an industrial and commercial corridor, albeit also a site of cultural significance and fishing rights for urban Indigenous and Coast Salish tribes, and home and workplace to diverse urban populations of sustenance fishers, immigrants and refugees, communities of color, and low-income neighborhoods. Using a socio-ecological and environmental justice perspective within a nature-based solution, the Duwamish Floating Wetlands Project designed and piloted four constructed floating wetland structures for two years on the Duwamish River and researched their feasibility to provide habitat for out-migrating juvenile salmon. A multi-pronged community team (community leaders, liaisons, stewards and scientists) worked alongside academics and professionals. This paper showcases the formulation and adaptation of a two-year citizen/community science program integrated into the project. We outline the frameworks, approach, outcomes, and lessons-learned of the community science and outreach program, and compiled these in a list of guidelines to provide practitioner, researcher and community insight into the value and necessity of prioritizing environmental justice, racial equity, and ecosystem needs in nature-based solutions.

Introduction. Military higher education institutions (HEI) of technical profile feel necessity in scientific research to satisfy a row of interconnected needs of military education. In available resources, publications revealing questions of organizing scientific research for satisfying needs of military education in Ukraine and higher educational institutions of technical profile were not found.Purpose. To determine the place and role (including possible variants of usage) of scientific research in supplying the educational activities in military HEI.Methods. The method of analysis and synthesis and the method of expert evaluations are used.Results. While determining the place and role of scientific research in supplying the educational activities in military HEI:importance of scientific research in solving problems considering management of educational activities and teaching academic disciplines in military HEI was proved;place of scientific research in organization of educational process was determined;attention on the role of scientific research in actualization of educational content and development of lecturers and researchers was paid.In order to solve the problems in organization of scientific research for the interests of military HEI, a perspective model for organizing the scientific support of educational activities in military HEI has been developed. It defines: structural elements (subjects of scientific support, structural units in which they are administratively united, directorate of military HEI), their tasks and the way of interaction during the ordering, execution, acceptance of scientific researches and implementation of scientific results.Originality. A model for organizing the scientific support of educational activities in military HEI was first proposed.Conclusion. Up to now, guideline documents do not define a model of conducting research projects to meet needs of educational activities of military HEI of Armed Forces of Ukraine. Perspective of further research is creation of mechanism of conducting scientific research to supply functioning and development of system of military education in general and educational activities of HEI of technical profile in particular.

The article is devoted to the problem of global trends and directions of development in adult learning and education that are considered in UNESCO’s documents. It is noted that UNESCO, as a specialized agency of the United Nations, promotes international cooperation in education, science and culture, its priorities include the achievement of quality education for all and lifelong learning, as well as the creation of an inclusive knowledge-based society through information and communication.
 The author summarizes that UNESCO as a world international organization has a crucial significance in promoting and developing adult learning and education through adopting a number of documents, concepts and reports that define mainstream trends and development directions. The latest may be referred to the following: replacement the concept of Development of Adult Education with the Adult Learning and Education, widening by this way sphere of its implementation; defining three core learning domains in the field of ALE as: literacy and basic skills; continuing education and professional development; liberal and community education (active citizenship skills); confirming the paradigm of traditional distinction between three basic categories of learning activity: formal, non-formal and informal learning; noting, however, that there should be a distinction between purposeful informal learning and random informal learning.
 It is noted in the article that the efforts of numerous UNESCO organizations are focused on specific areas that need improvement, such as: giving everyone a fair chance at education so that everyone has equal access to adult education; a significant increase in participation in adult learning and education in order to achieve equal progress in adult education and learning in different countries, etc.
 Key words: the UNESCO, lifelong learning, adult education, adult learning and education, formal, non-formal and informal learning, equal participation

The purpose of this study is to identify the meaning of informal learning for adult learners in lifelong learning by reviewing discourses in pedagogy related to informal learning and introducing heuristic model for practical research on informal learning. To this end, after reviewing the main perspectives on the meaning of informal learning, which has been conventionally discussed in educational research, in detail, the trends in informal learning research in three areas primarily observed in lifelong learning (informal learning in the workplace, multicultural informal learning, and community informal learning) were examined. Adult learners’ informal learning occurs through interactions between society, culture, media, or members in the everyday learning environment based on sociocultural context to which they belong, such as society, community, and workplace. Based on this, a heuristic model of informal learning was introduced that takes into account the social conditions of learners that can produce continuous informal learning as well as individual learner aspect. In the end, as a comprehensive perspective to understand human learning in the further research, the research direction for informal learning research and the expectation for the analytical foundation of practical research to support adult learners' informal learning was suggested.

An introduction is presented in which the editors discuss articles in the issue on topics including lifelong learning, informal education and social media in education.

The purpose of this study is to identify the key determinants that predict adult learners' participation in informal learning based on different types. The analysis was conducted on a sample of 9,949 adult learners extracted from the 2022 Korean Adult Lifelong Learning Survey. The types of informal learning were categorized into (a) traditional method-dependent learning and (b) online media-based learning. For the analysis, we applied explainable machine learning (XML) techniques, including random forest and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) algorithms. The results showed that the top determinants predicting participation in traditional method-dependent learning for adult learners were perceived lifelong learning effectiveness, job-related goal orientation, learning orientation, lifelong learning accessibility, and age. In contrast, for online media-based learning, the top determinants predicting adult learners' participation were age, job-related goal orientation, learning orientation, perceived lifelong learning effectiveness, and educational level. Lastly, while the relationships between each predictor and participation in informal learning were generally positive, a deeper interpretation is required depending on the type and measurement method of each variable. These findings suggest that adult learners' participation in informal learning can be considered a reflection of their demographic factors, as well as their perceptions and expectations regarding lifelong learning. Based on these results, we discussed implications for promoting lifelong learning participation among adult learners.

All of life's experiences count at a biological field station

Biological field stations are distributed throughout North America, capturing much of the ecological variability present at the continental scale and encompassing many unique habitats. In addition to their role in supporting research and education, field stations offer legacies of data, specimens, and accumulated knowledge. Such legacies often provide the only framework for documenting and understanding the nature and pace of ecosystem, regional, and global changes in environmental conditions; ecological processes; and biodiversity. Because of these legacies and because they serve as gathering places for a rich diversity of highly creative and motivated scientists, students, and citizens, biological field stations are frequently where serendipitous scientific discoveries take place. The inclusion of biological field stations in environmental observatories and research networks ensures that these places will continue to foster future serendipitous scientific discoveries.

Bumble Bee Watch is a community science program where participants submit photos of bumble bees from across Canada and the United States for expert verification. The data can be used to help better understand bumble bee biology and aid in their conservation. Yet for community science programs like this to be successful and sustainable, it is important to understand the participant demographics, what motivates them, and the outcomes of their participation, as well as areas that are working well or could be improved. It is also important to understand who verifies the submissions, who uses the data and their views on the program. Of the surveyed users, most participate to contribute to scientific data collection (88%), because of a worry about bees and a desire to help save them (80%), to learn more about species in their property (63%) or region (56%), and because of a personal interest (59%). About 77% report increased awareness of species diversity, while 84% report improvement in their identification skills. We found that 81% had at least one college or university degree. There were more respondents from suburban and rural areas than urban areas, but area did not affect numbers of submissions. While half were between 45 and 64 years of age, age did not influence motivation or number of submissions. Respondents were happy with the program, particularly the website resources, the contribution to knowledge and conservation efforts, the educational values, and the ability to get identifications. Areas for improvement included app and website functionality, faster and more detailed feedback, localized resources, and more communication. Most respondents participate rarely and have submitted fewer than ten records, although about five percent are super users who participate often and submit more than fifty records. Suggested improvements to the program may increase this participation rate. Indeed, increased recruitment and retention of users in general is important, and advertising should promote the outcomes of participation. Fifteen experts responded to a separate survey and were favorable of the program although there were suggestions on how to improve the verification process and the quality of the submitted data. Suggested research questions that could be asked or answered from the data included filling knowledge gaps (species diversity, ranges, habitat, phenology, floral associations, etc.), supporting species status assessments, effecting policy and legislation, encouraging habitat restoration and management efforts, and guiding further research. However, only about half have used data from the project to date. Further promotion of Bumble Bee Watch and community science programs in general should occur amongst academia, conservationists, policy makers, and the general public. This would help to increase the number and scope of submissions, knowledge of these species, interest in conserving them, and the overall program impact.

Informal learning institutions--museums, libraries, news organizations, and others--figure prominently in the ecosystem of lifelong learning ( Gupta et al. 2020). These institutions work to inform their audiences about the rapidly emerging scientific consensus on various topics. Often this information invites action, such as avoiding single-use plastic, watering lawns and gardens at dawn or dusk to conserve water, or social distancing during a pandemic. What motivates people to act upon that information (or not)? One answer from social psychological theory is that people are motivated by a desire to protect and care for their family, friends, and perhaps society as a whole--i.e., moral motives. Knology often partners with informal learning institutions to provide theory-driven answers to such questions. With the Moral Motives Conference, we are taking this a step further by bringing together social science theorists and science communicators from informal learning institutions. The goal is to have them talk directly to each other about what questions matter most for science communication and what answers theoretical research might provide. The Moral Motives Conference has its origins in NSF-funded research by the PBS NewsHour/Knology Participatory Action Research Lab. It is part of the grant-funded research on how to support the decision-making of news users when reporting on the rapidly emerging scientific consensus about the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we used data collected through the NewsHour/Knology partnership to test for reliable relationships between reported compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations and judgements about protecting and/or promoting wellbeing at three social scales: me, those around me, and society as a whole. The results aligned with theoretical predictions and prompted us to ask whether moral motives -- social obligations, needs, and desires -- might be implicated more broadly in STEM learning, STEM-informed decision-making, and STEM-informed action. This conference is about exploring how moral motives move people from STEM information learning to STEM-informed action. Public health behavior is one sliver of STEM-informed action and the recommendations we examined represent only a narrow portion of that sliver. In this article, we present our preliminary findings to start a conversation. The range of conference participants should broaden the basis of that conversation, and help us get a sense of the motives (moral or non-moral) for STEM-informed action in a range of STEM topic areas.

Background: Within the conservation social sciences, the metaphor of pathologies offers a perspective for examining the factors that contribute to the success and failure of biodiversity conservation initiatives. This article explores lessons from community engagement and engagement design within citizen and community science projects and programs. The goal is to learn from these contexts so as to better understand the pathology of ineffective engagement within the broader field of conservation science and practice. Methods: Findings stem from semi-structured interviews with 16 project and program staff and coordinators representing 11 citizens and community science programs. Projects and programs were selected for their focus on biodiversity conservation. Staff and coordinators were recruited because they had direct experience working with volunteers. Interviews were thematically analyzed followed by Charmaz’s grounded theory approach. Results: Findings relate to two themes. The first theme explores staff and coordinators’ intentions and strategies to promote codesign and coproduction with the community. These efforts stem from a goal to ensure volunteers have a meaningful experience beyond tasks specific to data collection. The second theme links meaningful experiences to structural, particularly demographic, challenges related to volunteer recruitment and retention. Staff and coordinators report partnerships with postsecondary institutions as a desired strategy to overcome recruitment and retention issues. Discussion and Conclusion: Discussion of findings adds context from the scholarship on university–community partnerships. While acknowledging the many potential benefits of partnership, the article explores potential issues related to structural differences in power and possibly incongruent cultures of knowledge production.

Equity and inclusivity in STEM research has become a larger topic of discussion in recent years; however, researchers and scientists with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses are often missing from these conversations. Further, while field research is a major research component for some STEM disciplines, it is unclear what accessibility barriers or accommodations exist across the field sciences. Field research can sometimes involve harsh environments, topography, and weather that present challenges to those with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses. A large and coinciding obstacle standing in the way of field research accessibility is the ableism present across science and academia, resulting in and from a lack of prioritization of attention and funding from universities and institutions. Biological field stations have been shown to be valuable not only as infrastructure for field-based research, but also as providing resources toward the scientific education of students and scientific outreach initiatives for the general public. As such, biological field stations are perfectly positioned to reduce barriers in research inclusion and accessibility for students and scientists with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses. The current work presents the results of a survey meant to inventory the presence or absence of accessible infrastructure across field stations, with responses spanning six countries and 24 US states. Our results highlight a number of accessibility deficits in areas such as accessible entrances, kitchens, and bathrooms. Our results suggest that (1) biological field stations have significant variability in accessibility with significant deficits, especially in non-public-facing buildings used primarily by staff and researchers, and (2) field stations would benefit from an increase in federal funding opportunities to expedite their progress toward compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. We propose potential solutions to field work infrastructure spanning a range of financial costs, with emphasis on the point that efforts toward accessibility do not require an "all-or-nothing" approach, and that any step toward accessibility will make field stations more inclusive. Additionally, we further suggest that federal funding sources, such as the NSF and NIH, as well as university leadership, should consider broadening diversity initiatives to promote the continuation of, and increased accessibility of, university-affiliated field stations.

Informal learning institutions, such as museums, science centers, and community-based organizations, play a critical role in providing opportunities for students to engage in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities during out-of-school time hours. In recent years, thousands of studies, evaluations, and conference proceedings have been published measuring the impact that these programs have had on their participants. However, because studies of informal science education (ISE) programs vary considerably in how they are designed and in the quality of their designs, it is often quite difficult to assess their impact on participants. Knowing whether the outcomes reported by these studies are supported with sufficient evidence is important not only for maximizing participant impact, but also because there are considerable economic and human resources invested to support informal learning initiatives. To address this problem, I used the theories of impact analysis and triangulation as a framework for developing user-friendly rubrics for assessing quality of research designs and evidence of impact. I used two main sources, research-based recommendations from STEM governing bodies and feedback from a focus group, to identify criteria indicative of high-quality STEM research and study design. Accordingly, I developed three STEM Research Design Rubrics, one for quantitative studies, one for qualitative studies, and another for mixed methods studies, that can be used by ISE researchers, practitioners, and evaluators to assess research design quality. Likewise, I developed three STEM Impact Rubrics, one for quantitative studies, one for qualitative studies, and another for mixed methods studies, that can be used by ISE researchers, practitioners, and evaluators to assess evidence of outcomes. The rubrics developed in this study are practical tools that can be used by ISE researchers, practitioners, and evaluators to improve the field of informal science learning by increasing the quality of study design and for discerning whether studies or program evaluations are providing sufficient evidence of impact.

In this chapter, I explore the role of university outreach and community science programs in the lives of diverse urban youth. Grounded in sociocultural theory, I take for granted that scientific literacy development entails an understanding of the range, or repertoires, of cultural practices the youth engage in, including such settings besides family and school. While most studies report on the product of participation in such practices, I focus on the process of learning and articulate the relationship among forms of participation and identities in science in such practices that are part of youth’s scientific literacy development.