Share Paper: Capitalizing on Informal Learning Opportunities to Enhance Formal Learning in Classroom Environments
Friday, March 30 10:45 AM-11:15 AM Edison A
Abstract: Three middle school sites are compared to assess the measured impact of informal space science education activities on science content knowledge, enthusiasm for an event such as a total solar eclipse, and longer-term dispositions toward space science and a solar eclipse. The space science camp intervention of the treatment group resulted in the greatest overall gains, pre to post, and preserved most of these gains three months later in a follow up assessment. However, analysis of comparison data produced context-enriching findings as well, including that school-based preparation of middle school students for an event such as a solar eclipse, by ...