Evaluation – The Lawrence Hall of Science

Working Towards Equitable Organizations in Environmental Education

juliethierman — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 01:15:50 +0000

Working Towards Equitable Organizations Workshop Series is a collaboration between the Lawrence Hall of Science and an organization called Youth Outside, which aims to support California-based residential outdoor science organizations as they strive to build capacity to foster equitable, inclusive, and culturally relevant work environments and organizations for educators of color. Researchers at the Lawrence serve as evaluation partners to examine the design, development, and implementation of the pilot professional learning model. Through this work we conducted a study to examine how outdoor science programs operationalize equity, inclusion, and diversity in the work environment, so as to identify which tools and strategies might better support organizational change. This work has led to a practitioners brief and has been presented at various conferences, including the American Evaluation Association Annual Meeting, the Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment 5th Annual Conference, and the North American Association for Environmental Education and the Children and Nature Network International Conference.

Examining Equitable and Inclusive Work Environments in Environmental Education (PDF, 3.9MB)

Positioning Youth for Success in Science: Studying the Malleability and Impact of Computational Thinking for Science

juliethierman — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 15:58:25 +0000

Researchers and curriculum designers at the Lawrence have been engaged in a three-year project (NSF STEM+C #1838992) that investigates computational thinking as both an input into and an outcome of science learning. After synthesizing a variety of frameworks and definitions of computational thinking (CT) to define the aspects of CT that best position youth specifically for learning science, we are testing whether this new construct, called computational thinking for science (CT-S), prepares youth from diverse backgrounds for achieving success with their science learning in technology-rich classrooms. We are specifically investigating whether CT-S is valuable above and beyond two of the previously identified dimensions of Science Learning Activation: fascination and scientific sensemaking, each of which has been shown to enable success in science learning during the middle school years. We are also investigating the relationship between CT-S and the development of STEM career preferences. The study is situated within classrooms that use the Amplify Science Middle School curriculum, also developed by the Learning Design Group. The project includes measurement development, validity testing, and a one-semester-long study to explore variation in CT-S and the extent to which CT-S is predictive of science learning and engagement. To read more about our development process and the items on the measure, please download our technical report.

Technical Report: Measuring Computational Thinking For Science (CT-S) PDF

Computational Thinking for Science Framework PDF

FIRST

juliethierman — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 19:59:11 +0000

For Inspiration and Recognition of Science & Technology (FIRST^® ) is a national and international nonprofit organization that seeks to support learning and positive attitudes toward Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects, as well as to enhance 21st-century skills such as teamwork, cooperation, and critical thinking. To achieve these goals, FIRST offers five engineering and technology programs for youth, ranging from pre-K through grade 12: FIRST^® LEGO^® League Discover (grades pre-K – 1), FIRST^® LEGO^® League Explore (grades 2-4), FIRST^® LEGO^® League Challenge (grades 4-8), FIRST^® Technology Challenge (grades 7-12), and FIRST^® Robotics Competition (grades 9-12).

The Lawrence has served as an evaluation partner to FIRST since 2012. Through this partnership, we have examined the implementation and outcomes of numerous FIRST programs and initiatives. Most recently, we completed a three-year study of the FIRST LEGO League Jr. Season Pass Model—an effort to broaden participation in its programs by reducing registration costs for larger, primarily school-based sites. The evaluation examined the implementation and outcomes of the Class Pack Model of implementation at school- and community organization-based sites across the United States.

Evaluation of the FIRST^® LEGO^® League Explore and FIRST^® LEGO^® League Challenge Class Pack Model

Photo courtesy of NASA

Activation Lab

juliethierman — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 20:50:34 +0000

The Learning Activation Lab is a national research and design effort to dramatically strengthen learning in the United States and beyond. Our goal is to first explore and then demonstrate how educators can activate children’s and young adults’ interest and curious minds in ways that can ignite their persistent engagement in learning and innovation. Our work spans multiple disciplines and considers the combinations of dispositions, skills, and knowledge that can best position individuals for success in learning within those disciplines.

The Lawrence continues to build on the research of the Learning Activation Lab, examining the ways in which learning experiences can activate interest and curiosity among youth. Further, that lab has created a web-based toolkit, called ActApp to support organizations, researchers, and evaluators in using Activation as a way to measure programmatic outcomes and to understand the experience of their learners.

East Bay Academy for Young Scientists

juliethierman — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 19:34:28 +0000

Based at the Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley, the East Bay Academy for Young Scientists (EBAYS) serves youth from local East Bay communities where schools are under-resourced and have a large proportion of students of color. EBAYS engages youth in innovative, hands-on science research investigations that examine problems of soil, water, and air quality within their communities. It then develops new knowledge through innovative research that can be widely used in community struggles for environmental and social justice. Since 2013, for example, the Research Group has led various research and evaluation studies to examine the implementation and impact of the EBAYS program, which most recently was presented at the American Education Research Association 2019 Annual Meeting, announcing programs such as:

Clean Energy Literacy and Leadership- Engaging Youth in and After School, (PDF, 143KB )

Fostering Environmental Activism Through Community Based Research Investigations (PDF, 123KB )

Recently, with funding from the National Science Foundation (Award #1720585), the Research Group led a four-year study, “Schoolyard Scientists: An Investigation of Impacts Associated with Urban Youth Engagement in Participatory Scientific Research Activities.” In the study, the Research Group worked in close partnership with local students, teachers, school districts, and EBAYS itself to develop, implement, and examine participatory science-learning experiences for youth living in urban communities around the San Francisco Bay Area, particularly the East Bay. The study examined the impact of participatory science research (PSR) activities on youths’ interests in and identification with STEM, and further explored how such experiences support student learning.