The educational efforts of science centres, museums, zoos and aquaria are often challenged by the fuzziness and complexity of the notion of sustainability. This means that educational initiatives may be governed as much by serendipity and local opportunities as a strong alignment between institutional characteristics and sustainability objectives. This session will critically discuss and attempt to operationalise sustainability in ways that are meaningful to the specific educational missions of science centres, museums, zoos and aquaria.
Facilitator
Associate professor
Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Denmark
Session speakers
Associate professor
Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Denmark
Marianne will give a brief research-based provocation - an analysis of the challenges of sustainability education for science centres, museums, zoos, and aquaria - and discuss a framework to help identify the specific opportunities these institutions have to offer effective and engaging sustainability education.
Head of Education
Leiden
Netherlands
Yuri will react to the provocation from a professional perspective, discussing and critiqueing the proposed framework from the perspective of object-based education in Naturalis. He will offer his views on the implications of the framework for practice.
Education Officer
Klimahaus Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven
Germany
Henrike will react to the provocation from a professional perspective, discussing and critiqueing the proposed framework from the perspective of interactive and gaming-based education in Klimahaus Bremerhaven. She will offer her views on the implications of the framework for practice.
Professor of science and environmental education
London
United Kingdom
Justin will draw on insights from research and practice in science education, science communication, environmental education and sustainability to draw out critical points from the presented perspectives. He will engage the participants in discussions about the strengths and weaknesses of the presented framework, and its practical applicability in real contexts.