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Sampling experience in science learning outside the classroom

Learning is a lifelong process. A process that equips you with the knowledge, values, skills, and competencies to address present and future societal challenges. This process, however, can be directed by many external influences – social, economic, locality, and mood. How then do we begin to assess what drives young learners' engagement in learning activities, thoughts, and feelings during the day to day activities and during science learning workshops?

Within SySTEM 2020 the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) has been used to assess the impact of time, mood, and social environments on STEAM learning (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths). This method is comprised of a sequence of questionnaires, capturing a participants’ momentary experience.

WHY WAS IT MADE

As a series of short surveys, the ESM provides a good way into the insights of the way young learners feel about science at a specific moment in time, getting a sense of positive science attitudes. In the context of the SySTEM 2020 project, it was used to investigate the non-formal learning experience of workshop participants as well as dynamics in their learning experience and mood dependencies.

WHO IS IT FOR

The guide in hand can be used by researchers as well as workshop facilitators who want to get an insight into the way a group of students experience science learning in a non-formal and informal context over a long period of time.

SUGGESTED SCENARIO

The ESM works best if you work with a group of students who are involved in a series of science activities over a long period of time e.g. a school class or workshop participants.

FACILITATOR TIPS

A couple of tips to get you going:

  • Make sure participants understand why they should answer the surveys and that they are aware of the timeframe.
  • Make sure that all participants have access to some kind of device e.g. mobile phone or diary.
  • Think about methods to motivate them to answer all questionnaires.
  • Many more tips and guidelines in our ESM how-to guide.

You can access the full how-to guide by visiting the SySTEM 2020 website.

Tags

  • Science learning
  • STEAM
  • learning
  • education

Project

SySTEM 2020

The SySTEM 2020 Project, coordinated by Science Gallery Dublin, aims to tackle scientific literacy and STEM education of children and teenagers, in order to support our future citizens in this world of fast-evolving science and technology. SySTEM 2020 will focus on science learning outside the classroom, mapping the field across Europe, evaluating a number of transdisciplinary programmes to design best principles for educators in this field, and also examining individual learning ecologies by piloting self-evaluation tools for learners which will document science learning outside of the classroom.