ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions. ***************************************************************************** The recent discussions of evolution and learning have brought to mind Jeremy Roschelle's excellent article "Learning in Interactive Environments: Prior Knowledge and New Experience." Thinking some of you might be interested, we recently re-posted it on the ASTC web site, at http://www.astc.org/resource/education/priorknw.htm As Roschelle writes: "Educators often focus on the ideas that they want their audience to have. But research has shown that a learner's prior knowledge often confounds an educator's best efforts to deliver ideas accurately." He advises: "Be wary of viewing prior knowledge as an enemy fortress that is wrong, alternative, or theoretical in character, and instead see prior knowledge as a disorganized collection of building blocks." In my experience, integrating that perspective into development of exhibitions is an ongoing challenge. ___________________________ Wendy Pollock Director Research, Publications, and Exhibitions Association of Science-Technology Centers 1025 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20005 202/783-7200 x 114 202/783-7207 (fax) [log in to unmask] www.astc.org *********************************************************************** More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org. To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the message SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to [log in to unmask]