ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Ian-

    Good thoughts and a great line:  "Give people facts and you feed their
minds for an hour. Awaken curiosity and they feed their own minds for a
lifetime."

    That should appear above the door of museums worldwide.

                                Ed


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ian Russell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2003 4:11 AM
Subject: Re: Inspiring behavior change for the environment


> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
>
****************************************************************************
*
>
> I think this is a particularly interesting kind of question because it is
> so seldom asked. I am convinced that "inspiring behaviour change" is
> exactly the kind of way that informal science centre experiences balance
> formal classroom learning. It is part of the whole neglected package of
> "affective learning" (beliefs, values, attitudes, interest,
self-confidence
> etc), yet seldom evaluated because measuring "cognitive learning"
> (knowledge and understanding) is so much easier and relates more directly
> to classroom values.
>
> Over the years I have seen many projects - whose real ultimate objective
is
> to influence people's ATTITUDES - unthinkingly assume that the only way to
> achieve this is to improve their KNOWLEDGE.
>
> It would be great to persuade people to boycott purchases of dried sharks'
> jaws in tourist shops, or shark's-fin soup in restaurants, but there may
be
> problems persuading said shops and restaurants to help with evaluation
> studies...
>
> Maybe a more healthily positive approach would be to promote a specific
> event, or book, or TV series. Meanwhile, you could monitor attendance,
> sales or viewing statistics.
>
> Changing the public's popular-lecture-attendance, or book-buying or
> documentary-TV-viewing behaviour, for example, seem to me pretty useful,
> measurable kinds of science education.
>
> I once wrote:
> "Give people facts and you feed their minds for an hour. Awaken curiosity
> and they feed their own minds for a lifetime."
>
>
> [log in to unmask] * http://www.interactives.co.uk
> *
> People forget what you said, people forget what you did,
> but people will never forget how you made them feel.
> *
> Ian Russell
>
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