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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Thanks to all who replied to my post re museum visitors as
experimental subjects.
The research programs I’m interested to know about are not those about
visitor learning in museums, nor about how visitors experience certain
exhibitions or exhibits. I’m curious to know which museums or
centers, worldwide, invite scientists to the museum to carry out
real, peer-reviewed scientific research (on for example cognition,
memory, perception, genetics, or any other topic whose experimental
design requires human subjects and is non-invasive (with the exception
of saliva swabs or spiting)). Sara Poirier’s post on what the Ontario
Science Centre is doing sounds most similar to NEMO’s Science
Liveprogram.
I didn’t realize that rules in the States are so strict regarding
human subjects. We are in this sense lucky, for in the Netherlands we
don’t have to go through government agencies, as long as the research
conducted in the museum has been approved by the university’s ethical
committee… And of course, consent forms have to be filled and signed.
We offer this program to whole families (kids from age 8 upwards) and
it is so rewarding to see families participate together, discussing
the experiment, results etc! We have run three research studies with
scientists up till now: on the genetic basis of intelligence; how
music affects the perception of emotion; how facial expressions
influence age estimation and personality perception.
We have organized a session at the Ecsite Annual Conference in May
2011 to encourage the science center community to implement live
research programs. They are relatively easy to implement, cost little
and have a great pay-off. National NSF-type organizations are willing
to open their wallet. Scientists whose research is predominantly
based on 20+ year old students are enthusiastic because of the age
range and socioeconomic background range found in our museums and the
sheer amount of subjects at their disposal. Visitors feel empowered by
the idea that they can actively contribute towards scientific
knowledge. And we as science center feel we are fulfilling an
important mission: our museums not only as a place where science is
show-cased, but a place where science is generated and where the
scientific process becomes alive. A place that provides the public at
large insights into the kind of questions scientists are grappling
with and the methods they use to answer them. And last, but not least,
a place where scientist and public interact.
I would like to be able to mention in my Ecsite session which other
science centers/museums offer such live research programs…
Thanks,
Diana
==
Dr. Diana Issidorides | science center NEMO | Exhibitions & Programs |
Senior Scientist & Senior Exhibition Developer | tel: +31 (0)20 5313
201 | fax: +31 (0)20 5313 535 [log in to unmask] | www.e-nemo.nl |
Postal address: Postbus 421, 1000 AK Amsterdam, Netherlands | Visiting
address: Oosterdok 2, 1011 VX Amsterdam, Netherlands
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