The O?THO exhibit, situated within the LivingLab at Copernicus Science Centre (CSC) in Warsaw, Poland, introduces visitors to the Cartesian principles of representing numerical data as points in a two-dimensional space--the coordinate system. This interactive tabletop digital exhibit takes the form of a collaborative two-player game where…

Historians sometimes view teaching and community engagement as peripheral to research. Self-reflection on the design of assignments, pedagogy techniques, and students' work aids teachers as they refine their teaching, and it can also inform research questions and methods. Teaching, research, and community engagement do not have to be separate…

The purpose of this article is to share highlights of a professional development workshop aimed at helping museum educators build capacity for difficult dialogues on race with adults. Public pedagogy affords museum educators a unique role in adult education as they facilitate adult learning on social justice issues. But in sharing with adults…

"Making" has been used to describe an internally motivated iterative design process that embodies notions of playful building and tinkering. Recently, interest in applying making to PK-12 education has increased. As schools add facilities dedicated to making, there is a need to support teachers in effectively utilizing these makerspaces.…

This emerging technology report describes the Experience API (xAPI), a new e-learning specification designed to support the learning community in standardizing and collecting both formal and informal distributed learning activities. Informed by Activity Theory, a framework aligned with constructivism, data is collected in the form of activity…

There has been an effort to make the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting "member-friendly," so that more ALA members will attend. Held January 7-11 in beautiful San Diego, the conference program is loaded with interesting events that look suspiciously like entertainment, plus learning opportunities, and the usual parties and…

This paper firstly introduces the concept of constructivist learning which advocates that students actively construct knowledge themselves with teachers' assistance. Based on the six important elements of constructivist learning and teaching planning approach, detailed examples of designing the six constructivist elements of situation, groupings,…

Welcome to Port Discovery's "Tiny's Diner" where children can be seen doing the chicken dance or putting pickles on their heads. What do these activities have to do with promoting nutrition through early literacy activities? Educators know that young children learn through play, which can include using drama, games, movement,…

A field trip to the local zoo is often a staple in many elementary school curricula. Many zoos offer free entry to local teachers and their students. Teachers take students on field trips to enrich the curriculum, make connections to what students are learning in school, and provide students with meaningful learning experiences (Kisiel 2007).…

We present a science centre established in Genoa on an agreement between Municipality of Genoa and Department of Physics of University of Genoa. The aim is to offer children, young people and community an opportunity to approach science in a playful way. The centre staffs guide the visitors through the exhibits, attracting their interests towards…

Based on their work leading three experiential, online workshops with over 180 participants from around the world, Lindsey Godwin and Soren Kaplan share reflections on designing and conducting successful ee-learning courses. The workshops sought to translate a popular face-to-face seminar in appreciative inquiry, an increasingly popular…

Describes recent publications and traveling exhibition services (and related materials) of the Smithsonian Museum. (RH)

In this article, Joanna Dunlap, Jackie Dobrovolny, and David Young describe their approach to the design of a real-world learning experience that prepares online graduate students to work as e-learning designers and specialists. Using Kolb's model of experiential learning to support their instructional design decisions, Dunlap, Dobrovolny, and…

Goals of the Children's Museum of Boston are to encourage curiosity, skepticism, and realism while providing opportunities for discoveries and new insights. The museum addresses the needs of young children through adolescents by providing a multicultural environment and participatory learning centers. (JDD)

The inquiry approach of Discovery Place of Birmingham, Inc., in Birmingham, Alabama, invites children of all ages to explore the excitement of science, technology, art, and humanities. The educational resource center provides interactive exhibits, hands-on materials, teacher workshops, and family programs. (JDD)