Science centres are informal learning spaces embedded with artefacts embodying mediational affordances. This exploratory and small-scale mixed methods study juxtaposes eye-tracking technologies and qualitative interviews to examine how visitors to a gallery navigated this space and interacted with different artefacts. A total of 15 visitors to the…

In this paper, the authors focus on theoretical discussions regarding the socio-scientific issues based exhibition, whose importance has become greater for science centers in the past two decades, but has no clear definition. We examine the background of the socio-scientific issues based exhibition, including its scope and qualities, through…

Research into teaching and learning in science museums has led to innovations in pedagogy, exhibits, and educational programming. Science museum facilitators play a critical role in advancing the educational missions of their institutions, yet the roles that these facilitators have in academic research projects aimed at understanding learning…

This paper explores how biodiversity is represented at the "Life in Crisis Schad Gallery of Biodiversity" (Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto). Using theoretical perspectives related to science, technology, society and environment (STSE), and biodiversity in science museums, we conducted a qualitative case study of the exhibit. Data…

This document presents the changes belonging to the published article. The study aimed to examine the opinions of the instructors who work at GUHEM (Gökmen Space and Aviation Training Center) on the exhibition's content, how the exhibition spaces contribute to science education, especially astronomy and aviation, and the types of visitors who…

In this paper, we emphasize the importance of looking beyond technology itself and including interactional and experiential elements in our research gaze in informal computing education in science museums. We argue that, in these contexts, facilitation can be understood as "design work" that is both complex and challenging. We identify…

This qualitative study investigated perceptions of STSE topics manifested by adults visiting four biodiversity exhibits at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto, Canada. Seven visitors were observed by researchers during their visits and completed post-visit interviews. The theoretical perspective on STSE relationships expounded by Pedretti…

The social interactions that take place in science museums, whether between family members or with mediators, are recognized as essential to visitors' experience. However, there is still little empirical research in the Brazilian context on how families interact and converse on visits to science museums -- and even less on the role of the mediator…

Museums are literacy-rich environments where visitors may interact with text in a variety of ways. Examining the environment for indicators of literacy learning provides insight into how the museum is meeting its mission as a cultural and educational institution, particularly for museums geared towards children as visitors. The purpose of this…

This study aimed to examine the opinions of the instructors who work at GUHEM (Gökmen Space and Aviation Training Center) on the exhibition's content, how the exhibition spaces contribute to science education, especially astronomy and aviation, and the types of visitors who frequently visit the center. Nine instructors from GUHEM's science centers…

In this paper we define the concept of collective usability, a complex systems perspective on usability that positions an entire group, not an individual, as the unit of analysis. Shared XR experiences have inherent temporal and spatial properties that produce emergent, collective impacts which can impede learners' engagement. Assembling large…

Just as engineering and computational thinking have recently gained increased attention in pre-college school-based education, many museums and science centers have also designed exhibits and experiences to promote computational thinking and engineering learning. Recent reports suggest that computational and engineering thinking can empower each…

Informal science learning environments, such as science museums, afford a variety of interactions, sense-making processes, participation modes, and roles. Accumulating research advances our understanding of the cognitive and affective dimensions of science learning in informal environments, including the development of scientific sense-making and…

This qualitative and exploratory study aimed to understand the experience of adolescents during visits outside the school context in science museums and centres, and how the free-choice learning processes are constructed in this context. We analyzed the visits of four adolescents groups, from public schools, to Maloka (Bogotá, Colombia), and…

Science museum landscapes are shifting with the emergence of controversial exhibitions. The complex nature of controversy poses interesting questions and challenges to museum staff and visitors. Our qualitative study focuses on a subset of the potential public audience for controversial exhibitions, who we call non-visitors. Through an…