Informal science institutions like Liberty Science Center (LSC) aim to get learners excited about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by creating fun and interactive exhibits. LSC also offers traveling science programs (TSPs) that bring some of the fun and interactive aspects of the museum to schools. Yet schools often seek programs that are more formal and engage students in the authentic practices outlined in the Next Generation Science Standards. TSPs fall somewhere between informal and formal learning—utilizing a bit more structure than museum exhibits, but are still relatively short (45-minute), one-time events. Thus, the challenge is to design TSPs that engage students meaningfully in authentic science practices while still being fun and exciting, all within a short amount of time. As a Senior STEM Educator at LSC, I designed BRAAAAINS: You & the Zombie (BYtZ)—a TSP to engage students in the difficult practice of constructing scientific explanations. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the effectiveness of BYtZ at engaging students and improving their ability to construct scientific explanations. I used a modified version of the experience sampling method (ESM) to collect engagement data using a clicker voting system. A pre/post-test analysis was used to examine improvements in scientific explanations. A total of eight 7th grade classes from three schools participated in the program. Data analysis revealed that students were engaged with all three major elements of the program, that their explanations improved, and that those who were more engaged with the program were more likely to demonstrate improvements in their explanations. The dissertation document is presented as a portfolio that seeks to make the study findings practical with the following three products: (1) the complete curriculum for the new TSP titled BRAAAAINS: You & the Zombie (BYtZ), (2) an academic journal article reporting on the research study for a science education researcher audience, and (3) a professional development seminar for STEM Educators at LSC so they can learn how to present BYtZ with fidelity to its design intent and about general lessons learned during the design and research of the TSP.
Subject (authority = RUETD)
Topic
Design of Learning Contexts
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Science--Study and teaching
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TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = RULIB)
ETD
Identifier
ETD_8917
PhysicalDescription
Form (authority = gmd)
electronic resource
InternetMediaType
application/pdf
InternetMediaType
text/xml
Extent
1 online resource (ix, 158 p. : ill.)
Note (type = degree)
Ed.D.
Note (type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references
Note (type = statement of responsibility)
by Kara D. Mann
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Graduate School of Education Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = local)
rucore10001500001
Location
PhysicalLocation (authority = marcorg); (displayLabel = Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.