By C. Aaron Price and Faith R. Kares From Dimensions July/August 2016 In the 11 years since the inception of the Science Minors and Achievers program, the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI), Chicago, has had plenty of anecdotal evidence that this out-of-school time program has a meaningful impact on its participants. Word of mouth …
Researching Long-Term Impacts of an Out-of-School Time Program Read More »
This is an extended discussion of the question that appeared in the Viewpoints department of the May/June 2016 issue of Dimensions magazine. I will not tell people whether or not they will have a better experience with or without those kind of media or technologies. We put up our “Photography Encouraged” signs [in the exhibition …
Interviewed by Joelle Seligson This interview appeared in the May/June 2016 issue of Dimensions magazine.
This is a supplement to an article on place-based learning that appeared in the May/June 2016 issue of Dimensions magazine.
IN THIS ISSUE May/June 2016 Read the full issue. Inspired by the centennial of the U.S. National Park Service, this issue of Dimensions focuses on an educational approach that many science centers and museums share with parks and heritage sites: place-based learning. A place-based approach draws upon an institution’s local context and historical, environmental, and …
Dimensions, May/June 2016—The Power of Place Read More »
By Tim Watkins From Dimensions May/June 2016 On a May morning in 2007, fourth grader Joshua White hopped on a city bus with his grandmother and rode across Washington, D.C., for his first visit to the nature center at Rock Creek Park. He came to participate in the first annual national park BioBlitz organized by …
Learning Science in U.S. National Parks Read More »
This is a supplement to an article that appeared in the March/April 2016 issue of Dimensions magazine. We asked science centers, museums, and aquariums to share how they are making their facilities and their practices more green and energy efficient, and how they have used these efforts to educate their visitors and communities about energy …
By Claudia Aguirre From Dimensions January/February 2016 Today’s science centers are becoming more aware of changes in their local contexts and are concerned about playing a role in building and contributing to society. The Mechelen Declaration, resulting from the Science Centre World Summit 2014 held in Mechelen, Belgium, clearly expresses this commitment with two of …
A Science Center and a Community: Cultivating Hope and Resilience in Medellin Read More »
By Douglas Young From Dimensions November/December 2015 In the 1980s in the United States, the traditional science center business and mission models worked well. Science centers were the most prominent source for informal science learning with financial support from governments and donors and a quasi-monopoly on IMAX films, science store merchandise, and interactive exhibits. A …
A New Era for Marketing at Science Centers Read More »
By Jason Bosher From Dimensions November/December 2015 You’ve probably heard the adage, “There is no such thing as bad publicity.” A study published in Marketing Science concluded, “Although negative publicity is not always a good thing, in some cases, negative can actually be positive” (Berger, Sorensen, & Rasmussen, 2010). As a science center, you want …
The Fine Line Between Creating Curiosity and Creating Controversy Read More »
By Carlyn S. Buckler From Dimensions September/October 2015 On the first day of the Science and Society course at the Cooperstown Graduate Program in Cooperstown, New York, I present the students with an incandescent lightbulb, with clear glass so one can easily see the filament inside. I ask the students how it works and they …
The Role of Science Centers in Increasing the Public Understanding of Science Read More »
By Anthony (Bud) Rock A collective mass of youthful exuberance pulses through our science centers and museums on any given day. As I visit our ASTC-member institutions around the world, I find it extremely rewarding to watch all that energy being transformed into focused, intense contemplation of specific topics or experiences. I have always been …
IN THIS ISSUE September/October 2015 As this issue of Dimensions goes to press, world leaders are preparing to convene at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in New York City to formally adopt the post-2015 development agenda, committing to 17 ambitious new Sustainable Development Goals. So many of the critical issues facing our planet—from climate change …
Dimensions, September/October 2015—Addressing Global Issues Read More »
Interviewed by Joelle Seligson This interview appeared in the September/October 2015 issue of Dimensions magazine. When neurologist Annick Desjardins first heard about an experimental therapy that uses the polio virus to attack cancer cells, she admittedly thought it was an off-the-wall idea. In the 12 years since then, however, Desjardins—now associate professor of neurology at …
Q&A with Annick Desjardins: Using Polio to Kill Cancer Read More »
This is an extended discussion of the question that appeared in the Viewpoints department of the September/October 2015 issue of Dimensions magazine. Before my first nonprofit management position (in England), I wish I could have coached my newbie self: learn about spreadsheets, practice daily meditation and stretching, and schedule physical exercise and play time …
By Sarah B. George From Dimensions July/August 2015 People love stuff. It speaks to them; it reminds them of special moments or people in their lives. They collect it and they love to tell stories about it and show it off. Museums’ deepest roots are in the stuff of collections. But over the last 200 …
The “Stuff” of Museums: Collections, Interactivity, and a Call to Action Read More »
By Susie Wilkening From Dimensions May/June 2015 There are many lenses through which we can measure the value of a museum experience. There is the satisfaction factor: Did visitors have a good time? Were they engaged? Do they want to return? There are learning outcomes: Did visitors learn something new? How much did they learn? …
Beginning to Measure Meaning in Museum Experiences Read More »
This is an extended discussion of the question that appeared in the Viewpoints department of the May/June 2015 issue of Dimensions magazine. “. . . 3D printing and design can electrify various literacies and creative capacities of children in accordance with the spirit of the interconnected, information-based world.” —V. Kostakis, V. Niaros, and C. …
By Anthony (Bud) Rock A recent report of the (U.S.) Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee contains federal nutritional recommendations indicating that there is now insufficient evidence to substantiate the recommended 300 milligram-per-day limit on cholesterol intake. While the conclusions were met positively by the “foodies” who have struggled to work around such dietary limitations, some characterized …
Appreciating the Dynamic Process of Scientific Advancement Read More »
This is an extended version of an article that appeared in the March/April 2015 issue of Dimensions magazine. The Noyce Leadership Institute (NLI) began in 2008 to help prepare the next generation of leaders for science-intensive museums, with a particular emphasis on gaining the skills and perspectives needed to increase the engagement of …
Lessons from the Noyce Leadership Institute Read More »
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