scholarly journals Solar System Sonification: Exploring Earth and Its Neighbors Through Sound

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brianna J. Tomlinson ◽  
R. Michael Winters ◽  
Christopher Latina ◽  
Smruthi Bhat ◽  
Milap Rane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Visual Presentation ◽  
Presentation Modality ◽  
Science Center ◽  
Auditory Displays ◽  
Informal Learning Environments ◽  
Passive Viewing ◽  
Astronomy Concepts

Informal learning environments (ILEs) like museums incorporate multi-modal displays into their exhibits as a way to engage a wider group of visitors, often relying on tactile, audio, and visual means to accomplish this. Planetariums, however represent one type of ILE where a single, highly visual presentation modality is used to entertain, inform, and engage a large group of users in a passive viewing experience. Recently, auditory displays have been used as a supplement or even an alternative to visual presentation of astronomy concepts, though there has been little evaluation of those displays. Here, we designed an auditory model of the solar system and created a planetarium show, which was later presented at a local science center. Attendees evaluated the performance on helpfulness, interest, pleasantness, understandability, and relatability of the sounds' mappings. Overall, attendees rated the solar system and planetary details very highly, in addition to providing open-ended responses about their entire experience.

How to become a beekeeper: learning and skill in managing honeybees

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Caroline Adams
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Informal Learning Environments ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Formal And Informal Learning

Beekeeping is a highly skilled form of animal husbandry that dates back to centuries. It has become a popular hobby in the United Kingdom, but as an activity has rarely featured in geographical research. In this article, I present beekeeping as an interesting site of study for cultural geographers interested in enskilment processes, education and expertise. This article draws on in-depth ethnographic research with a community of hobby beekeepers in Lancashire, United Kingdom, to give a detailed analysis of the enskilment process of novice beekeepers, how this process is being shaped and influenced by a trend towards increasingly formal education tools within the community, and what this means for those interested in the power of skilled practice and expertise. In doing so, it explores issues around formal and informal learning environments, the role of social context in shaping learning, the power of government advice, and it illustrates the complexity introduced by close engagement with an insect.

The effect of informal learning environment upon students’ understanding of science-technology-society-environment

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (9) ◽  
pp. 22-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merve Cansu Ince ◽  
Bayram Costu
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Informal Education ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Informal Learning Environments ◽  
Science Technology Society ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Informal Learning Environment ◽  
Out Of School

It is known that an informal learning environment (i.e., out-of-school) increases the quality of teaching and learning activities. Informal environments also provide many advantages such as enriching the content of learning. Moreover, it is emphasised that the science-technology-society-environment (STSE) learning does not effectively involve in the Turkish education system. From this point of view, informal learning environments should be considered in order to enable students’ understanding of the STSE relation. Within the scope of this study, it was aimed to determine the effectiveness of study visit on students’ understanding of STSE. The research was conducted with 14 male students in the 5th-grade level in the 2016– 2017 academic year. This research, which used a recycling-solid waste collection centre, a botanic garden, a planetarium, a science centre and a zoo, a few informal learning environments, was conducted according to the case study design method. In the study, views on science-technology-society questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, observation forms and diaries were used as data collection tools. The data indicated that the informal learning environments were inadequate to promote conceptual change; however, it was effective to comprehend newly learnt concepts. In addition, it was also concluded that informal learning environment provided students to capture the understanding of STSE relations. Keywords: Science-technology-society-environment (STSE), informal education, out-of-school environment.

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