Informal Science Education of Converging Technologies

The term “informal science education” is used to identify a wide variety of ways in which people learn about science outside of the formal educational process. While museums may have a tradition of preservation of objects for academic study, science and technology centers, which grew up everywhere in the second half of the twentieth century, focus on engaging the public in science. Driven initially by how phenomena could be put on display like objects in a museum, science museums developed a more explicit role in informal education, which has continued to evolve over time. Today’s theoretic underpinnings of informal education in science museums are a convergence of the practices of the field with educational research and social science research. Educational research has identified the types of learning that are supported by informal educational experiences, and different theories of knowledge and learning have suggested different approaches in developing museums. With the emergence of educational challenges for science museums on topics of current scientific research and technological development that raise questions about the societal and ethical implications of the choices we make, research in the social and political sciences has converged with educational research and the practices of the field. This convergence enables informal education in science museums to grapple not only with core principles of science but also with the presence of science in society and with public policy issues related to science and technology. Emerging engagement in the science of science communication holds promise for further expanding and refining informal education approaches for building bridges between the world of science and technology and the many publics whose lives are influenced by it.