Evidence for family engagement in scientific reasoning at interactive animal exhibits

Abstract

While the opportunity to engage in scientific reasoning has been identified as an important aspect of informal science learning (National Research Council, 2009), most studies have examined this strand of science learning within the context of physics‒based science exhibits. Few have examined the presence of such activity in conjunction with live animal exhibits at zoos and aquariums. A video study of 41 families at four touch‒tank exhibits, where visitors can observe and interact with live marine species, revealed that families engaged in making claims, challenging claims, and confirming claims as well as other actions associated with scientific reasoning such as applying prior knowledge, making and testing predictions and hypotheses, and constructing arguments. We provide examples of scientific reasoning and examine the role of claims in promoting scientific reasoning. Implications for rethinking learning opportunities and interpretational approaches at touch tanks, as well as examination of the unique characteristics of these and similar exhibits, are discussed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 96: 1047–1070, 2012

Parent–Child Conversations About Animals in Informal Learning Environments

“…Prior research has found that differences in early opportunities for direct experience with animals (e.g., Anggoro et al, 2010;Medin et al, 2010;Ross et al, 2003;Unsworth et al, 2012; and conversations with parents (e.g., Tarlowski, 2006) impact early biological reasoning. Especially for urban children who may have few opportunities to encounter live animals, zoos and museums are an ideal setting for exploring the content of parent-child interaction about animals (Allen, 2002;Ash, 2003;Kisiel et al, 2012;Kopczak et al, 2015;Patrick & Tunnicliffe, 2013;Rigney & Callanan, 2011;. Thus, exploring parent-children interactions about animals in these ILEs can reveal the kinds of opportunities for learning that can impact the development of children's early biological and psychological theories about living things.…”

“…Prior museum literature has highlighted the importance of language to the development of scientific reasoning, such as making, challenging, and testing claims and seeking information and evidence in parent-child interaction in ILEs (Allen, 2002;Ash, 2003;Kisiel et al, 2012;. This type of language, which I refer to as conceptual language, provides an important foundation for the development of scientific learning and reasoning (e.g., Michaels, Shouse, & Schweingruber, 2007).…”

“…A growing body of research has examined how parents and children interact at live animal exhibits in both zoos and science museums (Allen 2002;Ash, 2003;Kisiel, Rowe, Vartabedian, & Kopczak, 2012;Kopczak, Kisiel, & Rowe, 2015;Patrick & Tunnicliffe, 2013;Rigney & Callanan, 2011;. Surprisingly, few studies of family engagement at live animal exhibits have focused on conversational analyses specific to the development of biological or anthropomorphic knowledge about animals.…”

Intergenerational learning at a nature center: families using prior experiences and participation frameworks to understand raptors

“…These current perspectives include fine-grained analyses of the talk and actions within specific learning environments. For example, Kisiel et al (2012) analyzed families' learning interactions at aquatic touch tanks and found a common pattern in families' reasoning: families often first applied prior knowledge about a topic before making an assertion or asking a question about an animal. We build from these fine-grained analyses to examine the use of prior knowledge within a nature center to document, categorize, and find patterns in the sources and uses of prior knowledge.…”

The skin microbiome of cow-nose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) in an aquarium touch-tank exhibit

“…Many of the touch-tank exhibits in aquariums are themed around 39 elasmobranchs, and are popular because they allow visitors to enter the exhibit and encounter 40 animals they otherwise would likely never touch. These exhibits are important to promote 41 science education within public aquariums because they allow visitors to practice the application 42 of scientific reasoning (Kisiel et al 2012), as well as engage in lengthier ecology discussions 43 when guided by a trained interpreter (Kopczak et al 2015). 44 Despite the popularity of touch tanks, there is a paucity of research about animal health in these 45 exhibits.…”