The Impact of U.S. national and state level policy on the nature and scope of K-12 virtual schooling

During the past five years, virtual schools in the United States have gained popularity and acceptance as viable alternatives to the traditional school system through provisions for charter schools under Title V, Part B, Subpart 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This paper describes the existing federal policies that are driving the online virtual school movement, and how one state, Nevada, has set forth and interpreted specific policies regarding online distance education. In addition, this paper identifies the beliefs acting as the driving forces behind such policies in the United States and discusses implications for other countries also seeking to set forth guidelines for K-12 online distance education programs

Learning and the Practice of Social Media in Informal Science Education Centers

Both social media and informal learning spaces have the potential to foment knowledge-building. This article aims to bridge theory and practice with an analysis of the social media practices across informal science learning centers through the lens of the Contextual Model of Learning. We evaluate strategies through directed content analysis of phone interviews, online surveys, and researcher field notes. Our findings reveal that informal science learning centers create marketing-related social media strategies as opposed to ones which align with contemporary learning in informal settings. Implications for researchers who seek to use social media in an educative manner are discussed

Social Media Interaction as Informal Science Learning: a Comparison of Message Design in Two Niches

Social media provides science learners opportunities to interact with content-specific messages. However, most science-specific social media content is designed to disseminate information instead of encouraging dialog. In this novel, ex post facto exploratory study of a science social media community, we sought to understand the relationships among community member interaction, design elements of messages, and post type on two digital niches (i.e., Facebook and Twitter). Framed by the theory of symbolic interactionism, we conducted a content analysis of 1370 messages that were systematically created by an informal science learning project and found that usage frequency of messaging elements varied by niche; interaction within each niche differed, varying by messaging element; and differential interaction was found to be associated with post types within Facebook only. This study suggests a pathway for developing and examining social media as an educational component of informal science learning

Profiles in Practice: Stories of Paleontology Within an Online, Scientific Community

The Community of Practice framework has been used theoretically and empirically to describe the diverse ways people learn from one another through social interaction in a variety of specific contexts. To date, most research of this genre has favored investigating the community and domain constructs of the theory over the authentic practice construct. Those interested in recognizing and supporting science learning in non-school contexts across a lifespan are then limited in efforts to delineate how communities engage in domain-specific practice. This is especially relevant in the study of online environments which afford more democratic forms of participation. With the goal of adding to both theoretical and practical knowledge, this study explored practices that members enacted on a community-based website specific to the domain of paleontology. We used a multiple case study approach to provide comparative and contrasting narratives concerning the development of practice within an online, scientific community. Methods consisted of downloading data from the website, including members’ self-described attributes within member profiles, followed by their contributions to three of the website’s features: the forums, activity feed, and messages. An analytical framework which typified members based on their self-described attributes was applied, then members’ contributions were coded using an empirically based Communities of Practice framework. For one of the first times, we identified practice within an online, scientific community through comparing the contributions of three community members, finding that practice consisted of providing social support to other community members and having domain-based conversations

Scientific Twitter: The flow of Paleontological Communication Across a Topic Network

The field of paleontology, which is based principally on observations of the natural world, includes an active community that is engaged across multiple social media platforms, consisting of museums, academic researchers, amateur fossil collectors, paleontological artists, and commercial fossil dealers. As such, it represents an ideal environment for examining the people, interactions, and flow of scientific information. Using interactions involving the four most popular Twitter hashtags for paleontology, this embedded mixed methods study defined the members of this social world and investigated how they influenced and controlled the flow of information, as well as how their expression of scientific practice was related to their identity. Results provide further evidence for the diversity of people and practice involved in this domain of science and indicate that the magnitude and breadth of the public’s impact may be larger than previously projected. Certain types of messages were shown to be effective for different segments of the community, but news posts, essentially media outlet stories, were ineffective for generating any form of engagement. This study adds to our understanding of the important scientific contribution being made by members of the public as they interact with professional scientists and educators as peers in an open social media platform that supports a diverse and active community

Amateur Paleontological Societies and Fossil Clubs, Interactions with Professional Paleontologists, and Social Paleontology in the United States

Considerable interest exists among lifelong learners in the USA about fossils and the science of paleontology. Unlike some other science-related groups, e.g., astronomy and ornithology, interest in fossils among amateur paleontologists is primarily focused within local clubs and societies with little national coordination. This paper presents the results of formative evaluation of the FOSSIL project, conducted after the project “Kickoff” meeting held at the NAPC (North American Paleontological Convention) in 2014. FOSSIL is developing a national networked community of practice that includes amateur and professional paleontologists. Our research indicates that more than 60 amateur fossil clubs and societies exist in the USA, of which almost 40 have elected to be part of the FOSSIL network. Overarching goals of this program include enhanced collaborations between amateurs and professionals, knowledge-building about paleontology, access to resources for lifelong learning, and development a viable learning community of practice focused on topics of common and societal interest, such as collections (including digitization), evolution, climate change, and K-12 outreach. In addition to more traditional means such as list-serves and newsletters, FOSSIL is developing an online community (myFOSSIL) and using social media (Facebook and Twitter) to foster communication and interactions among stakeholders, and thus promoting the concept of “social paleontology”

Mental Models and Social Media Personas: a Case of Amateur Palaeontologists

This study explores social palaeontology - an inclusive and collaborative form of science occurring across digital habitats. The purpose was to: 1) examine conceptualisations of amateurs via expressed mental models and 2) use the unified media-user typology (MUT) to explore any relationship between these models and social media persona. Data collection involved a survey, modelling task and interview. Findings reveal that persona was demonstrated in subtle ways, offering limited evidence for a relationship between persona and mental model. Sequential models were most common, but more so for advanced personas. Expertise development was expressed through the number of conventions used during modelling. However, the degree of inaccuracy suggests a lack of metacognitive awareness, implying that any increase in expertise with persona was not conveyed as such. The results bolster the capacity to design community-centred social spaces and inform understanding of science learning and the utility of MUT as a predictive tool

The Belgrade PaleoBlitz: A Pilot Project to Engage Amateur Paleontologists

Paleontology is an interdisciplinary field that attracts a range of individuals, from hobbyists to professionals. A primary goal of the NSF-funded FOSSIL Project is to establish a unified community of paleontologists and promote best practices in the field of paleontology. The Belgrade PaleoBlitz was a pilot effort to meet these goals by guiding participants through the museum curation process via a rapid two-day immersion. The objectives of the PaleoBlitz event were to: 1) educate participants in best practices associated with the museum curation process, and 2) catalog specimens collected from the Belgrade Quarry into the Florida Museum of Natural History vertebrate paleontology collections. These objectives seek to find a balance between educating participants and contributing to science. A pre-event application dispersed to amateur paleontology clubs throughout the United States determined applicants’ baseline content knowledge and practices. To facilitate learning and promote networking, we selected 13 participants who varied in expertise from six different paleontology organizations. Immediate and delayed post-event surveys assessed acceptance and implementation of best practices, confidence related to specific aspects of the museum curation process, and expansion of individuals’ personal paleontology network. Responses showed that all participants made changes to their existing collections, felt more confident in specific aspects of the museum curation process, and had continued connections with other participants after this event

A Process Model of the U.S. Federal Perspective on STEM

Although advocacy for better science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has a long and distinguished history in the United States, the recent emphasis has included strong rhetoric and concomitant funding. Policy makers legislate as though STEM is clearly defined. Yet, the concept remains nebulous, which limits the nation’s capacity to act in a strong and uniformed manner to address societal challenges. In this study, the authors used grounded theory methods to synthesize and interpret the federal perspective that defines STEM in the United States. The resulting theory is a model that includes five core processes: recruitment, recapture, retention, quality assurance, and quality control. These processes interact to support the system in achieving its goal of producing a qualified future workforce. Such a model has implications for advancing the overall goals of STEM as well as further research and development on the components of the model itself

Losing the Lake: Development and Deployment of an Educational Game

When asked what the top three issues of the Las Vegas region were, the reply was “water, water, water! This was the result of a survey done a few years ago of Las Vegas Valley TV anchors. The reason for this response is that sustainability of the urban environments requires sufficient water resources as does population growth. With the advent of global climate change, this resource is in danger. Water flow and mountainous ice packs are impacted by this change in climate there by impacting the amount of water the the region. This is compounded over time as the population increases and the water supply decreases. Even as the flow of water to the Las Vegas Valley is decreasing, many people in the area do not fully appreciate the severity of this crisis. This knowledge is at many times not brought to fruition as many people do not even understand some possible ways to contribute to water conservation. With the idea of educating young Nevadans, future initiatives can be put into practice to further alleviate a dire situation. Research has shown that imagery is important for a students\u27 attention and enables changes in their thought process. With this approach, the goal of this project is to create an engaging environment to help awareness for the young and old alike