The Synthesis Meeting goal was to facilitate in-depth conversation to identify current initiatives, best practices, and future directions regarding activities in the field that:
- Support partnership and collaboration between research organizations and informal science education institutions,
- Involve face-to-face interactions between scientists and public audiences, and
- Involve professional
development that prepares scientists to work effectively
when face-to-face with public audiences.
Synthesis Meeting Products
A detailed report of the Synthesis Meeting conversations and findings is available for →download (3.3 MB PDF).
A summary of key learnings is available for →download (1.7 MB PDF).
We expect this report to be useful for the field as a whole, including working scientists, museum educators, public information officers at research labs and other science communication professionals.
Synthesis Meeting Presentations:
- Motivations: The Ongoing Challenge of Building Public Engagement with Science - Alan Freidman, Ph.D.
- Public Audiences' Motivations for Visiting Informal Science Education Institutions - John Falk, Ph.D.
- Comparing Scientists and Educator "Cultures" - Andrew Fraknoi
- Connecting People: Building Partnerships and Collaborations between ISE Centers and Research Organizations - Marco Molinaro, Ph.D. (video not available)
- Face-to-Face - Carol Lynn Alpert
- Dealing with your Expert Blind Spot - Dennis Schatz (video not available)