Congressional Hearing on Informal Science Education

With growing interest in informal science education, the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education of the House Committee on Science and Technology held a meeting to investigate how informal science education is benefiting students. In his opening statement, Chairman Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) stated we will explore the ways in which informal learning institutions are uniquely positioned to attract and educate the public about STEM issues, as well as the role of informal institutions in contributing to and enhancing formal classroom learning.

In the Hearing Charter, the four major questions the Committee looked to address were:

• What is the role of informal environments in educating students and the public about Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)? In what ways can informal education contribute to and enhance classroom learning? Are there areas that informal environments are uniquely positioned to address? What role can informal education play in broadening participation and promoting diversity in STEM fields?

• What are the key factors in successful partnerships between informal science organizations and formal education institutions, including both K-12 and higher education? What opportunities for partnerships exist with the private sector? How have both museums and educational media providers had to adapt to meet the needs of schools and States? How can K-12 schools and institutions of higher education take advantage of informal learning environments to meet their needs?

• What kind of research is being done on informal science education to assess its evolving role and effectiveness? What metrics exist to assess and evaluate informal learning environments, and what are the barriers to developing better metrics? What are some of the major challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the field of informal science learning?

• What support could federal research agencies provide to most effectively contribute to the development and implementation of informal STEM education activities?

The witnesses brought in by the committee were:

• Dr. Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Division Director, Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings, Education and Human Resources Directorate, National Science Foundation

• Dr. Phillip Bell, Co-Chair, National Academies report “Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits,” and Professor, College of Education, the University of Washington, Seattle

• Ms. Andrea Ingram, Vice President of Education and Guest Experiences, Museum of Science and Industry-Chicago

• Mr. Robert Lippincott, Senior Vice President for Education, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

• Dr. Alejandro Grajal, Senior Vice President of Conservation, Education, and Training, the Chicago Zoological Society

Each witness read his or her own prepared statement.

It is quite apparent that the Subcommittee will be attentive to the Federal role that is to be played in development of informal science education in the future.