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Practice Based Facilitation

Session 2

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Improv Game Warm Up

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Visitor

Goals

Facilitation Moves

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Exhibit Engagement Categories as a proxy for visitor context

Goals

Visitor

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Pegs hold tracks at different distances from wall

Balls of various diameters, mass, and materials

Wall and flexible tracks

Roll-It Wall

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How can we characterize the ways in which these visitors are engaging with the exhibit?

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A

B

C

E

F

G

Characterize the ways that visitors are engaging at the exhibit

D

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Category A. Collecting balls

Category B. Playing with an existing track

Category C. Testing an existing track and changing variables

Category D. Modifying an existing track

Category E. Building a new track

Category F/G. Complex building

Roll-It Wall

Engagement Categories

These are the levels we came up with. NOTE THAT THEY ARE EXHIBIT SPECIFIC

level 1. Collecting Balls. Collecting balls that have fallen onto the floor in the small pails used to hold the balls.

Level 2. Playing with an Existing Track. Visitors play with an existing track.The initial interactions of guests of all ages often begin with picking up a ball and placing it on an existing track to see what happens. If these initial observations spark interest and questions, most visitors quickly move on to higher levels of engagement.

Level 3. Testing an existing track and changing variables. Testing an existing track through repeated interactions that appear to be focusing on understanding how a variable affects the ball’s travel along the track. Visitors may change the ball, noticing how balls of different size, material, or mass travel. They may start a ball from different heights along the track, change the initial velocity by pushing the ball instead of just letting it go, or place additional balls strategically along the track to observe what happens when the balls collide.

Level 4. Modifying an existing track (4a. Self-imposed goal, 4b. Externally-imposed goal). Visitors modify an existing track. They may make small or large adjustments to the track. These modifications are usually intentional with some goal in mind. These goals may be self-imposed and flexible, negotiated among a group of people working together. Or the goals might be externally suggested by floor staff or a sign on the wall.

Level 5. Building a new track (5a. Self-imposed goal, 5b. Externally-imposed goal). Visitors start out by tearing down an existing track and starting with a blank wall. These visitors typically have a goal in mind. Like level 4, this goal may be internally or externally imposed.

Level 6. Complex building. Combine two existing tracks with the goal that the ball will travel from one track to the other, building in 3 dimensions, adding additional materials. .

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Category A. Collecting balls

Category B. Playing with an existing track

Category C. Testing an existing track and changing variables

Category D. Modifying an existing track

Category E. Building a new track

Category F/G. Complex building

Simple

Complex

Each category is a brief description of common activities that visitors engage in.

Categories are specific to the particular exhibit.

Categories are easily identifiable through observation.

Goal is to “operationalize” engagement

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Divide into groups and choose an open-ended exhibit or activity to explore.

Explore the exhibit/activity and/or observe how other people interact with it.

Develop 5-10 engagement categories for your open-ended exhibit/activity.

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Share your engagement categories with

the whole group

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Steel washers to build sculptures and experiment with

Two strong cylindrical magnets

Magnetic Islands

Three stainless steel pans

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Magnetic Islands

What do you think people do with this exhibit?

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Think about what you would do with this exhibit and how other people of a variety of ages and abilities might interact with it.

Develop 4-5 engagement categories for this exhibit.

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Share your engagement categories with

the whole group

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Break

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Visitor

Goals

Facilitation Moves

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Identify goals

Observe visitor

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What are the possible learning goals?

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Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

3-Dimensional Learning

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NGSS Practices of Science and Engineering

Asking questions (science) and

defining problems (engineering)

Developing and using models
Planning and carrying out investigations
Analyzing and interpreting data
Using mathematics and computational thinking
Constructing explanations (science) and

designing solutions (engineering)

Engaging in argument from evidence
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

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Making observations
Asking questions
Testing ideas
Constructing explanations
Supporting ideas with evidence
Making connections

Science Practices for Informal Learning Settings

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With your group, brainstorm as many ways as you can that a person could engage in each practice for your chosen exhibit. How could they?

Make observations
Ask questions
Test ideas
Construct explanations
Support ideas with evidence
Make connections

At which engagement category are each of these ways of engaging in practices possible?

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Share your engagement categories with

the whole group

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Pegs hold tracks at different distances from wall

Balls of various diameters, mass, and materials

Wall and flexible tracks

Roll-It Wall

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A Kindergarten-age girl moves a ball along a Roll It Wall track. The track has two hills, one higher than the other. The girl tells a story about a train moving along a track as she moves the ball with her hand. In telling her story she says, “the train wants to go fast down the hill...and I have to help it go up the big hill”.

Roll It Wall Vignette #1

How would you categorize her engagement?
What practices do you think she is using?

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Two 5th grade boys are rolling balls down a track and through a loop. Consistently, the balls leave the track without completing the loop. The boys try different types of balls and different starting heights, but they are unsuccessful in getting the balls to complete a loop. You notice that the pegs holding the track vary in length, holding the track different distances away from the wall. This means that the track does not make a smooth loop, but instead curves side to side as it also makes a loop.

Roll It Wall Vignette #2

How would you categorize their engagement?
What practices do you think they are/aren’t using?

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Practice-Based Facilitation

Session 2 Reflections Assignment

Reading:

Phenomena Quick Read
Science Practices/NGSS Quick Read
Engagement Categories Quick Read

Reflections::

Make a list of the engagement categories for an open-ended exhibit/learning opportunity at your home institution/program. For each engagement category, create a list of the science practices that are possible for visitors to be engaged in. Post your list of engagement categories and practices to the class blog with a brief description of your chosen exhibit/learning opportunity.
Before the next class make observations of visitors at your chosen exhibit/learning opportunity. Record their engagement category(ies) and any practices you can observe or infer that visitors are engaged in.

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Practice Based Facilitation

Session 2

Thank you for participating!