Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2014, Curriculum and Instruction Science Education (Education)

The purpose of this case study was to describe the nature of high school students' experiences in the immersive four-day field experience at Stone Laboratory Biological Field Station including excursions to Kelley's Island and South Bass Island. Six tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students participated through interviews, photovoice, observations, and a survey. Pretrip semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand each participant student's relationship with science. Participants were given cameras to record their field trip experiences to relate what they found interesting, important, and exciting. Back at school after the field trip, the participants were asked to choose their five most meaningful photographs, and write a short essay to describe the significance of each image. A posttrip semi-structured interview explored each participant's experiences during the field trip. An unstructured interview was conducted to discuss each participant's full photograph gallery from the field trip. Interview transcripts were member checked with one minor wording change. Analysis consisted of open coding using apriori codes derived from the ecological framework and emergent codes derived from the data. Coding was duplicated through multiple readers. Significant findings included: 1) Prior experience, prior knowledge, and funds of knowledge added relevance and value to an experience, facilitating interest development; 2) Experiences appeared to be more meaningful when all the senses were stimulated; 3) Friends and peers were an essential part of a quality experience; 4) Quality experiences included a wow factor, or sudden awareness; 5) Teachers needed to be within the experience, not the focus of the experience, and needed to be available to answer questions, be enthusiastic when a discovery was made, and promote student reflection concerning their perceptions and discoveries; 6) A quality informal learning situation incorporated the cognitive/affective, phy (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Eugene Geist Ph.D. (Committee Chair); John Henning Ph.D. (Committee Member); Aaron Sickel Ph.D. (Committee Member); Krisanna Machtmes Ph.D. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Education; Science Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2009, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus)

This study of science education in the Boy Scouts of America focused on males with Boy Scout experience. The mixed-methods study topics included: merit badge standards compared with National Science Education Standards, Scout responses to open-ended survey questions, the learning styles of Scouts, a quantitative assessment of science content knowledge acquisition using the Geology merit badge, and a qualitative analysis of interview responses of Scouts, Scout leaders, and scientists who were Scouts. The merit badge requirements of the 121 current merit badges were mapped onto the National Science Education Standards: 103 badges (85.12%) had at least one requirement meeting the National Science Education Standards. In 2007, Scouts earned 1,628,500 merit badges with at least one science requirement, including 72,279 Environmental Science merit badges. “Camping” was the “favorite thing about Scouts” for 54.4% of the boys who completed the survey. When combined with other outdoor activities, what 72.5% of the boys liked best about Boy Scouts involved outdoor activity. The learning styles of Scouts tend to include tactile and/or visual elements. Scouts were more global and integrated than analytical in their thinking patterns; they also had a significant intake element in their learning style. Earning a Geology merit badge at any location resulted in a significant gain of content knowledge; the combined treatment groups for all location types had a 9.13% gain in content knowledge. The amount of content knowledge acquired through the merit badge program varied with location; boys earning the Geology merit badge at summer camp or working as a troop with a merit badge counselor tended to acquire more geology content knowledge than boys earning the merit badge at a one-day event. Boys retained the content knowledge learned while earning the merit badge. Scientists, Scout leaders, and Scouts felt that Scouts learned science through participation in the Boy Scout program (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Barbara Thomson PhD (Advisor); John Harder PhD (Committee Member); David Haury PhD (Committee Member); Garry McKenzie PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Curricula; Education; Gender; Geology; Science Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2018, Chemistry and Biochemistry

This study was designed to explore the chemistry outreach practices of college students associated with the American Chemical Society (ACS) and Alpha Chi Sigma (ΑΧΣ). Students affiliated with these organizations are heavily involved with the chemistry-specific informal science education practice of chemistry outreach. Despite reporting that they reach almost 1 million people every year through outreach, little is known about their outreach practices. Two investigations were conducted to address the gap in understanding of college students conducting outreach. The first investigation involved an open-ended survey administered nationally to students (N = 206) and their faculty/staff advisors (N = 107) to characterize the outreach practices of these two populations through the lenses of 1) purposes of doing outreach, 2) activities commonly used, and 3) evaluation practices. Results indicated that audience learning is the most frequently discussed purpose of outreach, followed by affective goals (e.g., interest, enjoyment). The most prevalently facilitated activities include the elephant toothpaste reaction and making liquid nitrogen ice cream. Lastly, results showed little evidence to support that students evaluate their outreach practices, and whether or not they are meeting their goals. Using these results, the second investigation was an in-depth qualitative study (N = 37 students) conducted remotely using multimedia-based software. The goals were to explore college student understandings of the chemistry content underlying elephant toothpaste and liquid nitrogen ice cream, their teaching and learning beliefs that they bring into outreach, and the training experiences students had prior to facilitating events. Multiple theoretical lenses were used to interpret findings, including Meaningful Learning theory, the role of content knowledge in teacher pedagogical content knowledge, the impacts of teacher beliefs on their practices, and Cognitive Apprenticeship Theo (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ellen Yezierski (Advisor); Stacey Lowery Bretz (Committee Chair); Michael Crowder (Committee Member); David Tierney (Committee Member); Kate de Medeiros (Committee Member) Subjects: Chemistry; Education

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2006, Environmental Sciences

This paper describes inquiry-based curriculum created for the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden to provide to visiting school groups, grades third through seventh. The curriculum developed includes three different packets, each packet contains a teachers booklet, a student booklet and data sheets. The student booklets include a guided-inquiry in addition to several other supportive materials, and the teacher booklet provides preparatory and follow-up ideas for teachers. Each packet focuses on a different theme: Plants, Primates or Adaptations. Because the process used to develop this curriculum goes beyond the norm by including teachers, the steps taken to create the inquiry-based packets will also be described. An Editorial Review Board was created, consisting of 24 formal and informal educators, and served to provide feedback in creating the curriculum. The packets were pilot tested, and are being printed by the Cincinnati Zoo.

Committee: Adolph Greenberg (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2022, Instructional Technology (Education)

This qualitative case study explores how the LGBTQ+ community is included in informal STEM learning environments (ISLEs) such as museums and science centers. One science center was chosen as a case study to identify how ISLEs may broaden participation to the LGBTQ+ community, how institutional stance impacts LGBTQ+ community members, and how the systemic power structures of ISLEs affect inclusive practices. Through semi-structured interviews, exhibit and signage audits, and document analyses, the researcher examines how practices and policies welcome or exclude diverse identities in informal STEM education (ISE) by adapting Dawson's (2014a) equity and access framework. Findings from this analysis include a need to remove barriers to broaden LGBTQ+ participation; to implement policies and procedures to improve institutional stance towards the LGBTQ+ community; to increase queer representation in ISLEs; and to acknowledge LGBTQ+ individuals as agents of social change.

Committee: Greg Kessler (Committee Chair); Jesse Strycker (Committee Member); Krisanna Machtmes (Committee Member); Susan Burgess (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Gender Studies; Glbt Studies; Museums; Science Education

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2019, Integrated Bioscience

Civic scientific literacy requires communication between scientists and the public. To bridge this gap, scientists must acquire skills and knowledge from those who study science communication. Improving scientists' communication of science requires better implementation and availability of science communication skill sets and tools. One such tool is the use of games, in whole or in part, as tools to improve engagement, motivation, and understanding in science learning. The appeal of games in learning traditionally is based on their familiar form and perceived value of fun to audiences. While modern research on games in learning focuses predominantly in assessing and quantifying motivation & engagement and learning outcomes, development of good game-design practices as a major tool in educational endeavors has been slow to develop, which can impact their usefulness. In this dissertation, I illustrate a number of theories of motivation and ideas that support the idea of using games in learning, followed by quantifying the lack of consensus on the differences between the numerous fields and terms, which describe the idea of using game to effect better learning outcomes. This is done using a novel variant of the item sort method, the Item Definition Semantic Sort. This method is also used to explore another set of fields and terms in a different format, and other methodological implementations are considered and described The second half of this dissertation presents a number of proof-of-concept projects which use gameful experiences in learning contexts. an advance organizer for field trips as part of a curriculum developed by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History that provides game-elements and competition to enhance student experiential learning in the classroom, a teaching-laboratory module utilizing an analog simulation to convey large-scale numbers and population growth concepts for non-majors biology students, and a game communicating how community waters (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: R. Joel Duff PhD (Advisor); Hazel Barton PhD (Committee Member); Gavin Svenson PhD (Committee Member); Gary Holliday PhD (Committee Member); Randall Mitchell PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Design; Education; Educational Psychology; Educational Technology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2009, Curriculum and Instruction

This investigation examined the efficacy of a model of integrated science and literacyinstruction situated at a community zoo. Three intact cohorts of third grade urban students received instruction via different treatments: inquiry-based instruction at a zoo; inquiry-based instruction at school; and activity-based instruction at a zoo. All three treatment conditions promoted increased science achievement. There was no difference between the zoo groups at post-test; however the classroom group outperformed both zoo groups. When examined in light of contextual factors (differences in socioeconomic status, teacher level of experience, familiarity of the learning environment), results suggest the effectiveness of the integrated instructional model in promoting increased science achievement. In planning instruction, teachers should consider the novelty of a learning environment, student interest, and how texts can support inquiry.

Committee: Susanna Hapgood PhD (Committee Chair); Eileen Carr PhD (Committee Member); Jenny Denyer PhD (Committee Member); Svetlana Beltyukova PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2010, Environment and Natural Resources

Informal science education (ISE) contexts such as zoos, nature centers, parks, and natural history museums play a critical role in allowing the general public to learn scientific concepts (National Research Council, 2009; 2010). Most adult learning of scientific concepts takes place outside of classrooms and away from work (Rennie and Williams, 2006). Zoos and natural history museums have stated missions to increase visitors' knowledge and behaviors related to the conservation of our natural resources (Krishtalka and Humphrey, 2000; Patrick, Mathews, Ayers, and Tunicliffe, 2007). Theoretically, the successful communication of the desired message of these ISE institutions would inspire a more informed and engaged citizenry on the use and conservation of our natural resources. Effectively framing information can be an avenue to achieving these goals of ISE institutions (Chong & Druckman, 2007; Nisbet, 2009). Shultz and Zelezny (2003) posit that messages framed by egoistic concerns, concerns which focus on the individual, will be better received by the general public, leading to a greater likelihood for them to become engaged. This dissertation reports on a series of descriptive mixed methods studies conducted at a zoo, a natural history museum, and a science center, exploring the framing effects of communications framed by environmental concern (Schultz, 2001). The research examined the relationship between individuals' perceptions of the overlap between their lives and nature, their levels of environmental concern, and their preferences for statements designed to align with the types of environmental concern (i.e. egoistic, social-altruistic, and biospheric). Further, the effects of messages framed by environmental concern on individuals' expressed intent to engage in behaviors were examined. Lastly, interviews were conducted to provide a deeper understanding of the findings. Findings suggested there are framing effects that can be attributed to communication using e (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Joe E. Heimlich (Advisor); Jeremy Bruskotter PhD (Committee Member); Amanda Rodewald PhD (Committee Member); Robyn Wilson PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Communication; Ecology; Education; Psychology; Science Education; Social Psychology; Social Research