Much of the research in learning has been focused on
formal situations -- schools. But so many people of all ages learn science
and other matters outside of school. The central challenge Ilan
Chabay will discuss in this seminar is understanding science learning
in isolated situations -- reading a newspaper article, visiting a
museum, talking with a friend, watching a TV show. He will talk about
use of stories, metaphors, and models as ways to involve people in
the ideas and issues of science and as the means to study their
process of learning.
Ilan Chabay has a background in chemical physics. After a PhD from the University of Chicago he worked for several years as a researcher at NIST. In 1982 he took a sabbatical to serve as the associate director of the Exploratorium in San Francisco. He began designing playful, interactive installations to teach children to understand and experiment with scientific concepts. Today, his exhibits are found in more than 200 museums and science centers around the world, as well as in many other places, such as cruise ships, entertainment companies, trade shows, high tech companies, and in industrial and graphic design firms. He has made a special effort to place exhibits "where kids spend time", e.g. in Mc Donalds, grocery stores, doctors offices or malls, creating an opportunity for parents to learn and play with their kids. He observes kids as they explore his exhibitions by watching what they do, listening to what they say, and noticing their interaction with each other and the exhibit. He is Institute Fellow at the Institute for Learning Innovation in Annapolis, MD, where he has initiated a collaborative research project on adolescent learning from innovative computer games. He is also directing a team designing an innovative NASA Science Education Framework.
On March 8, Ilan Chabay will be inaugurated as the first Erna and Victor Hasselblad professor in Public Learning and Understanding of Science. Read more: http://www.hasselbladfoundation.org/ and http://www.newcurshop.com/.
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Welcome! Christina.Karrqvist@ped.gu.se
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