Design, Make, Play: Making the time and space to define your own questions in an urban science museum

December 7, 2017

This talk and discussion will describe how playful learning experiences in science museums can motivate and deepen all learners’ visions of themselves as scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. The New York Hall of Science serves an extremely diverse population of visitors, including many young children, and is committed to an overarching approach to STEM learning for all that we call Design, Make, Play. I will share examples of research projects and exhibit development efforts that illustrate the opportunities and challenges we are encountering as we seek to create playful, interest-driven learning experiences for our audiences. I will also discuss our research interests, which focus on how informal experiences can equitably engage all learners, and support the development of the cross-disciplinary practices that are at the heart of the doing of science and engineering.