Filter by keyword: Science centres and museums

The article documents the participatory design experience between the MIC and the Ikiam Regional Amazon University for the creation of the exhibition “Maripensario”, based on neurobiological research on Heliconiini butterflies. Through interviews and content analysis, it examines the process of translating scientific knowledge into an immersive, emotional, aesthetic, and educational proposal. The exhibition integrated art and science, proposing a situated and transformative model of science communication that strengthens the dialogue between academia and museums, and positions the MIC as a space for collective learning and critical reflection.

This study examines the degree of institutionalization of Public Communication of Science (PCS) in Mexico based on a sample of 83 research centers belonging to the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), and the Public Research Centers coordinated by the Secretariat of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation (SECIHTI). Using a structured questionnaire grounded in the multilevel model proposed by Entradas and Bauer, the study identifies budgetary inequalities, the predominance of one-way activities, and partial progress in policies and professionalization. The findings place the Mexican case within a broader Latin American process of transition towards the consolidation of PCS as a strategic function of the scientific system.

This article examines the history of public visitation at the Prof. Mello Leitão Biology Museum (MBML) from 1949 to 2023, including an analysis of the objectives behind scheduled visits in 2022 and 2023. The methodology was based on bibliographic research, document analysis, and thematic categorization of visit purposes. Since its foundation, MBML has prioritized scientific research, but over the years, it has become an important space for education and culture. Its transition to federal management brought significant implications for public engagement. Among the main motivations for guided visits are: Biodiversity and Conservation (30%), History and Culture (26%), and Environmental Education (17%).

This article shares the results of a visitors study conducted with families at Modo Escape: Solo la ciencia podrá salvarte, the educational escape room located at the Espacio Ciencia hands-on center (Montevideo, Uruguay). To collect data for the research, six families' participation in the escape room was recorded using a GoPro camera placed on the head of one of the participants. The interactions and conversations that occurred among family members were subsequently analyzed. The results show that participants spent a significant amount of time engaged in interactive activities, primarily referring to manipulation of objects. It was observed that conversations about topics related to the activity facilitated various situations of collaborative work among participants and were essential for completing the tasks before the time limit expired. Regarding the conceptual content addressed through the activities, it was evident that participants were able to understand some scientific concepts beyond just playing and having fun. We hope that this study will be of interest to anyone interested in designing and implementing educational escape rooms with scientific content.

This study maps and characterizes the presence of Brazilian Science and Technology Centers and Museums (CMCT) in the "virtual world", seeking to understand how they fit in and relate to the public in these environments. The websites and social media profiles of 185 CMCTs, selected from the guide published by the Brazilian Association of Science and Technology Museums and Centers, were explored, identifying initiatives for virtualizing collections and practices. The result was that 39% of the institutions are present in virtual environments, but this occurs in an erratic, dispersed and outdated manner, especially with limited interactivity or dialogicity.

This study presented how the exhibitions at Viera y Clavijo Botanical Garden (JBCVC), Gran Canaria, Spain, contribute to the scientific literacy of its visitors from the perspective Non-Formal Education. The presence of scientific literacy indicators at the JBCVC is evaluated using the tool developed by Marandino et al. [2018], which provides four indicators (scientific, social interface, institutional, and interaction). The results reveal that the exhibitions focus on attributes associated with the scientific indicator, with a limited presence of institutional, social, and aesthetic/affective indicators, and some recommendations are made for the environmental education process at the JBCVC.

Biodiversity and conservation are very popular terms that encompass different kinds of content, and addressing them in educational contexts is challenging. We assume the importance of promoting access to more complex definitions and content on these topics, contributing to the expansion of a reliable repertoire of terms and multifaceted ideas, as well as encouraging engagement with environmental issues. In this article, we discuss how these themes are represented in two immersive exhibitions in Botanical Gardens. To do so, we use Basil Bernstein’s Pedagogic Discourse model, with emphasis on the relationship between discourses from different areas of knowledge and/or forms of knowing (interdisciplinarity). It is considered that a higher degree of interdisciplinarity enhances more multifaceted and complex messages about biodiversity and conservation. The findings reveal that exhibition design plays an important role in expanding interdisciplinarity, and that the context in which the exhibitions are produced and presented also has a significant influence, contributing in different ways to providing access to the complexity of ideas surrounding these themes.