Interior Design for Informal Science Learning: Case Study for a Small Community Science Center

Barbara Lynne Young, Purdue University

Abstract

In 2008, the National Research Council (NRC) published a report on Informal Science Education (NRC, 2008). According to this report, The Academic Competitiveness Council and National Science Board named informal science learning as one of the key factors, along with K-12 and higher education, that impact science education and future innovation in the United States. It is believed that much of the learning that occurs in informal environments is based on personal interests, motivating further inquiry, and a rewarding sense that science learning can be personally relevant. In 1992, Falk and Dierking proposed that the experience, and motivation to learn, in informal science environments is affected by personal contexts, social contexts, and physical context. While frameworks exist that study the personal and social contexts on informal learning, fewer studies have focused on physical aspects of the interior environment. The purpose of this case study is to explore visitor perceptions and preferences of interior design features which support key elements of informal learning in science centers identified in the literature: 1) choice, 2) motivation, and 3) mitigate distraction. Community members who visit the museum regularly were invited to participate in focus groups and design charettes, offering insights into their experiences and expectations. Through a constant comparative process, their responses were compared against environment recommendations found in the existing body of literature as they relate to choice, motivation, and distraction.

Degree

M.F.A.

Advisors

Hynes, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Design|Architecture

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