LEVERAGING MUSEUM OBJECTS AND RESEARCH TO ADVANCE CRITICAL THINKING

Three key movements are providing museums with increased opportunities to carry out their missions in new and innovative ways. First, rapid evolution of technology is creating novel approaches for engaging and communicating with learners of all ages – including access to growing volumes of digitized museum collections. Second, the increased emphasis in K12 on three-dimensional learning (disciplinary core ideas, cross-cutting concepts, and scientific practices) is providing museums with expanded opportunities to work in partnership with teachers and their students to support new science standards – standards relying on authentic learning experiences rooted in an understanding of the nature of science. Finally, employers regularly underscore the need for strong critical thinkers – a workforce prepared to solve complex challenges stemming from our rapidly changing, increasingly technological world.

This presentation looks at the Natural History Museum of Utah’s work at the intersection of these three movements. We will discuss how collaborations between museum educators and scientists, learning researchers, middle school teachers and students, curriculum specialists, expert advisors, and a host of technology partners, led to the development of a new program, Research Quest – online, scientist supported investigations using virtual, 3D objects and the research questions surrounding those objects. Our initial, pilot investigations are rooted in the mysteries of Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry and ask middle school students to work in collaborative groups to tackle three key questions. These questions we’ve posed form the basis for each of the three pilot investigations. Further, each investigation uses web-based technologies to engage students in their research – 3D viewers, interactive maps, simulation based software, and scientist-led videos. Teachers and students are additionally supported through carefully developed instructional guides and student notebooks.

We will also discuss the methods we developed to measure how students’ critical thinking is impacted through the use of these investigations including what we are learning and how those findings are informing our next stages of development with Research Quest.