explanatoids™ Everywhere there's science

Explanatoids™ is a gender-sensitive model for enhancing math and science literacy within the community. Explanatoids™ projects are collaborations between Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh funded by the National Science Foundation and operating under the administration of the Girls, Math & Science Partnership. Over the last few years, explanatoids™ projects have encouraged conversations in public places about the importance of math and science to the Pittsburgh region's girls.

THE NEED
On a national level and in Southwestern Pennsylvania the number of women entering into math and science related fields is disproportionately lower than that of men. Research has shown that girls' interest in math and science is often implicitly or explicitly discouraged (American Association of University Women, 1992).

Informal learning experiences offer children a way to develop an interest and depth of knowledge in science and mathematics. The largest impact of these informal learning experiences are on children who are most likely to enter the educational and professional pipe-line for science and technology -the children of families that go to museums, watch educational programming, and visit educational sites. It has also been demonstrated that boys are most likely to reap these benefits because they are more often invited to participate in science and math related learning activities and conversations.

OUR GOALS
The goal of the explanatoids™ is to seed ideas which will become elaborated on in future conversations and activities involving math and science. These projects are designed to start from naturally occurring questions, and to provide targeted pieces of casual, analogical and principled explanation.

Our aim is to help young women explore math and science by discovering their questions and interest in the world around them and to frame those questions in media that is designed to engage girls, yet is neither out of reach nor gender or ethnically linked/specific.

THE PROJECTS
Each semester team members from each University develop explanatoids™ and place signage and media about the science behind "real world" questions in public places around Pittsburgh.

For example at a popular roller coaster at Kennywood Park, three signs - "The Scream Team," "No Engine? No Way!" and "Choose Your Adventure" - are currently on display in the queue area. Research on the effectiveness of these signs showed that they were successful in stimulating curiosity about the science behind the rollercoaster. We hope this curiosity will encourage girls, (and boys) to pursue other questions in the fields of science mathematics, technology, and engineering

RESEARCH
The Kennywood Park character-driven explanatoids™ signage was the result of an in-depth study of over 3,000 families and serves as a platform from which parents, educators and mentors can begin to talk with young women about the opportunities available to them in the world of science.

"Community conversations" around each explanatoids™ sign, brings science outside the classroom and into Pittsburgh's neighborhoods.

Girls, Math and Science Partnership
GMSP is an initiative of Family Communications, Inc., the producers of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Funded and inspired by the work of the Heinz Endowments and the Alcoa Foundation. GMSP helps individuals in the community think differently about what science is and who can do it.

1This Material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0217033

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

WHO MAKES IT HAPPEN

Janet Stocks, Ph.D., Principal Investigator for explanatoids™, is the Assistant Vice Provost for Education at Carnegie Mellon University where she directs the Undergraduate Research Initiative and the Fellowship Resource Advising Center. Stocks is a sociologist whose research experience includes educational research on mathematics and technology curriculum and initiatives in K-12 in the Pittsburgh region and research on gender. She has recently co-edited a book about the integration of research and education at the college and university level. Stocks is a faculty member in the Pittsburgh Teachers Institute, a collaborative effort between Carnegie Mellon, Chatham College, and the Pittsburgh Public Schools. She is responsible for working with Pittsburgh Public Schools teachers to develop appropriate curriculum for the Explanatoids project and will continue to facilitate Carnegie Mellon University student and faculty participation in the project.

Carnegie Mellon University Assistant Vice Provost for Education

Kevin Crowley is Associate Professor of Education and Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh's Learning Research & Development Center. He is also Director of the newly founded University of Pittsburgh Center for Learning in Out of School Environments (UPCLOSE). UPCLOSE is a group of researchers and educators building and applying a practical theory of informal learning in partnership with a number of informal learning institutions in Pittsburgh and beyond. His two books and many journal articles focus on ways that families and children learn about science and technology in out-of- school settings. He currently serves as Associate Editor of the American Education Research Journal and was founding Chair of the Out-of-School Learning Environments Division of the American Educational Research Association. Before coming to the University of Pittsburgh, Crowley received a Ph.D. in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University and was a Postdoctoral Fellow in Developmental Psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

University of Pittsburgh Learning Research & Development Center

Kristin Hughes is Assistant Professor in Carnegie Mellon University's School of Design, where she teaches two- and three-dimensional design, advanced typography, and senior studio. Her current research focus is the creation of design-based programming for at-risk urban youth that develops critical thinking and problem-solving skills. In addition to this work that uses design as a tool for creating social change, she is also collaborating with an interdisciplinary team on an NSF funded exploration of gender-sensitive science-based communications, "explanatoids." explanatoids cultivates interest in science in pre-teen girls through environmental signage and programming. Ms. Hughes has a master's degree in visual communication from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Carnegie Mellon University School of Design

Betsy James DiSalvo is the project manager for the explanatoids™ Click! project. DiSalvo has gained experience in managing similar projects in state government, non-profit foundations, and in the private sector. In addition she is a founding member of the arts collective 0501, whose event-based installations engage political and consumer issues.

Click! The Urban Adventure

Barbara K. Mistick is nationally recognized as an innovator in entrepreneurship education and as an advocate for women's issues. In her current position at Carnegie Mellon University, she is responsible for the Girls, Math & Science Initiative, a public-private collaboration between Fred Rogers' Family Communications, Inc., the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. The Initiative is focused on expanding informal learning opportunities for girls to explore entrepreneurship, math and science. Prior to joining Carnegie Mellon, Barbara was Director of Seton Hill University's National Education Center for Women in Business where she facilitated the first statewide research in Pennsylvania documenting women's current and potential economic contributions. Barbara is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors of the International ATHENA Foundation, an international leadership organization dedicated to advancing opportunities for woman throughout the world with programs in over 350 cities in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.

Girls, Math & Science Partnership