Herrenkohl Gets NSF Collaboration Research Grant

Leslie Herrenkohl, associate professor of educational psychology, is in the midst of working to build capacity and collaboration at the intersection of the Learning Sciences and Informal Science Education. Herrenkohl is working with two learning science graduates, Sandra Toro Martell and Heather Toomey Zimmerman. This grant brings together researchers from Penn State University, University of Washington and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in collaboration with national organizations such as the Center for the Advancement of Informal Science Education. 

The goal of the Intersection project is to build capacity and collaboration at the intersection of two fields, informal science education and the learning sciences. The project supports researchers and practitioners to collaborate on educational research, development, and dissemination projects to advance knowledge of how people learn in non-school settings and to inform best practices in informal STEM education. The project includes work on four themes: engagement and learning; access and equity; facilitation, teaching and assistance; and learning technologies. An August 2009 workshop included 44 participants. Larger audiences have been reached through four web forums and six conference presentations. Work continues on publications in journals, professional newsletters, and monographs to disseminate principles, practices and research findings based on these collaborative efforts.