Are you an educator, paid or volunteer, looking for an opportunity to improve your practice through understanding more about learning theory and evaluating exhibits and programs? You may be interested in OSU’s new professional certificate program, starting at the end of this month.<\/p>\n
Contacts
\nBridget Egan
\nBridget.Egan-at-oregonstate.edu<\/p>\n
Free-Choice Learning and Informal Education continuing education certificate
\nprogram begins April 1st<\/p>\n
March 1, 2013<\/p>\n
Registration is now open for the Free-Choice Learning Professional Certificate,<\/a> an The program helps professional and volunteer educators in museums, zoos, aquaria Courses are taught by experienced Oregon State faculty and researchers<\/a>: Lynn<\/a> Learn more about the Free-Choice Learning Professional Certificate on our website.<\/p>\n OSU Professional and Noncredit Education provides education and training for This innovative program immerses museum, zoo, aquarium and science outreach professionals and volunteers in free-choice learning theories. Participants will work with some of the field\u2019s leading researchers and learn how to apply informal learning environments theories in real-world educational settings.\u00a0Participants can earn the Free-Choice Learning Professional Certificate by completing each required course for this program or take individual courses without enrolling in the professional certificate program.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Designing Learning Environments: Physical dimensions of free-choice learning SUMMER 2013 FALL 2013<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Are you an educator, paid or volunteer, looking for an opportunity to improve your practice through understanding more about learning theory and evaluating exhibits and programs? You may be interested in OSU’s new professional certificate program, starting at the end of this month. Contacts Bridget Egan Bridget.Egan-at-oregonstate.edu Free-Choice Learning and Informal Education continuing education certificate… Continue reading
\nonline program offered by Oregon State University.<\/p>\n
\nand educational outreach programs discover more about free-choice learning:
\nthe study of what, where and how we choose to learn over the course of our
\nlifetimes. Participants will study learning theory and practice using theory and
\nresearch towards building their professional practice with in their community.
\nParticipants will also actively engage in practice evaluations of exhibits, programs
\nand curriculum.<\/p>\n
\n Dierking<\/a>, Sea Grant professor and interim associate dean for research in the OSU
\nCollege of Education; John H. Falk<\/a>, Sea Grant professor and interim director of the
\nCenter for Research in Lifelong STEM Learning; Shawn Rowe, marine education and
\nlearning specialist at Oregon Sea Grant Extension; and Jennifer Bachman, instructor
\nand Free-Choice Learning program coordinator.<\/p>\n
\nbusinesses, organizations, associations and professionals anywhere throughout the
\nstate and beyond. The majority of professional and noncredit students are focused
\non continuing education: licensure recertification, professional development and
\npersonal enrichment. OSU Professional and Noncredit Education is part of the
\nuniversity\u2019s Division of University Outreach and Engagement.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Learning is influenced by the interaction of variables within three contexts \u2014 personal, socio-cultural and physical. This course focuses on how macro-scale environmental factors, like space,\u00a0crowding and novelty, and micro-scale environmental factors, like design elements, real objects and different media, support free-choice learning.
\nInstructors:\u00a0Shawn Rowe, Ph.D. and\u00a0Jennifer\u00a0Bachman, Ph.D.
\nLaunches April 1, 2013<\/p>\n
\nDeveloping Effective Evaluations
\n<\/strong>Developing Effective Evaluations\u00a0is an introductory course that focuses on providing a hands-on approach to effectively assessing\/evaluating learning and behavior within the free-choice learning\u00a0contexts such as museums, national parks, zoos, aquariums and broadcast media. The design and implementation of an evaluation is used as a lens for understanding the hows and whys of\u00a0assessment and evaluation. This course is designed to help professionals design their own evaluation\/assessment research as well as become informed consumers of others\u2019 research.
\nInstructors:\u00a0Marianna Adams, Ph.D. and Jennifer\u00a0Bachman, Ph.D.
\nLaunches June 24, 2013<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Investigates the fundamental roles that identity, motivation, interest, prior knowledge and experience, and choice and control play in supporting learning and how learning leaders can build on these\u00a0dimensions of learning in order to successfully engage lifelong learners.
\nInstructors:\u00a0John Falk, Ph.D. and\u00a0Jennifer\u00a0Bachman, Ph.D.
\nLaunches September 2013<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Investigates connections between theories of free-choice learning and the fundamental concepts of sociology, social psychology and anthropology: social stratification, social structure and interaction,\u00a0social institutions, and cultural background.
\nInstructors: \u00a0Lynn Dierking, Ph.D. and Jennifer\u00a0Bachman, Ph.D.
\nThis course and more electives launch January 2014<\/div>\n<\/div>\n