Director, Heureka, the Finnish Science Centre, Vantaa, Finland Dr. Per-Edvin Persson Director, Heureka, the Finnish Science Centre, Vantaa, Finland Empowerment of People with Science

Everybody wants a science centre

Today, science centres tend to - use multiple media (including historical objects – integration with museums?) - depend not just on the physical site (the virtual science centre, web-based services) - have contractual relationships with formal education (running learning centres, preschools, schools) - have established relationships with higher education (master’s programmes in science communication, sharing professorships with universities); - seek on-going relations with the media (maybe we will see the science centre channel evolve?) - be more involved with their communities (audience diversity programmes)

Examples at Heureka: Learning Centre established in 2008 to produce teaching materials for empirical science learning in close co-operation with schools and universities. The centre employs Heureka teachers to develop new materials, organises our school visits and teacher training. Heureka donated the fund to the University of Helsinki to establish a Full Chair of Science Centre Pedagogy. The professor will work physically out of Heureka’s Learning Centre.

Definitions used in this presentation: learning impact means any impact on the acquisition of knowledge or skills by an individual or group of individuals; economic impact means any measurable contribution to the economy of the surrounding community; social impact means any identifiable impact on social processes in the surrounding community; - policy impact means any identifiable influence at the decision making level (laws, local regulations, urban planning decisions by municipal boards or councils etc.).

Definitions of learning vary Definitions of learning vary. Free-choice learning is probably better assessed through observation of behaviours than through predetermined definitions of what should be learned, as is often done in the formal education environment. Studies designed in this way show that learning occurs in science centres and that significant understanding of phenomena can be achieved.

Science centres strengthen the motivation of students, and influence learning strategies (deep learning). Science centres also influence attitudes towards science and the career choices of young people.

The challenge is to induce an intellectual process that will result in a change of thinking or behaviour without stigmatizing or preaching. We need to light the light!

John H. Falk, Carol Scott, Lynn Dierking, Leonie Rennie and Mika Cohen Jones 2004. Interactives and Visitor Learning. Curator 47 (2), 171-192 Visit to science centre produced different short-term and long-term outcomes. Short-term outcomes: knowledge and skills, motivation and interests. Long-term outcomes: perspective and awareness, social learning.

Science centres provide good learning environments for challenged students – studies and programmes at Heureka, Finland. Science centres perform valuable services to strengthen science teaching in underserved and challenged communities – a 6 million USD programme at Liberty Science Centre, New Jersey. Science centres provide outreach programmes to bring science learning to distant rural areas – National Council of Science Museums, India.

Science centres strengthen the knowledge base of their communities