Learning science in informal environments

Sukh Makhnoon

National Research Council. (2009). Theoretical perspectives, Conclusions and recommendations. In Bell, P., Lewenstein, B., Shouse, A.W. & Feder, M.A. (Eds.), Learning science in informal environments: People, places, and pursuits (pp. 27-53, 291-314). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. 

Recently, my public health students were assigned to take a stance on: whether we should spend more money on HIV vaccine research or spend it on educating people about HIV prevention methods instead? Unsurprisingly, most of them favored education. As someone in public health, teaching in informal environments has always been one of our sharpest tools. We teach people to wash hands, to cover their coughs, to vaccinate, and the list goes on. Most of this education is meant to benefit the people around you rather than yourself. And as a result, people continue to not listen to us and we continue to train more public health professionals!

As a public health geneticist, I can safely say that, when a genetic counselor talks to people about the anomalies in their genes, people tend to listen. This depicts the importance of “learner’s prior knowledge, interest, and identity in learning in informal environments” as identified in conclusion 5 of the ‘Learning Science in Informal Environments: people, places and pursuits’ (NRC, 2009).

This high-stake learning environment demands that you understand complex science, and make important personal decisions based on your learning. This learning may be in complicated by your cultural lack of understanding about genetics (NRC Conclusion 4, pg 296) or you may need to unlearn things you read on Facebook (NRC Conclusion 7, pg 299).

“Emotions associated with interest are a major factor in thinking and learning” (pg 58). When stakes are high (such as in medical decision making), what can teachers or learners do to maximize proper learning, what information is retained, how long it is remembered, and how can learners use the information for wise decision making?