This document discusses the role of informal learning environments like parks, museums, and historical sites in promoting science education. It provides examples of different types of informal learning contexts, including museums, science parks, planetariums, historical sites, nature programs, and music rooms. These settings provide opportunities for hands-on, interactive learning outside of the classroom and can spark student interest in science.

1. ONLINE
ASSIGNMENT
Topic
Fostering science through Informal learning context such as parks,
Museum, Historical Movement etc.

2. Submitted by
Anuparvathy A
Roll No :-6
Physical Science
Emmanuel College
Introduction
Informal environments or out of school time settings play an important role in
promoting science learning. The learning experience delivered by parents, friends and
educators in informal environments can spark student interest in science and provide
opportunities to broaden and deepen students engagements, reinforce scientific
concept and practices introduced during the school day and promote an appreciation
for and interest in the pursuit of science in school and in daily life.
Opportunities to learn science occur throughout the day and year in a wide
variety of setting and through a range of experience. School based field trip, student
projects, community based science youth programs, casual visit to free choice learning
environment such as museums, and Zoos etc contribute a lot in providing appropriate
learning opportunities to diverse learners and in motivating them to learn science, both
within and outside of schools.

3. Informal learning context encompass a wide range of context and settings such
as Museum, Zoos, Nature and environmental programs and other science –rich cultural
institutions.
Museum
A Science museum is created by its contents and activities relating to them.
These contents may be historical artifacts such as steam engine or exhibits of natural
phenomena, scientific ideas or technological inventions. A museum is an educational
county fair, a serious and exciting learning environment where the relationships
between one exhibit and the next and among the exhibits, the visitors and the space as
a whole are important. The centers provide an important community –based resource
for science learning at all ages. The exhibits in museum present scientific ideas in ways
that prompt visitors, interacting with them, to ask themselves questions and reinforce
their own learning.
Science Park
A university research park, science park or science and technology park is an area
where innovation is a key. It is a physical place that support university-industry and
government collaboration with the intent of creating high technology economic
development and advancing knowledge. Science parks are otherwise known as
technology park or biopark. Science park are sources of entrepreneurship talent and
economic competitiveness and are key elements of the infrastructure supporting the
growth of todays global knowledge economy. They create environments that foster
collaboration and innovation.
Planetarium

4. A Planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and
entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky or for training in celestial
navigation. A dominant feature of most planetaria is the large dome shaped projection
screen onto which scenes of stars, plants and other celestial objects can be made to
appear and move realistically to simulate the complex motions of the heavens. It is an
ideal place to enjoy a day of form learning. It is an independent not for profit
educational foundation dedicated to increasing the public awareness, interest and
understanding of science and technology through entertainment.
Historical Environments
As well as being indispensable to the study of history and archaeology, the
historic thread of our environment is vital to our understanding of how our society and
our landscape have developed overtime. The historical environment is fundamental to
our sense of cultural identity. It provide a focus and resource for life long learning about
the human part and how people have inhabited the landscape and used natural
resources through time.
ANERT
Agency for Non-Conventional energy and rural technology is an autonomous
organization established during 1986 under societies Act by the Govt. of Kerala, now
functioning under power dept, with its head quarters at Trivandrum. The objective of
the agency is to gather and disseminate useful knowledge in various fields of non-
conventional energy, energy conservation and rural technology; conduct studies,
demonstrate, implement and support implementation of schemes and project in these

5. fields and thereby deal with the problems arising out of the rapid depletion of
conventional energy sources and improve the quality of life.
Playground
Science play heralds a revolution in outdoor play and learning. Innovations in
playground indroduces games that excite the imagination and encourage both
collaboration and competition. Children of all ages play through scientific achievements,
phenomena and always win a better understanding of the world we live in.
Music Rooms
The everyday examples of concepts that learn in science often reappear in the
music room, the most obvious being sound and sound waves. Musician understanding
of these important concepts help them perform better and when they are reinforced in
music lessons they become enduring understandings that music and science students
remember for life.

6. Conclusion
The speed at which technology evolves today is increasing more than ever before
and technology keeps offering new tools in order to simplify our lives. Although formal
form of instruction such as classroom lessons and e learning will still be used for many
years to come. It is becoming more and more important to pay attention to the more
informal methodology that student are using. The reason why informal learning is
becoming so popular have to do with immediacy and relevancy. Another reason consist
in the fact that learns can drive there learning in a more meaningful and self directed
manner.