TITLE:
Low-Cost Scientific Exhibition: A Proposal to Promote Science Education
AUTHORS:
Gustavo Henrique Varela Saturnino Alves, Lucianne Fragel-Madeira, Thaís Varandas de Azeredo, Helena Carla Castro, Grazielle Rodrigues Pereira, Robson Coutinho-Silva
KEYWORDS:
STEAM, Science Center, Travelling Museum, Sustainable Development Goals, Mediator
JOURNAL NAME:
Creative Education,
Vol.11 No.5,
May
25,
2020
ABSTRACT: Science education has emerged in recent years in view of globalization,
new jobs and demands for sustainable development as provided by the United Nations on the 2030 agenda, through the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). Active teaching methodologies such as STEAM
emerge as a facilitator and attractive for the learning process. However, for
many developing countries, the high cost prevents implementation of this
methodology in formal educational settings. Thus, thinking about new, low-cost
science education strategies that can supply
such demand is a priority issue for the SDGs to be reached in these locations.
The objective of this work was to identify the potential propagator of itinerant scientific exhibitions, with low-cost
interactive activities and based on
the STEAM methodology, and their evaluation by the public, aiming to achieve the goals of the SDGs. With an investment of less than three dollars per capita, Science Under Tents organized and
carried out scientific exhibitions throughout its 6 years of existence
in various locations in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
During this time, we produced 30 interactive activities at low cost, most of
which are easy and medium to reproduce and based on STEAM, in addition to addressing various aspects of the SDGs.
The exhibitions were mediated by undergraduate and graduate students
from several higher education institutions,
who were responsible for the dialogue with the visiting public. Despite the low cost invested, exhibition was very well evaluated by the public served.
Thus, we believe that itinerant scientific exhibitions, with low cost
activities and based on STEAM, are interesting scientific education strategies
to promote the SDGs.