9797 Views (as of 05/2023)
  1. Victoria Coats
  2. https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-coats/
  3. Research, Development & Advancement Manager
  4. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  5. Oregon Museum of Science & Industry
  1. Chris Cardiel
  2. https://www.linkedin.com/in/clbcardiel/
  3. Research, Evaluation, and Impacts Manager
  4. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  5. Oregon Museum of Science & Industry
  1. Laura Carsten Conner
  2. https://carstenconner.community.uaf.edu/
  3. Research Assistant Professor
  4. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  5. University of Alaska Fairbanks
  1. Margaret Cysewski
  2. Permafrost Educator
  3. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  4. University of Alaska Fairbanks
  1. Catherine Diaz
  2. Exhibit Business Development Manager
  3. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  4. Oregon Museum of Science & Industry
  1. Suzanne Perin
  2. Postdoctoral Researcher
  3. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  4. University of Alaska Fairbanks
  1. Molly Schmitz
  2. Project Coordinator
  3. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  4. Oregon Museum of Science & Industry
  1. Matthew Sturm
  2. Project Lead
  3. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  4. University of Alaska Fairbanks
  1. Allyson Woodard
  2. https://www.linkedin.com/in/allyson-woodard-53aaa967/
  3. Exhibit Developer
  4. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  5. Oregon Museum of Science & Industry

Hot Times in Cold Places: The Hidden World of Permafrost

NSF Awards: 1423587, 1423550

2018 (see original presentation & discussion)

Grades 6-8, Informal / multi-age

Under the Arctic: Digging into Permafrost is part of a collaborative research project led by teams at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).Our project engages the public in the nature and prevalence of permafrost, its scale on the earth, and the important role it plays in the global climate. It builds on 50 years of informal education and outreach at the Alaskan Permafrost Tunnel, the Nation's only underground facility for research related to permafrost and climate. To bring this story to North American audiences, OMSI and UAF created Under the Arctic, 2,000 square foot interactive traveling exhibition that explores the big idea “Thawing permafrost disrupts Arctic landscapes and our global climate.” Visitors enter a replica of the Alaskan research tunnel, examine ice age fossils, and engage in activities about Arctic research and resilience. Our project also has a research component that investigates the broad question “What is the power of a real object?” We are using ethnographic methods to study learning using real, replicated, and virtual objects. Visitors to the permafrost tunnel in Fairbanks and to the exhibition at OMSI are participants in the study.

 

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Discussion from the 2018 STEM for All Video Showcase (22 posts)
  • Icon for: William Spitzer

    William Spitzer

    Facilitator
    Vice President
    May 14, 2018 | 07:47 a.m.

    This seems like such a wonderful opportunity to explore a comparison between an authentic and simulated immersive experience. Your video made me want to visit the actual tunnel, but I may have to settle for the simulated one!

    I was curious about how you are thinking about the role of interpretation (graphics, media, interactives, staff, etc.) in each setting. How are you incorporating this into your research on the visitor experience?

  • Icon for: Laura Carsten Conner

    Laura Carsten Conner

    Co-Presenter
    Research Assistant Professor
    May 14, 2018 | 01:03 p.m.

    Thanks, William! This is a great question. We are using a couple of different approaches to answer each research question. In one  study, we had the same interpreter give a tour in both the real tunnel and the replicate tunnel. While there are of course differences in terms of what she could focus on, we asked her to keep the interpretation the same to the extent possible. We have not yet analyzed the data but we are excited to see what emerges!

     
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    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Billy Spitzer
  • Icon for: Victoria Coats

    Victoria Coats

    Lead Presenter
    Research, Development & Advancement Manager
    May 14, 2018 | 02:01 p.m.

    Welcome to Under the Arctic! We are in our fourth and final year of our project and busy collecting data from visitors for our summative evaluation and research. The traveling exhibition remains at OMSI through the summer and the national tour launches in 2019. You can find more information about the exhibition here: https://omsi.edu/products/under-the-arctic-digg...

    Find out more about the tunnel and outreach in Alaska here: http://www.permafrosttunnel.org/

    We are interested to hear from other projects communicating about climate change.

     

     

     
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    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Julianne Mueller-Northcott
  • Icon for: Sue Allen

    Sue Allen

    Researcher
    May 14, 2018 | 03:43 p.m.

    I just love that you're doing research on the differences! Are you seeing a difference in the affective components or sense of "adventure" in the real vs simulated tunnels? Is there an age at which kids know the difference? Does it make a difference if you draw attention to the real vs simulated experience? Such a rare opportunity to have that full experience in both modes!

     
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    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Billy Spitzer
  • Icon for: Victoria Coats

    Victoria Coats

    Lead Presenter
    Research, Development & Advancement Manager
    May 14, 2018 | 07:25 p.m.

    Hi Sue,

    I am really interested in finding out more about the tour experience in each tunnel. Young kids are not part of tour groups for the research study, so we may not find out much about your age level question. We've observed some young kids being hesitant about entering the simulated tunnel, so something seems real to them?

     

  • Icon for: Suzanne Perin

    Suzanne Perin

    Co-Presenter
    Postdoctoral Researcher
    May 14, 2018 | 05:09 p.m.

    That sense of safety was mentioned by a few people in the museum (especially those who had been inside a tunnel or cave before) and certainly experienced by visitors to the real tunnel. The real tunnel is an working research facility, so everyone wears a hard hat, gets a safety briefing before entering, and can possibly bump their head on a low point in the tunnel. It's pretty safe but certainly not as designed & accessible as the museum.

    We are trying to capture the affective components through interviews and video recordings of the tours in both the real tunnel and the museum replica, and by changing exhibit signage to explicitly note if a displayed object is "real" and from the tunnel. We are really trying to capture what is compelling that creates the "aura" or significance of the real thing. I've just come off a weekend on the exhibit floor at OMSI collecting data on exhibit components, and I was noticing some of the same things noted in literature - (especially Leinhardt&Crowley, 2002 and Hampp&Schwan2014) such as feeling a connection to history, scale, age, uniqueness - are coming up for the OMSI visitors when they realize the objects are old and from the permafrost in Alaska. 

     
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    Billy Spitzer
  • Icon for: Claire Pillsbury

    Claire Pillsbury

    Facilitator
    Program Director
    May 14, 2018 | 09:21 p.m.

    What an unusual immersive environment and a timely topic.  Has presenting this replica of a research environment that helps give evidence about climate change over time triggered any strong reactions such as climate change 'dis-believers'?  What sort of permafrost research data have you incorporated in the exhibition in addition to the large animal skeletons/horns?  

     
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    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Julianne Mueller-Northcott
  • Icon for: Allyson Woodard

    Allyson Woodard

    Co-Presenter
    Exhibit Developer
    May 15, 2018 | 12:24 p.m.

    Hi Claire,

    There were a number of permafrost studies that we incorporated into the exhibit. For example, at one station, small children are invited to play with an Ice Age landscape that paleoecologists have pieced together from animal and plant remains found in permafrost. At another, visitors can play a video game that simulates research into methane bubbles being released by permafrost under lakes (as permafrost thaws, it releases greenhouse gases, and researchers can measure the emissions by counting and classifying bubbles frozen in lake ice). Throughout the exhibit, we introduce traditional ecological knowledge about permafrost by highlighting stories of change from Alaska Native elders. Visitors also examine core samples to determine where the they should build a structure, and learn about the challenges thawing permafrost poses to infrastructure and engineering.

    As to your first question, I think I should leave that response to the researchers on our team, but anecdotally, I have seen visitors discussing climate change throughout the exhibit.

     
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    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Claire Pillsbury
    Billy Spitzer
  • Icon for: Laura Carsten Conner

    Laura Carsten Conner

    Co-Presenter
    Research Assistant Professor
    May 15, 2018 | 02:45 p.m.

    Hi Claire,

    We are just finishing up data collection and about to launch into data analysis, so I can’t give a data driven response, but anecdotally it appears that perhaps the opposite happens, in that seeing and touching ice wedges seems to reinforce the climate change message. I have not personally surfaced much skepticism or disbelief during our data collection.

     
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    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Claire Pillsbury
  • Icon for: Julianne Mueller-Northcott

    Julianne Mueller-Northcott

    Facilitator
    Science Teacher
    May 15, 2018 | 12:20 p.m.

    What an exciting project for so many reasons! As a classroom teacher I love to travel with students and take them to places that we have learned about. But of course that isn't always possible so I really am interested in your question of "What is the power of a real object?" and what it could mean in a formal classroom. If your research supports it, do you see making recommendations/strategies for using simulated/virtual objects to classroom teachers as a possible outcome of your research? 

  • Icon for: Laura Carsten Conner

    Laura Carsten Conner

    Co-Presenter
    Research Assistant Professor
    May 15, 2018 | 02:26 p.m.

    Hi Julianne!

    thanks for your comment! We do hope that some practical  teaching implications/recommendations will be an outcome of the research. Stay tuned for more in the conference Ming months and years!

  • Icon for: Catherine McCarthy

    Catherine McCarthy

    Informal Educator
    May 15, 2018 | 10:12 p.m.

    Hi Vicki,

    I really like the combination of authentic video footage and personal story at the beginning of the video and the challenge of how to create that feeling and experience for museum visitors,

    -Catherine

  • Icon for: Matthew Sturm

    Matthew Sturm

    Co-Presenter
    Project Lead
    May 15, 2018 | 11:57 p.m.

    Hi All:

    It is nice to see the discussion about Real Objects. I have been a geologist/geophysicist for 40 years and have been fortunate to have been primarily an field scientist, so I have spent those years mostly dealing with Real Objects. I started giving tours of the permafrost tunnel nearly 35 years ago, and have given perhaps 800 such tours to groups as diverse as 2nd graders and to the Sec. of the Interior (under G.W. Bush)....and the real objects in the tunnel have always worked their magic on that very diverse audience.  Yet, the complex geometry of ice wedges and cave ice is difficult for people to grasp, and recently our physical manipulative models of these forms have been quite effective at helping people get the idea. 

    So clearly we need both real objects (for their potent magic) and synthetic constructs and digital content (for its explanatory power).  The trick is: how much of each?

     

    Matthew

     

     

     
    2
    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Claire Pillsbury
    Billy Spitzer
  • Icon for: William Spitzer

    William Spitzer

    Facilitator
    Vice President
    May 17, 2018 | 07:49 a.m.

    Matthew, that is really impressive that you have given 800 tours! Your question about real and simulated objects/phenomena is a great one, and it sounds like this research may lend some insights into this.

  • Icon for: Joyce Ma

    Joyce Ma

    Researcher
    May 18, 2018 | 02:01 p.m.

    What a fascinating project!    I have been grappling with the concept of authenticity --- what it means and what role(s), if any, it has in the visitor experience --- esp when there is no physical object (e.g. in data visualizations where visitors are manipulating scientific research datasets) and when there is no direct physical access to the object (e.g. micro-organisms under a microscope).    I would, therefore,  be very interested in your findings on real objects to help unpack the idea of authenticity.

  • Icon for: Victoria Coats

    Victoria Coats

    Lead Presenter
    Research, Development & Advancement Manager
    May 18, 2018 | 11:33 p.m.

    Hi Joyce, yes the question of real vs simulated has so many different dimensions, especially with media and visualizations. I've seen visitors assume that replica objects are real and that real specimens are models. Media introduces so many more variables! Hope our project research leads to some interesting insights about your questions.

  • Icon for: Suzanne Perin

    Suzanne Perin

    Co-Presenter
    Postdoctoral Researcher
    May 21, 2018 | 01:27 p.m.

    Hi Joyce, 

    I was thinking about your comment over the weekend and how to reply. "Authentic" is all in the definition. I reviewed our video this morning, wondering how often we used the word, and notice that we generally refer to "real" and "replicated" - rather than authentic. Vicki used the term once, and her meaning was "fidelity to the original place".  It's such a loaded term with shades of meaning, that through this project I've found that the terms we use need definition. What does it mean to be authentic? And I don't think there will be one answer, but it's a fun intellectual exercise to work through the nuance.

    Often museums (depending on the genre of museum) do exhibit "real" objects but there is much in the process & convention of display that renders them "less real" in respect to context, information, scale, significance, etc.  And that's just for material, physical objects! I imagine working with datasets where the "data" is seems more ephemeral (not sure that's the right term!) rather than physical adds another dimension to it. 

  • Icon for: Darrell Porcello

    Darrell Porcello

    Informal Educator
    May 18, 2018 | 04:52 p.m.

    Vicki...it is great to see the light at the end of the permafrost tunnel! The work of you and your colleagues is brilliant. I enjoy seeing the fine atmospheric touches I've come to expect from amazing & immersive OMSI experiences. Imagining you all prototyping possible candidates for the funny smell in this exhibit is priceless.   

  • Icon for: Victoria Coats

    Victoria Coats

    Lead Presenter
    Research, Development & Advancement Manager
    May 18, 2018 | 11:20 p.m.

    Darrell, thanks for your kind comments. The collaboration with UAF has been phenomenal. i feel like we've been able to enhance and support each other's work in so many ways. This kind of cross-pollination is one of my favorite things.

  • Icon for: Jennifer Atkinson

    Jennifer Atkinson

    Project Manager, STEM Guides
    May 19, 2018 | 01:28 p.m.

    How far and wide does this exhibit travel - or do you hope it will travel? Is it going to museums or science centers across the US? 

  • Icon for: Suzanne Perin

    Suzanne Perin

    Co-Presenter
    Postdoctoral Researcher
    May 21, 2018 | 01:12 p.m.

    Hi Jennifer - and anyone else interested in visiting the exhibit! - Under the Arctic will travel for several years. OMSI has a schedule and information about hosting the exhibit on their website linked here: Under the Arctic: Digging into Permafrost

  • Icon for: Catherine Diaz

    Catherine Diaz

    Co-Presenter
    Exhibit Business Development Manager
    May 21, 2018 | 01:49 p.m.

    Tagging onto your reply with a few additional details: The exhibit leaves OMSI in Portland, OR for its tour in January 2019 and will travel 8 years in total. We hope it will travel to many different types of host sites across North America including science centers, natural history museums, and any other institution that has an interest in displaying the exhibit.

    Like Suzanne mentioned, more details about renting the exhibit and where it is scheduled to be hosted can be found at the Under the Arctic web page. I'll have the privilege of managing the exhibit while it's on the road and am happy to correspond directly with anyone who is interested!

  • Further posting is closed as the event has ended.