Evaluating the Impact of the Unpacking the STEM Imagination Convening at the Museum of Science

Program Evaluation
Written By Cathy Sigmond

Client: Museum of Science | Location: Boston, MA

 
 

We measured the impact of Unpacking the STEM Imagination, a Convening for Informal Science Professionals designed by Museum of Science, Boston.

OVERVIEW

With funding from the National Science Foundation, we partnered with Museum of Science, Boston to conduct a professional impacts evaluation of a convening and activities called, “Unpacking the STEM Imagination.” The convening brought together a wide range of individuals working on projects involving imagination in STEM practice. The evaluation looked at whether professionals who participated in the convening grew their knowledge and awareness of work on imagination in STEM, as well as interest and actions to pursue future work on imagination in STEM.

APPROACH

The evaluation took a longitudinal approach included four components over 6 months:

  • Attendance and observation of the convening sessions

  • A survey of participants 1 month after the convening 

  • A survey of participants 3 months after the convening

  • Interviews with participants 6 months after the convening

CLIENT TAKEAWAYS

The project was successful in its goals to (1) increase understanding of the role of imagination in STEM and learning;\ and (2) increase awareness of current and recent ISE initiatives in which imagination is addressed. Participants complimented the team’s extensive literature review. They also enjoyed  connecting with people from across many fields who are doing work related to imagination and STEM.

The project was less successful in action-oriented goals to (1) increase or renew interest in positioning imagination as an explicit objective for future ISE work; (2) influence behavior (participants will plan initiatives that address the priority areas for future development emergent from convening proceedings); and (3) sustain interest and engagement in seeking partnerships or collaborators for future work.

One primary challenge is that the convening took place virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which several participants said made it difficult for them to engage fully and impeded networking.

Cathy Sigmond

Cathy brings many years of experience in education and experience design to her role as Head of Strategy at Kera Collective. 

Having previously worked in a variety of educational settings, Cathy is driven by her constant fascination and delight at how people make discoveries about the familiar and the unfamiliar. 

Cathy loves helping to shape experiences that spark curiosity and make a difference in people’s lives. She particularly enjoys the rapid, iterative nature of design-based research and the deep insights that come from qualitative research, especially on projects exploring interactions with the digital and built environments. 

Cathy shares her passion for experience design research widely and regularly guest lectures for graduate programs, including the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Exhibition and Experience Design Program and the Pratt Institute’s School of Information. Cathy served as the co-chair of the Museum Computer Network’s Human-Centered Design special interest group from 2018-2021.

Outside of work, you can usually find Cathy playing soccer, thrifting, or making her way through her large cookbook collection. 

Cathy’s favorite museum experiences are immersive; she will always vividly remember walking through the giant heart at the Franklin Institute, being surrounded by birds at the Peabody Essex Museum, and hearing centuries-old instruments come to life at the Museum of Musical Instruments. 

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