• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.5 no.2 s.10
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• pp.97-127
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• 2005

While science museums, whose functions consist traditionally in collecting, preserving, researching, and displaying science-related objects, present scientific knowledge, figures, or tools in the historical context, science centers give more emphases on science education by exposing interactive exhibits to their visitors. However, neither objects-oriented exhibits nor hands-on technologies can provide museum visitors with the full insight into modem science in terms of its complicated relationships to politics, economy, culture, art, risk, and environment. This paper argues that for the 21st century we need to establish a new kind of science museum through the critical examination of its previous kinds - science museums and science centers. In the first part of this paper, the history of the first and second generations of science museums, including their recent trends in science centers, in the West will be elaborated. Secondly, the development of national science museums in Korea will be discussed specifically for the understanding of Korean science museums. The next part of this paper will seek for the possibilities of the third generation of science museums through three examples, which show interdisciplinary, contextual, and institutional approaches to change science museums or science centers. Fourthly, the social function of science museums as 'forum' will be discussed in relation to promoting public 'participation' of science as well as public 'understanding' of science. As a conclusion, some practical suggestions and conceptual guidelines will be proposed for the future Korean national science museum.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.336-345
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• 2005

This study examined the efforts of both national and international science museums and centers to educate the public on recent developments in science, technology, social issues, and ethical issues by analyzing STS-related content exhibits. The results indicated that all science centers informed the public about recent science technology and relevant social and ethical issues by a variety of channels. However, science museums in Korea merely introduced new science and technology at the rudimentary level and used attractions to gather people's attention, which contributed in eliciting distorted thoughts on science and new technology. Science centers in Korea are in need of an upgrade. By analyzing science museums in foreign countries, a unique education on STS themes or scientific issues in Korea can be developed.

• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.457-477
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• 2012

As the cases of merging and cooperation of archives and libraries increase abroad, research and discussions about integration of complex information services among information centers, such as archives, libraries and museums started to emerge. In a similar vein, the need for integrated cultural information centers are suggested in Korea as the museums encounter the need for expansion of contents, and libraries try to diversify their functions, yet regional public archives has not been established. In this context, the concept of 'Larchiveum(libraries + archives + museums)' was proposed as an alternative that integrates and provides various information functions and resources, and research related to this started to emerge. At present, however, the Larchiveum has not been realized, the specific pathway to realize this kind of institution need to be discussed. This study analyzes the functional characteristics and elements of archives, libraries and museums, and based on these, the functional requirements of the larchiveum are drawn, and are reflected on the Larchiveum's functional planning for space planning in this study.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.11 no.11
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• pp.115-121
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• 2020

This study aims to develop a framework of structural scenarios for chatbot docent that supports visitors' activities in science centers and museums, and to suggest the application examples. For this study, the author adapted Focus Group Interview. As a result, the frameworks of scenarios could be categorized into the Collection of Science and Technology(CST) and Inquiry-Based Exhibition(IBE). These frameworks had dimensions of the primary and storytelling in common. Especially, framework of IBE scenario was added the usage dimension considering the characteristics of interaction between exhibits and visitors. This study could be basic materials for AI chatbot to support exhibition descriptions using the built data, and is expected to be help develop a more visitor-oriented scenarios of activities.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.63-75
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to explore characteristics of on-line teaching materials on websites of natural history museums, particularly with regard to educational perspectives and the nature of science. The target resources were selected from the websites of the Natural History Museum in London, the Australian Museum in Sydney, the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, and the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C.. A total of twelve on-line resources from these museums used in this study were selected as representative informal science teaching materials. For the investigation, this study developed a checklist with a total of nine items that were grounded on mostly reviewing previous literature and articles focusing on educational perspectives of natural history museums and science centers. Exciting and positive results were found in all four museums. The analyses, however, indicated weaknesses as well as strengths in on-line resources regarding their usages as informal science teaching venues.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.281-289
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to isolate characteristics of exhibits particularly considering educational perspectives and effectiveness in attracting the attention of visitors in famous Natural History Museums. The target exhibits were selected from the Natural History museum in London, the Australian Museum in Sydney, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. A total of 107 sample exhibits used in this study from these four museums were selected as representative solid earth science education related exhibitions including fossils, geological history, and minerals. For the investigation, this study developed a checklist with seven items based on reviewing previous literature and articles pertaining to exhibit characteristics of natural history museums and science centers. Also the educational perspectives focused on classifications of exhibitions by Hein (1997). In this study, all the sample exhibit, were taken pictures of and stored on slide films for lated examination. Respectively exciting and positive results were found in all four museums. The analyses, however, indicated weaknesses as well as strengths in the four museum exhibits.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.71-85
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• 2021

The history of the Bakken Museum, the Museum of Electricity in Life, is useful to understand the universality and particularity of a local science museum. Beginning with the small collections at the medical device company, the Bakken Museum has expanded its scope and facilities by reidentifying its mission from research institute to educational center. The educational turn of the Bakken Museum has been completed with two remarkable events: the launch of the Summer Institute in 1984 and the construction of the new education facility, New Wing, in 1999. During this change, the museum staff developed unique strategies for public engagement, using the history of science and technology as an educational tool. The shift of the Bakken Museum's mission provides an excellent example of how a local museum could meet the social needs for museums to be educational centers by utilizing its history and collections.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.157-170
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• 2004

Students experience science not only through school science lessons but also through various other channels. Science-related facilities, including science museums and centers, are important channels for informal science education. Korea has a number of governmental and private facilities in which young people can experience various aspects of scientific activities, and many of them also provide the programs supporting out-of-school science activities. However, there has been no systematic survey study on those facilities providing out-of-school activities, thus they have not been used effectively as well as their social utility is not fully realized. To this end, in 2002 researchers of this study carried out surveys (1) of the facilities supporting out-of-school science activities and (2) of science programs provided by these facilities. The surveys show that there are approximately 180 facilities supporting science activities in Korea. More than 40% of them are located in Seoul and Gyeonggi areas. Among them, the proportion of special theme science museums was the greatest (37.9%). The facilities supporting out-of-school science activities usually do not target the specific age groups but are intended for all people. The proportion of governmental facilities exceeds that of private ones. 41.8% of the facilities examined in this study run their own science activity programs. Among the 10 categories of the programs, 'science class' type programs were the most common. There were more programs for elementary and middle school students than preschoolers, high school students and adults. The contents of the programs were more related to astronomy and meteorology, the observation of living things and field trips. Despite their high practical potential, the special theme science museums were found to be lacking in relevant programs, which could fulfill their values for informal science education.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.209-215
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of the contents which were presented in the physics exhibits of the following three museums; Seoul National Science Museum, National Science Museum and the Exploration Center. The main findings of this research were as follows: Firstly, it was found that 73.7% of the exhibits were composed of 'dynamic exhibits', 87.6% of the exhibits were 'active involvement type exhibits', 48.3% of the exhibits were 'interest induction type exhibits' and 42.8% of the physics exhibits were composed of exhibits related to optics. Secondly, it was found that many elementary students seemed to have difficulty in understanding and executing the activities in the physics exhibits.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.544-560
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• 2003

The purposes of this study were (1) to investigate the characteristics of the exhibits at three representative science centers or museums in Seoul, and (2) to analyse students' perceptions about the most and the least favorite exhibits selected by students as visitors. Three science centers investigated were Seoul National Science Museum, Seoul Education & Science Research Institute, LG Science Hall. The subjects for students' perception survey were 290 middle school students who visited the three science centers. The investigation of the exhibits showed that the goals, the contents, the visitors' viewing and manipulating activity types, and the explanation types of the exhibits depended on the purposes and the target visitors of each science center. Students' responses indicated that they most favored hands-on exhibit. And students preferred the exhibits that had new and comprehensible contents and the were related to what they had learned in school. Students said that they felt that science was exciting and that they came to experience what they did not do in school. Students said that reading or hearing given explanations was helpful to understand the exhibits, but about 20% of the students responded that they did not read explanation on panels at all. Students also said that guide's oral explanations were more understandable than written explanations on panels. Some of the students commented that having to wait for access because of crowds or because of the resetting time required for hands-on activities was inconvenience.