Free Choice Learning

Commercial fishing thrives on tight-knit communities and shared interests among peers. When it comes to the Oregon coast, everyone is connected to the industry in some way. Fishing community resilience depends upon maintaining ties within and between communities as the world continues to change.

This video was created from oral histories gathered through research conducted as part of the Voices Oral History Archives. Produced by Oregon State Productions.

The Deep Sea and Me: Using a Science Center Exhibit to Promote Lasting Public Literacy and Elucidate Public Perception of the Deep Sea

Oregon Sea Grant operates the public education wing -- known as the Hatfield Visitor Center -- of the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon. As part of that, Oregon Sea Grant oversees the recruitment and training of volunteers who enrich visitors' experiences. In 2018, aquarium tank stands at the Visitor Center were renovated. Contractors replaced the 21-year-old metal supports then sculpted artificial rockwork around and under the tanks.

This is the sixth video in a series on the science of science outreach. It discusses the efforts of the National Institute of Public Communications for Science and Technology, in partnership with Oregon State University, to better understand the perspective of visitors to science museums. English and Spanish subtitles provided.

This qualitative and exploratory study aimed to understand the experience of adolescents during visits outside the school context in science museums and centers, and how the free-choice learning processes are constructed in this context. We analyzed the visits of four adolescents groups, from public schools to Maloka (Bogotá, Colombia), and observed the relations of the visitors with their peers, with the exhibits, and with the explainers.

Despite the fact that the majority of museum visitors are often very young children, much research in museums focuses on pre-teen learners (ages 8–12). Our goal in this study was to investigate the behaviors of children aged 5–8 during a visit to a science exhibition. We aim to develop a methodology to assess children’s levels of engagement with the interactive exhibits and how the participation of explainers (mediation) affected this engagement. Our working hypothesis was that different activities (and different kinds of mediation) would generate different levels of engagement.

This field guide covers the flora and fauna you may see along the one-mile Yaquina Estuary nature trail. The trailhead is on the east side of the Visitor Center at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon.

This is one of six videos about how aquarists with Oregon Sea Grant care for animals at the Hatfield Marine Science Center's Visitor Center in Newport, Oregon. This video explains how coral is propagated by snipping pieces from larger corals. Coral fragmentation is important because it allows hobbyists and professionals to grow and share their own corals instead of collecting wild coral from reefs around the world. Oregon Sea Grant operates the HMSC Visitor Center, which features interactive exhibits and attracts more than 150,000 visitors each year.

This is one of six videos about how aquarists with Oregon Sea Grant care for animals at the Hatfield Marine Science Center's Visitor Center in Newport, Oregon. This video explains how food is prepared and tailored to the needs of each species, including rockfish, pipefish, yellow tangs, skates, ratfish, sculpins and a moray eel. The use of feeding poles to make sure the food reaches specific animals is also discussed. Oregon Sea Grant operates the Visitor Center, which features interactive exhibits and attracts more than 150,000 visitors each year.