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1. Reconfiguring science education through caring human inquiry and design with pets

   https://doi.org/10.1080/10508406.2023.2228990  

   Parekh, Priyanka; Polman, Joseph L.; Kane, Shaun; Shapiro, R. Benjamin (August 2023, Journal of the Learning Sciences)

   BACKGROUND: Natureculture (Haraway, 2003; Fuentes, 2010) constructs offer a powerful framework for science education to explore learners’ interactions with and understanding of the natural world. Technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) designed to reveal pets’ sensory worlds and companionship with pets can facilitate learners’ harmonious relationships with significant others in naturecultures. METHODS: At a two-week virtual summer camp, we engaged teens in inquiring into dogs’ and cats’ senses using selective color filters, investigations, experience design projects, and understanding how the umwelt (von Uexküll, 2001) of pets impacts their lives with humans. We qualitatively analyzed participants’ talk, extensive notes, and projects completed at the workshop. FINDINGS: We found that teens engaged in the science and engineering practices of planning and carrying out investigations, constructing explanations and designing solutions, and questioning while investigating specific aspects of their pets’ lives. Further, we found that teens checking and taking pets’ perspectives while caring for them shaped their productive engagement in these practices. The relationship between pets and humans facilitated an ecological and relational approach to science learning. CONTRIBUTION: Our findings suggest that relational practices of caring and perspective-taking coexist with scientific practices and enrich scientific inquiry. 

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2. Teens and pets as participatory design partners

   Parekh, P.; Kane, S. K.; Polman, J. L.; Shapiro, R. B. (June 2022, Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning - CSCL 2022)

   Weinberger, A.; Chen, W.; Hernández-Leo, D.; Chen, B. (Ed.)

   Participatory Design (PD) aims to minimize the unintended consequences of designs and innovations by inviting users to engage in the process (Muller & Druin, 2012). Designing with some users—for example, pets—is challenging because pets communicate in unique ways. But it holds promise because pets and humans are companions. Expecting teens' relationships with pets to motivate them to be co-designers, we organized a virtual summer workshop engaging teens in activities to understand their canine and feline pets better and design an experience to improve their pets’ lives. We analyzed video recordings of teens' engagement at the camp and their descriptions of their experience design projects using qualitative thematic analysis. We found that caring and loving relationships with pets are also contexts for engaging in a systematic design process. 

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3. The Role of Positioning in the Ecological Learning of Human Youth Making for Pet Companions

   Parekh, P; Polman, J; Kane, S; Shapiro, R. B. (June 2023, Proceedings of the International Conference of the Learning Sciences)

   Blikstein, P. (Ed.)

   Making engages young people with the material world and reflection-in-action, creating promising science learning contexts. Emphasizing relational and social dimensions of making, we conducted a week-long workshop for middle schoolers who are current and aspiring pet companions. Supporting participants’ inquiry into pets’ senses and related behaviors, we asked them to work on maker projects meant to improve their pets’ lives. Following a qualitative analysis of participants’ positioning in relation to their pets, we present case studies of two female participants’ positioning. We find that through the process of making, the two participants demonstrated an increased awareness of pets’ biology and related behavior and their personal interests in pet care, while also differing in what aspects of human-pet relations they focused on. We conclude that through making, especially in contexts with a robust relational draw, youth become attentive to complex and otherwise difficult-to-notice transactions central to taking care of pets. 

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4. Volunteers as Learners and Leaders: Considerations for Meaningful Service Opportunities

   https://doi.org/10.1177/10451595261431818  

   Zarestky, Jill; Vilen, Lauren; Sethna, Jadyn M; Struminger, Rhonda; Lawing, A Michelle; Short, Rachel A (March 2026, Adult Learning)

   Volunteers play a critical role in scientific research and conservation efforts through participation in community science programs and at informal learning institutions (ILIs) such as museums, aquaria, and biological field stations. These informal learning environments provide STEM education opportunities that engage volunteers in hands-on data collection, inquiry-based exploration, and knowledge sharing. The purpose of this study is to explore the intersection of volunteer participation and adult learning in the context of ILIs’ outreach programming and community science. We utilize data from two prior studies to respond to the research question: What is the relationship between volunteers’ roles and program types and approaches? We examine how volunteers engage as both participants and leaders of STEM programs. As participants, they engage in structured learning experiences, ideally developing scientific content knowledge. As leaders, they have opportunities to apply and share their knowledge, guiding visitors and learners through activities and experiences. Our work highlights the importance of integrating adult learning principles into volunteer programs to enhance engagement and motivation. We propose considerations for optimizing volunteer learning, including scaffolding experiences to support progression from participant to leader and incorporating learner feedback to improve engagement. These insights inform best practices for ILIs and other community science initiatives, ensuring volunteers contribute scientifically and programmatically and experience meaningful learning that empowers them as leaders and lifelong learners. 

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5. People, places, and pets: Situating STEM education in youths’ homes with their pets

   Kelly, A.; Johnson, G. M.; Polman, J. L.; Kane, S. K.; Shapiro, R. B. (June 2021, International Conference of the Learning Sciences)

   de Vries, E.; Hod, Y.; null (Ed.)

   We facilitated a remote educational summer camp for teenage youth, with participants “sheltering in place” at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The summer camp was part of an initiative aimed at promoting STEM education for youth through learning about their pets’ senses and engaging in a co-design project to enrich aspects of their pets’ lives. We describe how situating scientific and design activities within the home and with pets engages participants in ethnomethodological practices such as field work, naturalistic observation, and in situ design that build upon their funds of knowledge. We discuss implications for the designs of learning environments that leverage the benefits of at-home science and design with pets. 

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