Transforming Museum Education for Schoolkids with NHMU’s Research Quest

UEN has been nominated for a Public Media Award recognizing its work with the Natural History Museum of Utah on the innovative science education program Research Quest.

The Utah Education Network (UEN) has been nominated by the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) for a Public Media Award for Digital Media. The honor recognizes UEN’s collaboration with the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU) on the science education program Research Quest. This innovative program enhances critical thinking skills for learners Grades 6 - 8 by immersing them in authentic scientific inquiries that mirror the work of NHMU researchers.

For the 2023/2024 school year, Research Quest had 600 active teacher users, and they and their students logged in a total of 135,000 times. This activity represents a 20% increase in the number of active teacher users and a 24% increase in the number of student logins over the previous year. The program’s expansion into new topics, such as biodiversity and ecosystem function, has been supported by funders including the National Science Foundation.

“Research Quest is a great way for students to explore science standards, using critical thinking skills within a real-life situation,” said Deb Smith, a teacher at Hillside Middle School in Salt Lake City School District. “My students found the Research Quest investigations fascinating and fun to do.”

UEN played a crucial role developing the Research Quest website, crafting the interface to be visually appealing and user-friendly. UEN also helped bring to fruition 14 in-depth investigations covering topics such as dinosaurs, fungi and bats, which includes interactive, hands-on learning activities and hundreds of web pages of content.

“UEN’s dedicated team has provided essential leadership and support at every phase of the program’s development, from rapid prototyping to the production and ongoing maintenance of the website,” Madlyn Larson, Associate Director of Education Initiatives at NHMU explained. “By enabling students to engage directly with the same complex, real-world questions that drive scientific inquiry, UEN has helped foster a deep connection to the scientific process, empowering students to develop the critical thinking skills necessary for success both in and out of the classroom.”

The Public Media Award winners will be announced on September 15.

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