CAISE Informal Science
Posted by Theresa Horstman
December 13, 2016
Project Spotlights
Co-authored with Carrie Tzou
The Badges for College Credit (BCC) project (NSF AISL DRL-1322512) is a four-year project that connects informal science learning with higher education by designing badge systems that recognize informal science learning in the form of college credit at the University of Washington Bothell (UWB). The project is a collaboration between the University of Washington Bothell’s OpenSTEM Research, the Pacific Science Center, the Future of Flight, the Seattle Aquarium, and iRemix. In this project, informal science institutions partner with UWB faculty to co-design a college course that is then run in the informal setting and awarded credit by the UWB faculty member. In the process, these design teams discuss and agree on important learning goals that are consistent with the informal program goals and with college-level work. The resulting badge systems reflect scientific and professional practices and reflect the culture and social activity of the programs.