Browsing by Subject "NOAA"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    All A'Twitter: How Social Media Aids in Science Outreach
    (2012-04-23) Zimmerman, Caitlyn
    The world of science communication is changing with the increased use of social media and online resources. No longer is science for science’s sake; some scientists are beginning to understand the value and necessity of sharing scientific research with a wider audience. Scientific journals are great for sharing trusted findings between scientists within a specific field. However, outside of the field, these articles tend to be too complex and full of jargon for the average person. Also, research journal articles can be costly, limiting the availability of scientific articles to the public. Therefore, scientists are realizing they require a more effective way to share information to a general audience with no monetary costs. Social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and blogging, have shown potential to fill this void. This project investigates the use of social media as an aid to science outreach. I designed a survey instrument and distributed it to independent scientists and scientific institutions to gain insight into how social media is used to promote science research as well as why scientists do not use social media. In addition, I worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Coastal Services Center (CSC) on the Multipurpose Marine Cadastre (MMC) project, with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), as social media specialist. I managed Twitter, Facebook and a blog for this project and gained intimate knowledge of how it works on the ground to use social media inside of a government agency, using this experience as a case study. Using the knowledge gained from this case study experience, as well as the survey results, I developed a set of best practices for social media use in science outreach. These guidelines are meant to aid in social media use to ensure greater success in terms of science outreach by scientists to the general public.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    An Evaluation Guide for Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
    (2020-04-24) Rodriguez, Natalie
    Estuarine health is integral to the health of ocean environments (NOAA, 2017). The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration realized this and created a network of protected reserves—the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) (NOAA, n.d.). Environmental education (EE) is integral to NERRS success. These reserves offer unparalleled “living classrooms” for educators, students, and the public (NOAA, 2018). Rookery Bay, a NERR located in Naples, Florida, is home to one of the few undisturbed mangrove forests in the United States. The Environmental Learning Center (ELC) at Rookery Bay is an important resource to the local community provides summer education opportunities and K-12 field trip programming (Rookery Bay, n.d.). Education evaluation for EE programs has become increasingly important as environmental concerns have moved to the forefront of some of the worlds social, political, and economic issues (Thomson, G. & Hoffman, J., n.d.). Evaluation methods can be used to improve environmental education programs and enable continued or improved success in achieving program goals (Thomson, G. & Hoffman, J., n.d.). However, a program evaluation has not yet been done for Rookery Bay’s EE field trip curriculum. The objective of this project was therefore to develop an outcome-based evaluation guide to assess the desired outcomes from visiting students who participate in: (1) 4th grade Estuary Explorers, (2) 7th grade SURVIVORS, and (3) the high school and college students Field-Based Estuarine Studies programs. This was done by completing an education evaluation document analysis, logic models, and informational interviews, to create a retrospective survey which then went through user testing, and expert reviews. This project’s deliverables are a well-informed guide containing the three different grade level surveys as well as guidelines and recommendations for data collection, analysis, and reporting.