Performing physics: An analysis of design-based informal STEAM education programs

Abstract

Informal educational programs that integrate the arts with sciences technology engineering and mathematics, or STEAM, are growing in prominence, including within informal physics. There are learning and social benefits that can come from blending physics with arts through STEAM education. One benefit that drives this work is the ability of STEAM programs to shift the exclusive culture of typical science learning environments, which is especially relevant to typical physics settings. However, there is room in the literature to understand the different ways we can integrate arts and STEM. This work presents two models for a design-based informal STEAM program that integrates performance art and physics content. We analyze artifacts, video and interview data from a “performing physics“ program that was designed and run in the fall of 2015. We use this analysis to inform a second model of the program that will be run at the end of this summer.