SISSA–InternationalSchoolforAdvancedStudiesISSN1824–2049 JournalofScienceCommunication.sissa.it/ Comment WhoaretheExplainers?
AcasestudyattheHouseofExperiments MihaKos Introduction HišaEksperimentov(TheHouseofExperiments)isaverysmallsciencecentre.WearesituatedinthecentreofLjubljana,thecapitalofSlovenia.Thegrossareaofthecentreisonly500squaremetersandwemeetaround25,000visitorsperyear.Wewereopenedforthepublicintheyear2000.IntheHišaEksperimentovtherearefourfull-timeemployeesandaround10personsworkingandpaidbyfees. TherearespecificinstitutionspresentinSloveniasocalledStudentservices.Theyhelpstudentsinfindingpaidjobondailybasis.Thestatestillencouragesstudentstoworkbyloweringthetaxesfortheirjob.Therearearound25studentsworkingasexplainersinHiša. HerearesomefactsaboutSlovenia.Thepopulationisaround2millionintheareaof20,256squarekilometers.Thereare18studentsper1000inhabitants.Onecanplayagamewithnumbers–takingintoounttheareaofHišaandthepopulationandareaofSloveniaonecancalculatethatthereisonepersonexpectedinanareaofthesizeof20sciencecenters.Andthereareevenmuchfewerstudentspresentinthesamearea.Butthenumberofvisitorsandstudentsworkinginthecenterprovesthedensityislarger.Thereforesciencecentersdoconcentratethepopulation!
ExplainersinHiša ExplainersinHišaaremostlythestudentsofagebetween17and27,whoarestartingtheircareers,whoareseekinganswersandhaveenergytochangetheworld.Theyareenthusiastic,readytolistenandhelp.TheyhaveaveryimportantmissionwhiledoingtheirworkinHiša: •Theyarethemostdirectlinkbetweentheadministration,developers,activitiesplanners...andthepublic.Peopleareaddressingthemwithquestionsconcerningexhibits,scienceshows,discounts,findingthetoilet,nearestbankmachine,closestrestaurantandwherearesomeothertouristattractionsinthetown.Explainershavedailycontactswiththevisitors.Theyhearsuggestions,mentsandcritics.Thereforeitissoimportantfortheexplainertobeagoodlistener.ItisthereforealsosoimportanttolistentowhatexplainershavetosaytotheadministrationoftheCentre.Manythingshavealreadybeenimprovedasaresultofmunication. JCOM4
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2 •TheyaretheScienceCenter’ssensorsaswellaseverydayspokesmen.Theyshould“feel”whenthereisaneedtoapproachandhelpandwhenjusttowaitandenjoyseeingthevisitorstofindthethingsoutbythemselves.TheyarethepersonsthatrepresentHišaintheeyesofpublic.Byanalyzingthebookofimpressionsweareconstantlymonitoringthevisitor’sresponseaftervisitingthecentre.Thekindnessofexplainersandtheirreadinesstohelpisanissuethatcountsveryhighintheeyesofthepublic.ThereforewetaketheeducationofexplainersinHišaveryseriously.Beinganexplaineryoualsoshowthepublicwhatisscienceandhowoneshouldacquire,learn,reachandteachtheknowledge.TheyalsoteachoneofthebasicrulesofHiša:“Donotexplainwhatyoudonotknow–admitwhatyoudonotknow”.Oneshouldexplainwhereoneshouldseekandprobablyfindtheanswers. ThecircleoflifeofanexplainerinHE Aspointedoutearlieranexplainerdoeshavetohavemanyqualitiesinordertobeaessfulpresenterandaspokesmanofasciencecentre.Weputalotofeffortintheprocessofexplainers’educationandobservationoftheirwork. SinceexplainersaremostlystudentstheyhavealimitedtimeworkingintheCentre.Aftertheyfinishedtheirstudies,theycannotworkfurtherthroughtheStudentserviceinstitution.ExplainersareawareofthatfactandthereforetakeworkingintheHišaasaworkthatbrings“businessandpleasure”atthesametime.WhileworkinginHišatheylearnactinginpublic,municatingscience,workinginateam,municatingwithscientistsandtheyalsogainsomenewscientificknowledge. Astoldbyexplainers,weareoneofthebestchoicesforthem,whentheyarelookingforatemporaryjob.ThisisalsowhythereisrelativelyhighdesireamongstudentstoworkintheCentre. WemustruntheinterviewsinordertochoosethemostsuitablestudentsforthetaskstheywilldowhileworkingintheHouse.Intheinterviewsthehumanmissionincludesalsoanex-explainer,whoisnowanemployee.Withhis/herexperienceitismucheasiertofindthejewelsamongstudentsbeinginterviewed. Themostvaluedqualitiesforeptinganewexplainerare: •Communicationskills(selfexpressing,senseofhumor,artoflistening...)•Selfcontrolunderstress•Previousexperienceinworkingwiththepublic•Desireforlearning•Admittingwhatshe/hedoesnotknow Afterbeingeptedtoworkasanexplaineronestartsworkingfirstasapprentice.Onefirsthastogothroughalltheexhibitsbyhim/herselfaswellaswithsomementorexplainerfromthehighergroup.Lateronehastoshowtheknowledgetoexaminer.Theapprenticeisexpectedtohaveknowledgeaboutalltheexhibits,butnotnecessarymorethatitiswrittenontheexplanationboardsbesidetheexhibits.Oneisexpectedtosay“IdonotknowthatbutImayasksomeoneewiththeanswerorsuggestions”whenoneisaskedmorethatoneknows.
3 AcasestudyattheHouseofExperiments Aftertheoralexaminationbeingessfullypassedtheapprenticeesapilot.TheScienceCentreHišaEksperimentovisopenfrom9to15duringweekdays,andfrom11to19onweekends.Eachdaythreeexplainersareincharge.Themajorityofexplainersarethepilots.Thepilotswiththebestskillsarelaterpromotedtoedemonstratorsandfurthertomasters.ThelatterareresponsiblefortheoperationofHišaduringweekdays. Thereforetheremustbeatleastonemasterworkingonweekendsandatleastonedemonstratorormasterduringweekdays. Afteranexplainerloosesthestudents’statusweencouragethemtofurthercooperatewiththeScienceCentre.TheknowledgetheygainedthroughyearsworkingwithotherexplainersandpermanentScienceCentrestuffistoovaluabletobewasted.InHišaEksperimentovwerunseveralactivitiesbesidesofferingthepermanentexhibits.Thereareworkshops,scienceadventures,miniscienceadventures....Scienceadventuresare30–40minuteslongscienceshowsaboutdifferentareasofsciencewithalotofinteractionwithpublicandwithalotofexperimentsshown.SomeoftheScienceAdventures’titlesare:Soundology,Lightology,Bubbleology,Gasology,Eggology....Theyaresuitableforvisitorsofallages.Itisthepresenter’stasktoadjustthelecturetotheageandcapabilitiesoftheaudience. GoodexplainersareencouragedtoqualifyforingalecturerofScienceAdventures(Scienceshows).Theycangetpaidonpaymentbyfeesbasis. Alsotheexplainerswhoshowaninterestinworkinginexhibitsdevelopmentareencouragedtodosoduringtheirstudentstatusaswellasafterwards.
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4 Teambuildingandeducationofexplainers Itisveryimportanttohaveahighmotivatedandsatisfiedteamofexplainers.Althoughwearejust4permanentemployeesinHišawetrytoputaloteffortinkeepingandworkingwiththatsortofexplainersteam.Thereforewerunseveralactivities. •Everymonthweheldregularlymeetingswithalltheexplainers.Itisanopendiscussionoftheproblems,suggestionsandsolutionsthataroseduringthatmonth. •Wearehavingdailymeetingswiththoseinchargeofthingsgoingonthatday.•Boardofsuggestions,problemsandsolutionsispresentforallthefactsthatneedafastresponse whenitappears.•anizeseveralcoursesforexplainers(walkthroughexhibitswiththeirauthors;coursesfor inglecturers;scienceadventures;miniscienceadventures...).•Explainersareincludedinseveralprojects(EUprojectDOTIK,TheYearofPhysicsproject...).•Alltheexplainers(aswellasexexplainers)haveafreeinvitationtoallHiša'sevents.•Socialevents: −ics−dancingcourses−celebratingexplainersbirthdaysinHiša... Conclusion ExplainersareaveryimportantfactorinthelifeofaScienceCentre.ThroughtheirdailyexperiencesmunicatingwithvisitorstheyareasourceofknowledgefortheScienceCentreadministration,exhibitsdevelopmentandeducationstuffinordertoenrichtheiroffertothepublic.Ahugeefforthastobeputinopeningmunicationwiththeexplainersbecausethisisoneofthemostimportantwaysofsensingthepublicandreactfastenoughtochanges.Thereforeitisimportanttobuildahighlymotivatedandsatisfiedteamofexplainers.
5 AcasestudyattheHouseofExperiments Author MihaKoswasbornon1962inSlovenia.HeworkedastheassistantprofessorinthePhysicsdept.attheUniversityofLjubljana,Slovenia.PostdocstudiesinAlbuquerque,USA.AfterreturningtoSloveniahetriedtoestablishthefirst“hands-on”sciencecentreinSloveniaandeededin1996.TheHouseofExperimentsgotthefirstpermanentpremisesin2000.Since1996heisdirectingthecentre.Email:miha.kos@h-e.si