New experiences and old knowledge: towards a model for the personal awareness of science and technology

The use of the phrase 'the public understanding of science' has been under attack for some time because of its incompatibility with modern theories of learning. In an attempt to find a more acceptable model, interviews were conducted at Questacon, the Australian National Science and Technology Centre, with visitors of a wide range of ages who had used the interactive exhibits there. The study showed that, when using an exhibit, a visitor has a reminding of a similar experience that forms the basis for interpretating the exhibit. An individual's existing 'personal awareness of science and technology' (PAST) draws on this prior experience to produce an understanding of the exhibit and, to some extent, an understanding of the underlying scientific model. A model for PAST embracing these factors is proposed and is used to interpret the learning resulting from interaction with such exhibits and other kinds of science-based experience.