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Ian et al,
Many of the affective outcomes you mention
<quote>
>
> Heightened curiosity and general desire to investigate.
> Deepening interest and spare-time participation in specific
> activities.
> Greater eagerness to learn.
> Increased intellectual self confidence.
> Learning that one's own personal observations, experiences and ideas
> are of real value .
> Beginning to notice phenomena during commonplace, everyday life.
> Discovering a new pleasure in speculative discussions with
> friends about
> phenomena.
> Learning that what boring grownups usually refer to as
> 'messing about' can
> often be valid experimentation...
>
> Do such affective gains really merit little more than
> lip-service, and will
> the new Curriculum ever begin to acknowledge, promote and
> monitor them?
> >
<end quote>
are not features of science alone. Many are relevant to informal learning in general, and I'm sure many people working in (for example) museums and heritage would be looking for very similar outcomes albeit relating to history, or archaeology, or whatever: the principle remains the same. Many of these people are similarly lamenting the Curriculum straitjacket.
The museum sector is starting to look at ways of 'measuring' (probably not the right word) these kinds of outcomes. Criticisms of these efforts, surprisingly or otherwise, come from very similar circles to the article which started this thread.
It is probably worth science communicators interested in these outcomes keeping an eye on what museums are doing. Some of it may be appropriate, some not, but it may save reinventing some wheels.
Regan
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