MOXI, the Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation (www.moxi.org) is a new interactive science museum in Santa Barbara. MOXI was being designed as the NGSS were being authored, providing an opportunity to design exhibits that align with the topics included in the K-12 physical science and engineering standards.

Faculty and students at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education and staff and educators at MOXI are collaborating on multiple projects. Some of these are listed below. 

Current Projects 

• Identifying patterns of engagement and practices of learning for exhibits 
  
  • We are developing a framework that links observable visitor behaviors (what they are doing and how they are interacting with exhibits) to learning practices derived from the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Our long term goal is to test strategies for facilitation that leads visitors to more sophisticated levels of interaction. Our framework can also be used by teachers to assess how students are meeting standards through open-ended activities. 
• MOXI Apprentice Program 
  
  • The MOXI Apprentice Program for Sparks (MAPS) includes hands-on experience throug a paid internship as a member of MOXI's floor staff team and four quarters of instruction in informal science education through UCSB Extension. Apprentices will learn about facilitation of exhibits, develop NGSS-aligned curriculum, conduct evaluations, train volunteers and generate innovative ideas for informal science.
• Field trips focused on NGSS Engineering Standards
  
  • Children who visit MOXI during field trips may participate in Engineering tasks during their time at MOXI. These tasks will follow a framework of identifying a problem and constraints, brainstorming ideas, and testing and revising a physical project. These will meet grade level NGSS standards.