Flash Mob Education - a new frontier for science communication?
The video above (courtesy Improv Everywhere) shows the unique ability of flash mobs to completely dumbfound while simultaneously captivating passersby (see approx. 0:50s-onward). There are hundreds of videos out there by this group showing this same phenomenon: people from the public are undeniably drawn to these sorts of surprising, immersive, and spontaneous theatrical experiences. Public interest is especially apparent when there are clear, individual characters to focus their attention on in a smaller, more confined space (see Spontaneous Musicals). What if these flash mobs, while providing entertainment, also tried to provide a learning experience for the audience?
Last week, I made the case for employing the Understanding by Design framework (learn more here) in the development of informal science education activities at learning centers and museums. This week, I turn my attention to something new, near, and dear to my heart - the interface between theatrical and improv-based science education: Flash Mob Education Experiences.
Last fall, I was part of the Communicating Ocean Sciences to Informal Audiences (COSIA) cohort at Oregon State University (find out more here). As part of our course requirements, I worked with two fellow graduate students to develop a series of informal science activities to be presented at our “Family Science Night,” a gathering for families and the public at Furman Hall at Oregon State university.
#informalscience #COSIA2014 #improvscience tonight at @oregonstateuniv Furman Hall! pic.twitter.com/rUfupEDlXa
— Jeremy Scott Hoffman (@jer_science)
A photo posted by Jeremy Hoffman (@jer_science) on Dec 2, 2014 at 11:26pm PST
Our activities incorporated aspects of tsunami and earthquake hazard preparedness and safety education. Oregon abuts the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which produces M9 earthquakes every 400-600 years or so (last one AD 1700, source). This hazard, surprisingly, is not well known by the public and underestimated by local and state governments. Accordingly, we designed a series of activities that included a tsunami wave tank (complete with LEGOs to build "tsunami-safe" buildings), a "go-bag" game (what do you bring with you in an emergency?), and something we were pretty nervous about implementing: a unique flash mob education experience.
This flash mob required the participation of the other graduate students in the class (approximately 14) and the instructor. The attendees to the science night had no idea we were going to stage the event, but we did set the general mood of interest by placing signs like the one below in the stairwell and around the classroom, much like these folks may have seen in Oregon's coastal cities. Some attendees commented on them (kids saying, "look, Mommy!") while walking around the building and while walking around the classroom where the activities were being demonstrated.
At the same moment (6 pm), everyone "in the know" snapped to action and improvised an earthquake's unexpectedness and effects by shaking and falling to the ground. While this was dramatic, no children overreacted or were overtly frightened. We then encouraged everyone to climb under the tables where we repeated the safety mantra "Drop, Cover, and Hold On!" and got the group chanting it. My collaborator Doug then threw empty shoeboxes at people's feet and exposed body parts to simulate the threat of falling items during the shaking and to encourage active participation. When the "shaking" subsided, we then transitioned into acting out being near the beach (this could have been done slightly more explicitly; it depended primarily on my script).
I, playing the uninformed beachgoer, decided to "look at the new tide pools" more closely. This is of course the precursor symptom of a tsunami - the water retreats. At this point, two of the other graduate students, hiding behind a large blue sheet suggesting a tsunami wave, swallowed me up. This prompted Doug and my other collaborator Megan to encourage the tsunami hazard safety mantra "Get to High Ground and Stay There!" Once the "tsunami" retreated for good, I returned to the classroom with wet hair and mussed up clothing - the kids loved that - saying I should have listened to my friends and stayed at the high ground.
Our metric to gauge just how successful we were in teaching these principals of hazard preparedness was whether or not the families could remember the mantras we taught them as they left the science night. Every single family (kids more than the adults) could remember the two safety mantras! Now, whether or not this is a long-lasting educational experience, we don't know for sure, and since we only performed a summative assessment, we don't know whether it was our experience alone that shaped their ability to remember these safety mantras. However, we do know that the kids and adults were enthusiastic about the experience, and the kids made meaning of the fact that I returned with wet hair - had I REALLY gotten swept up in that tsunami? We created a meaningful experience for these attendees. They were part of the action, and part of the flash mob. This immersion, I think, is the key to flash mob education.
I feel that the public's clear engagement with flash mobs (demonstrated by Improv Everywhere) and the seemingly important learning gains we saw as part of our Tsunami/Earthquake Flash Mob Education Experience suggests that this form of education is underdeveloped and in dire need of more exploration. I hope to explore this avenue of education more in the very near future!
