The Role of Science Communicator as a Knowledge Creation Interface: Analyses of Human Interactions at Miraikan

Abstract

We assume that Science Communicators (SCs) have a social role; they interactively share their science knowledge with visitors. At National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan), we investigate how visitors learn and experience practices of science with SCs. The purposes of this study are to build a theoretical framework to analyze interactions between SCs and visitors in a semi-opened space like museum, and to create a criterion to evaluate SCs' communication skills of sharing their scientific knowledge with visitors. In this paper, we introduce a research framework that we have used at Miraikan since October 2012 by showing procedures of analyzing one case that was conducted by a senior SC who has seven years and two months of experience. Additionally, we describe our preliminary analyses by using a methodology called, Conversation Analysis (CA). We choose nine interaction strategies in our analyses. These strategies are used to open up interactions with visitors. Then, we discuss whether or not nine other SCs use the same strategies. Since our results show the generality of the strategies, we are able to create a criterion of evaluating and developing SCs' skills.