Informal Learning

From dinosaur bones to simple machines, children have a lot to learn about the world. These projects are completed in collaboration with wonderful local educational centers like science galleries, museums, and zoos. They explore how informal learning settings influence, what, how, and when children learn about the world around them.

Current Projects

Illusions of explanatory depth and museum exhibits

People often feel like they know more about how things work then they actually know. This is called an illusion of explanatory depth. In a recent project we are investigating how illusions of knowing influence whether (and when) children and adults choose to engage with exhibits.

Learning in museums

History museums are filled with opportunities for young children to learn about new and exciting artifacts. In collaboration with the Waterloo Region Museum and the Developmental Learning Lab at UW, we investigated how children learn from museum exhibits. For example, in one project we explored the strategies parents use to teach their children about different features of artifacts in museums (e.g., category membership, function, composition) and how children respond to these strategies.

Learn more

Want to read more about artifact learning in childhood? Check out some recent work:

Scholarly outputs

Attisano, E.*, Nancekivell, S.E., Tran, S. & Denison, S. (2022). “So, what is it?” Examining parent-child interactions with artifacts in a museum. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 60, 187-200.

Attisano, E.*, Nancekivell, S.E., & Denison, S. (2021). Components and mechanisms: How children talk about machines in museum exhibits. Frontiers in Psychology: Special Topic Cognitive Development in Informal Learning Institutions, 12, 636601.

Technical reports

Attisano, E., Tran, S, Nancekivell, S.E., & Denison, S. (April, 2020) Discussions about Artifacts at the Waterloo Region Museum. Report prepared for the Waterloo Region Museum, Region of Waterloo.

Ho, V., Attisano, E., Nancekivell, S.E., & Denison, S. (February, 2019) Day in the Life: Waterloo Region Museum. Report prepared for the Waterloo Region Museum, Region of Waterloo.