EDCP faculty

Research Interests

Biography

Dr. David Anderson is a museum learning specialist and science educator within the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy. His research over the last 18 years has focused on the fields of science education and museum-based learning. His interest in visitor learning emergent from experiences in informal contexts (museums, science centres, art galleries, aquariums, and so on) were the focus of his graduate works (PhD and MEd), as well as other studies conducted in Australia and the United States, before joining UBC in 2002. His doctoral research focused on students’ construction of knowledge emergent from science museum and post-visit activity experiences and his Master's work examined the effects of visitor novelty on learning in museum settings.

Dr Anderson has assisted numerous museum-based institutions in Canada, Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, and the U.S. in many forms of exhibit and program development through educational research and evaluation practices. More recently he has been involved in studies of young children’s behaviour and learning in museum settings, visitors’ long term memories of museum experiences, the relationships between metacognition and the quality of learning emergent from science museum experiences and reforming traditional models of teacher education. Dr. Anderson’s consultative and research activities focus on helping museum-based institutions optimise the experiences they provide their visitors, and also centre on further refining the theoretical frameworks through which educational researchers conceptualize and investigate visitors behaviour and learning in informal settings.

Selected Publications

Anderson, D., Nashon, S.M., & Thomas, G.P. (2009). Evolution of research methods for probing and understanding metacognition. Research In Science Education, 39(2),181-195.

Anderson, D., Thomas, G.P., & Nashon, S.M. (2009). Social barriers to meaningful engagement in biology field trip group work. Science Education, 93(3), 511-534.

Thomas, G.P., Anderson, D. & Nashon, S.M. (2008). Development and validity of an instrument designed to investigate elements of science students’ metacognition, self-efficacy and learning processes: The SEMLI-S. International Journal of Science Education. 30(13), 1701-1724.

Anderson, D., Piscitelli, B., & Everett M., (2008). Competing agendas: Young children’s museum field trips. Curator, 51(3), 253-273.

Anderson, D., & Gosselin, V., (2008). Private and public memories of Expo 67: a case study of recollections of Montreal’s World’s Fair, 40 years after the event. Museum & Society, 6(1), 1-21.

Hertzman, E., Anderson, D., & Rowley, S. (2008). Edutainment heritage tourist attractions: A portrait of visitors’ experiences at Storyeum. Journal of Museum Management and Curatorship, 23(2), 155-175.

Anderson, D., & Shimizu, H. (2007). Memories of Expo 70: Visitors’ experiences and the retention of vivid long-term memories. Curator, 50(4), 435-454.

Anderson, D., & Shimizu, H. (2007). Factors shaping vividness of memory episodes: Visitors' long-term memories of the 1970 Japan World Exposition. Memory,15(2), 177-191.

Anderson, D. & Nashon, S. (2007). Predators of knowledge construction: Interpreting students’ metacognition in an amusement park physics program. Science Education, 91(2), 298-320.

Anderson, D., Storksdieck, M. & Spock, M. (2007). The long-term impacts of museum experiences. In J. Falk, L. Dierking, and S. Foutz (Eds.) In Principle, In Practice - New Perspectives on Museums as Learning Institutions. (pp197-215). Walnut Creek: Alta Mira Press.

Briseno, A., Anderson, D. & Anderson, A., (2007). Adult learning experience from an aquarium visit: The role of social interaction in family groups. Curator, 50(3), 299-318.

Briseno, A., Anderson, D. & Anderson, A., (2007). Entry and emergent agendas of adults visiting an aquarium in family groups. Visitor Studies, 10(1), 71–87.

Anderson, D., Lawson, B. & Mayer-Smith, J. (2006). The impact of extended practicum experiences in a marine science centre. Teaching Education. 17(4), 341-353

Anderson, D., Kisel, J. & Storksdieck, M. (2006) Understanding teachers’ perspectives on field trips: Discovering common ground in three countries. Curator, 49(3), 365-386.

Anderson, D., Zhang, Z., Chatterjee, S., Robin, R. & Aldrich, P. (2005). Punjab students’ perceived interest, knowledge and importance of science topics: Challenging outcomes from a front-end study. Visitor Studies. 8(2), 8-13.

Krmpotich, C. & Anderson, D. (2005). Collaborative Exhibitions and Visitor Reactions: The case of Nitsitapiisinni: Our Way of Life. Curator, 48(4), pp 377-405.

Nashon, S. & Anderson, D., (2004). Obsession with ‘g’: A metacognitive reflection of a laboratory episode. Alberta Journal of Science Education, 36(2), 39-44.

Hisasaka, T., Anderson, D., & Nashson, S., Shigematsu, K., Watanabe, E., Yagi, I., & Hatakeyama, S. (2004). Recognition of amusement park as a studying space. Physics Education in Tohoku, 13, 31-34.

Anderson, D., Thomas, G.P., & Ellenbogen, K.M. (2003).Learning science from experiences in informal contexts: The next generation of research. Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, 4(1),1-6.

Anderson, D. (2003). Visitors' long-term memories of World Expositions. Curator, 46(4), 400-420.

Anderson, D., & Zhang, Z. (2003). Teacher perception of field trip planning and implementation. Visitor Studies Today, 6(3), 6-12.

Anderson, D., Lucas, K.B., & Ginns, I.S., (2003). Theoretical perspectives on learning in an informal setting. Journal of Research in Science Teaching. 40(2),177-199.

Dierking, D., Falk, J., Rennie, L., Anderson, D., & Ellenbogen, K. (2003). Policy Statement of the "Informal Science Education" Ad Hoc Committee. Journal of Research in Science Teaching. 40(2), pp.108-111

Anderson, D., Piscitelli, B., Weier, K., Everett, M., & Tayler, C. (2002). Children’s museum experiences: Identifying powerful mediators of learning. Curator, 45(3), 213-231.

Anderson, D., (2002). Parental recollections of childhood museum visits. Museum National. 10(4), 26-27.

Anderson, D., & Lucas, K.B., (2001). A wider perspective on museum learning: Principles for developing effective post-visit activities for enhancing students' learning. In S. Errington, S. Stocklmayer, and B. Honeyman (Eds.), Using museums to popularise science and technology. London: Commonwealth Secretariat.

Piscitelli, B. & Anderson, D., (2001). Young children’s perspectives of museums settings and experiences. Museum Management and Curatorship. 19(3), 269-282

Piscitelli, B. & Anderson, D., (2000). Young children’s learning in museum settings. Visitor Studies, 3(3), 3-10.

Anderson, D., Lucas, K.B., Ginns, I.S., Dierking, L.D. (2000). Development of knowledge about electricity and magnetism during a visit to a science museum and related post-visit activities. Science Education, 84(5), 658-679.

Anderson, D. & Lucas, K.B. (1997). The effectiveness of orienting students to the physical features of a science museum prior to visitation. Research in Science Education, 27(4), 485-495.

Tobin, T., McRobbie, C., & Anderson, D. (1997). Dialectical constraints to the discursive practices of a high school physics community. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 34(5), 491-507.