Location: Victoria, Australia
Big Idea: Experiential
Overview
In 2015, Zoos Victoria launched Education for Conservation. Education for Conservation was designed to develop independent learners who demonstrate positive environmental values and take action to protect wildlife and wild places. Implementing the program has required the redesign of full-day informal learning experiences onsite, as well as the addition of formal learning opportunities offsite at schools.
This case study illustrates how:
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It became essential to align conservation and education priorities at the organizational level
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Program improvements involved re-imagining the role of the educator
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Through the redesign of a well-established program, participants ultimately embraced change
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A comprehensive evaluation model remains crucial
Background
Over 40 years ago, Zoos Victoria’s education model consisted of up to 20 school classes rotating through a designated area of the zoo with the delivery of 45-minute scripted lessons focusing on key science curriculum areas. While this model positioned Zoos Victoria as a leader of zoo-based education at the time, it did not address the zoo’s wildlife conservation mission, nor did the scripted lesson approach represent best practice in education. The new model ensured that all programs educate and enable students to undertake actions that positively impact wildlife and are now more focused on 21 locally endangered species. They now align directly with the wildlife conservation work of Zoos Victoria’s wildlife science team.
Approach
The Education for Conservation model is driven by five key themes: conservation, pedagogy, unique opportunities, curriculum, and capacity. For conservation, programs engage schools with one or more conservation campaigns. For pedagogy, programs are challenge-based and promote the values of inquiry-based learning. For unique opportunities, schools engage in numerous animal encounters. For curriculum, programs link to learning outcomes and promote the application of higher-level learning. Finally, for capacity, programs broaden our reach by increasing visitation and offering professional learning opportunities for educators.
Empowering students is embedded in the design of the student experience at Zoos Victoria. Upon arrival, students are greeted by an educator who poses a key challenge question, providing a lens for students’ full-day zoo experience. Students then explore a range of specially-designed animal, specialist, and interactive exhibits to collect evidence and formulate ideas related to the initial challenge question. As the day draws to a close, students reconvene to share, reflect on, and compare findings. Educators guide students to consider conservation actions that support the wildlife conservation issues arising from the day. Students, teachers, and schools are now supported by increased access to Zoos Victoria’s expert knowledge and support before and after their visits. These include a suite of digital resources, a teacher membership program, web conferences, and more.
Evaluation Plan
Zoos Victoria is committed to documenting and investigating evidence of the educational impacts. The hallmarks of the Education for Conservation evaluation model are:
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A requirement of long-term evaluation planning
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Strategic partnership development with research and evaluation partners
These combine with a commitment to building capacity among the Zoos Victoria education teams to evaluate programs, both within the team and with partners. The Community Conservation Master Plan 2015-20 outlines Zoos Victoria’s commitment to inspire citizens to take positive action for wildlife through conservation messaging and actions, education, and evaluation.
Outcomes
Key outcomes after the first 18 months of implementing the new Education for Conservation model across Zoos Victoria include:
Increased staff motivation – Staff motivation has increased and stabilized as elements of the new model have become more embedded within the strategy and operations of the zoo, and as Zoos Victoria has captured student conservation stories from the new model. Many educators now see their work as aligned more closely with their original intentions for becoming a conservation educator in the first place. They are also critically reflecting on their work using an evaluation, research, and development strategy that is shared and supported by the zoo’s leadership.
Education positioned as an investment in conservation – The strategic shift to align all education activities with the wildlife conservation work of Zoos Victoria has meant that capital outlay into education activities is now considered an investment in conservation, and can be evaluated in terms of a “return on investment” model. As a result of this repositioning, educators are able to focus on developing student and teacher programs that equally achieve conservation outcomes as well as increase school visitation.
The creation of a Conservation School Community – By its nature, Education for Conservation has led to more schools undertaking actions that support the conservation priorities of Zoos Victoria. This has led to the development of a network of like-minded schools across the state known as the Fighting Extinction Schools community.
Increased student visitation – In the initial 18 months of implementation, Zoos Victoria saw a modest increase in visitation of approximately five percent (5%).
Changes in student knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors – Preliminary evidence from research and evaluation projects suggests positive changes in the pro-conservation attitudes and knowledge of participating students. To a lesser extent, this same research has also begun to indicate positive short-term changes in pro-conservation behaviors.
Lessons Learned
Key lessons learned from the first 18 months of implementation include:
Schools and educators ultimately embraced change – A fear in shifting to the Education for Conservation model was that schools, the families of students, and zoo educators would reject the new full-day conservation challenge-based model. Eighteen months into the implementation of the Education for Conservation model, with much consultation with educators and schools throughout the change process, Zoos Victoria has seen an increase in visitation levels. This increase has included independent follow-up visits by students and their families.
The role of zoo educators has changed – The journey to Education for Conservation has demonstrated the need for zoo educators to extend upon their traditional classroom-based skills to incorporate full-day, challenge-based education experiences. For some educators, this has involved the concrete realization that learning does not always require students to be in front of an educator or teacher. It has demonstrated a positive shift in educators’ roles as facilitators, and shown how the involvement of additional zoo staff and experiences can lead to equal, and at times improved, educational outcomes. This has been particularly evident when zoo educators work in partnership with school teachers before, during, and after students’ onsite visits.
Education programs should immerse students in the zoo experience and engage them with the zoo’s conservation mission –The previous education model, being located in a specially designated school-only zone, tended to separate students from experiencing the wider zoo. As Education for Conservation has developed over time, it has become apparent that education needs to complement and enhance the wider zoo experience. That is, Education for Conservation provides an education lens through which students can critically engage with Zoos Victoria’s mission and features.
Continuous improvement is a necessary mindset – What Education for Conservation looks like today is different from what it will look like in the future. In the development of the Education for Conservation model, Zoos Victoria established a range of values and standards that educators strive to address when designing the onsite programs. In line with the continuous improvement practices across the organization, these values and standards will remain under continual review to further refine Zoos Victoria’s practice and development of Education for Conservation.