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The Importance of Earthquake Education in Free Choice Learning Environments

Session: Earthquake Early Warning System in the Americas: The On-Going Effort and the State of the Art [Poster]

Type: Poster

Date: 4/20/2021

Presentation Time: 11:30 AM Pacific

Description: 

Free choice learning environments, such as museums, national parks, and libraries, are trusted sources of information in their communities and support lifelong learning beyond the formal classroom. Earthquake education in these spaces creates communal awareness of earthquake hazards and risk in areas in which people live or vacation, and in turn, may increase engagement in preparedness behavior if or when an earthquake strikes. The ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System aims to help communities prepare by warning in advance of shaking from significant earthquakes along the West Coast of the United States. ShakeAlert has the ability to minimize earthquake damage by prompting automated actions (e.g., stopping trains, opening firehouse doors) and prompt personal protective actions, like Drop, Cover, and Hold On. As the testing of public alerting to wireless devices, like smartphones, expands throughout the West Coast, raising awareness of ShakeAlert and earthquake education, in general, is integral to reach the broadest audience possible, and to reduce damage, injury, and loss of life. For these reasons, engaging people in environments where they choose to learn, such as free choice learning environments, better facilitates earthquake education, and contributes to increased awareness. Currently, there is a dearth in the literature on how free choice learning environments approach earthquake education through display themes and development. We analyzed a global sample of existing earthquake exhibits and their themes in order to better understand exhibits across common informal learning environments, while also exploring how different display types can be uniquely engaging. We anticipate that this work will set a foundational framework, using a combination of pedagogical and communication theories, for how best to incorporate ShakeAlert and earthquake hazard education into centers of free choice learning and support place-based learning.

Presenting Author: Mariah R. Jenkins

Student Presenter: No

Authors