The Stepping Up to Meet National Needs: Review of Questacon — The National Science and Technology Centre report was released by Senator the Hon Kim Carr, then Minister for
Innovation, Industry, Science and Research in July 2008. The release of the report coincided with Questacon’s 20th anniversary as Australia’s National Science and Technology Centre.
This review, like many others of its time, followed a change in national government and a subsequent reorganisation of ministerial portfolios. It provides a clear and proactive narrative of Questacon’s concerns and the role the authors see Questacon fulfilling following this
leadership change. The organisational environment in which Questacon found itself at the time provided an opportunity to reimagine and renew itself.
The review framed Questacon as ‘stepping up to meet national needs’, and is focussed on its role and core function over the last two decades, addressing the specific areas of funding, governance, its relationship with the government Department it operates in and comparisons with other national and international institutions of a similar nature. The report identified that the then current governance arrangements inhibited Questacon from maximising its prospects to deliver on its mission, that Questacon has operated ‘without an explicit Government
mandate...and its key activities have been largely internally generated’ (p. 4), and that ‘this lack of an explicit mandate has led to a lack of clarity about the relevance and priority of some activities, for example, outreach and teacher support’ (p. 4).
The outcomes of the Questacon review in part informed the development of the IA strategy. In particular, it identified the need for national leadership in science communication, positioning Questacon as that leader. The report makes note of Questacon’s institutional relationships, from its memorandums of understanding with Scitech, the Western Australian state science centre, to ‘provide a framework for cooperation’ (p. 29), to its role in the partnerships with government research institutions, such as the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation (CSIRO), through the ‘National Science Partnership...comprising representatives from CSIRO Education, CSIRO Science Education Centres and state/regional science
centres...formed in 2005 to develop cooperative projects’ (p. 30). Arguably Questacon, as the National Science and Technology Centre, is uniquely placed to lead the nation’s science
communication agendas. However, the review did not propose a vision of the future for science communication in Australia as there is nothing directly stated in the report that attempts to define or imagine a SEA. Science communication principles and practices are not the focus of the report, as terminology and science communication theory are not discussed.
As the report focussed on Questacon’s governance and funding arrangements, it is neither a critical review detailing the proposed future strategic directions of Questacon, nor is it a strategic document outlining a future vision. This report reflects on Questacon’s current governance arrangements and begins to map out a desirable future for its governance and
funding. However, the report provided broad strategic direction in terms of its 11 recommendations, analogous to a strategic document. Recommendation 1 called for the Government to endorse a mandate for Questacon ‘[t]o inspire future scientists and the wider community and enhance awareness and understanding of the contribution of science to
Australia’s future’ (p. 6), a change from its then mission of ‘[a] better future for all Australians through engagement with science and innovation’ (p. 5). The revised mandate was designed to provide a solid foundation for its activities. The terminology used in the mandates changed from ‘engagement’ to ‘understanding’ and ‘awareness’, which is contra to the usual trends in this field over the past 20 years, as discussed in Chapter 2.
The science communication practices of the Centre received little attention, but the authors did make note of the role of new media as a key tool in expanding the reach of the Centre. New media is also an area identified in the IA strategy as an essential mechanism in achieving its aims. The report included a table (reproduced here as Figure 2) that provides a clear summary reporting on various metrics including key communication features, relative visitor numbers, funding sources of a variety of notable outreach activities undertaken by the Questacon. One key feature of this table is the identified rationales against each program. It is important to note that these rationales are tied specifically to their respective program, however, general key themes are present that form an early articulation of how a scientifically engaged Australia may be envisioned from the perspective of the government sector. Evidence of rationales being specifically tied to the activity can be seen in the Shell-Questacon Science Circus and NRMA RoadZone programs with the aims of training science communication graduates and raising awareness about road safety respectively. However, broadly the rationales are focussed primarily on reaching a school aged audience with the goals to encourage them to continue to study science and then go into science-based careers with a focus on the importance of
mathematics. Within this, other priority audiences have been identified including regional, rural and Indigenous groups. It is evident that these key rationales or desired communication
outcomes identified here have influenced and informed the development of the IA strategy.
The authors identified and discussed the primary communication partners of Questacon as being government funded organisations such as CSIRO and the ABC. Universities are not included in this list, and this is somewhat surprising as the largest single segment of the science sector is universities, which arguably have a key role to play in the communication of science as they are the primary promulgator of scientific knowledge, exemplified in Questacon’s origins at a university. Nor is industry included as a primary communication partner, though the authors acknowledged the relationships that particular corporations such as Shell and NRMA had with the Centre. The public is not listed as a communication partner either, but rather identified as a ‘communication recipient.’ In reimaging the public in this way, the authors focussed on
‘engaging’ the public in critical issues in the expectation that the public will learn from the process. Questacon’s proposed 2008 model of communication represents a shift from the ‘fun- fun’ model of the past to a ‘fun-forum’ model of communication.
Figure 2. Table 3 detailing the outreach activities undertaken by Questacon (p. 28).
Table 3 Questacon outreach activities
Program description Rationale Target audience Funding situation and source
1. Shell Questacon Science Circus3portable science centre and Graduate Diploma in Science Communication with ANU. Increase Questacon?s accessibility in regional/rural/remote areas. Train Science Communication graduates.
Primary and junior secondary students and their families. National, regional, rural and remote.
No. visitors 06K07: 108,464
$1.3 million p.a. from Questacon, ANU, Shell, earned revenue. External funding until Dec. 2009.
2. Questacon Smart Moves (including Invention Convention)3 demonstrate the latest in science, engineering and technology innovation and entrepreneurship.
Inspire young Australians to pursue careers in maths, science, engineering and technology. Encourage young entrepreneurs in science and technology.
National, regional and rural secondary students. No. visitors 06K07: 70,971
$1.8 million p.a. from Australian Government (BAA) Funding for program lapses in 2011.
3. Tenix Questacon Maths Squad3 interactive school shows and workshops highlighting important role of maths in everyday life.
Encourage positive attitude to maths. Support maths teachers in context of declining numbers of trained maths teachers in schools.
National, regional and rural. Strong focus on areas of low socioeconomic status, and indigenous communities. No. visitors 06K07: 37,191
$420,000 p.a. from Tenix Funded to June 2008. Letter of offer received to extend program to June 2011.
4. Questacon Science Play3workshops, publications and on-line support to foster early childhood science learning and development.
Research indicates most cognitive development occurs early in life. Support for parents, carers and teachers in the development of appropriate educational activities and strategies.
Children 0K6 years and their teachers, parents and carers.
National, regional and rural.
No. visitors 06K07: 1,728, 07K08: 6,500
$450,000 p.a. from Australian Government Funded until June 2009. This project is integrated with Science Squad and NRMA RoadZone through shared overhead costs.
5. Questacon ScienceLines3 presentations, workshops and websites designed in consultation with Indigenous communities.
Improving education outcomes for Indigenous Australians is a national priority.
Remote community Indigenous students and their teachers. No. visitors 06K07: 6,141
Funding has lapsed. Was previously funded through DEST appropriation of approx. $450,000 pa. 6. Questacon Science Squad3high quality, educational and entertaining science shows in schools and public venues.
Encourage students to consider careers and courses in science and technology related disciplines. Develop positive attitudes to science and technology.
Sydney students, teachers and general public.
No. visitors 06K07: 32,378
$230,000 p.a. from Questacon and earned revenue. This project is integrated and interdependent with NRMA RoadZone and Science Play projects through shared overhead costs.
7. NRMA RoadZone3 road safety exhibits and programs in local libraries and school shows.
Raise awareness of the role of science and technology in road safety.
9K14 year olds in NSW Programs are primarily in Sydney. Exhibits are for hire nationally. No. visitors 06K07: 69,267
$380,000 p.a. from NRMA. Funded until 2010. This project is integrated with Science Squad and Science Play through shared infrastructure and staff. 8. Q2U3outreach
program in ACT and region.
To increase accessibility of Questacon to ACT Region schools.
Primary and secondary students, the general public, corporate groups, ACT region.
$45,000 from earned revenue and Questacon appropriation.
Unsurprisingly the target audience for Questacon is young Australians, followed by teachers and then families. One aim articulated in the report is to encourage more young Australians to continue to study science, producing skilled graduates to become future scientists, and thus underpinning and continuing to enhance the nation’s strength in research and innovation (p. 32). Another focus of the Centre is to increase the public’s understanding of the importance of science and technology in shaping Australia’s future (p. 32). The authors identified
Questacon’s goals as having a national focus, and a leading role in showcasing cutting edge science and technology, and thereby ensuring a better future for all Australians. The discussion and outcomes of the Questacon report can be seen as an early articulation of what is to come later in the form of IA.
Report 2: The 2006 - 07 Audit of Coordination Committee on Science and Technology