The activity theory for organisations relates to how two different organisational contexts that interact with each other develop and eventually share a common language, culture and environment, in order to reach common goals.
This could be a good framework for how schools engage with the community to provide opportunities they are not able to otherwise provide for students. The community is a part of the learning process and exposes students to authentic learning opportunities.
students observe scientific processes they normally do not experience at school, and then report on what they have observed; in doing so, they develop skills such as asking questions, scientific reading, organising information and planning a presentation
Why are these experiences unique to school? Were they industry or research based? Were they looking at specialized equipment?
For schools, does "out of school learning" mean that students are reaching for things schools cannot provide? Or things they do not provide (choice)?
Studies have also shown that learning is a unified concept; any distinction between formal and informal science learning is artificial
We are not helping students by dismissing background knowledge they possess as a result of learning on their own.
However, students who are not interested in school science often choose to participate in science activities outside school.
Calvin and Hobbes - "we don't talk about dinosaurs in school."
In addition, many practitioners in the field of informal science learning recognise the need to create productive collaborations between informal science education organisations and schools
See Esach (2007) for more context of the "edutainment" aspect of informal learning. Is entertaining content/context more important that the educational context? What should schools accept - or reject - from that position?