The role of learning in community science and citizen science
2 likes1,094 views
The document discusses the diverse roles of learning within community and citizen science, examining various typologies such as contributory, collaborative, and co-created projects. It highlights the balance between scientific goals and participant engagement, emphasizing the importance of learning outcomes for both participants and researchers. Additionally, it underlines the need for attention to learning processes in citizen science, promoting education through new courses and outreach initiatives.
The role of learning in community science and citizen science
- 1. The role of learning in community/citizen science Muki Haklay, Extreme Citizen Science group Department of Geography, UCL Twitter: @mhaklay / @ucl_excites
- 2. • Typologies and goals in citizen science • Aspects of learning and examples from contributory and collegial projects • Learning in co-created projects at the Extreme Citizen Science group projects Overview
- 3. • Action oriented - encourage participant intervention in local concerns, using scientific research as a tool to support civic agendas. • Conservation- support stewardship and natural resource management goals, primarily in the area of ecology. • Investigation - focused on scientific research goals requiring data collection from the physical environment. • Virtual - all project activities are ICT-mediated with no physical elements whatsoever. • Education - education and outreach primary goals, all of which include relevant aspects of place. Primary goals and physical environment Wiggins & Crowston (2011). From conservation to crowdsourcing: A typology of citizen science. In System Sciences (HICSS)
- 4. • Contractual - communities ask professional researchers to conduct a specific scientific investigation and report on the results; • Contributory - generally designed by scientists and members of the public primarily contribute data; • Collaborative - generally designed by scientists and members of the public contribute data, refine project design, analyse data, disseminate findings; • Co-Created - designed by scientists and members of the public working together, some of the public participants are actively involved in most aspects of the research process; and • Collegial - non-credentialed individuals conduct research independently with varying degrees of expected recognition by institutionalised science. The 5 Cs classification Shirk et al. (2012). Public participation in scientific research: a framework for deliberate design. Ecology and Society, 17(2).
- 5. Based on Cooper, Dickinson, Phillips & Bonney (2007) Citizen Science as tool for conservation in residential ecosystems. Ecology and Society 12(2) Question Study Design Data Collection Data Analysis and Interpretation Understanding results Management Action Geographic scope of project Nature of people taking action Research priority Education priority Traditional Science Scientific Consulting* Contributory Collaborative Collegial/ Participatory Action Research Variable Narrow NarrowBroad Broad Managers Community Groups Managers Individuals Community Groups Highest Medium High High Medium Low Medium High High High *often called Science Shops Citizen Science Co-created Narrow High High All √ √√√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √Public Proj owner √ √ √
- 6. • Collaborative science – problem definition, data collection and analysis Level 4 ‘Extreme’ • Participation in problem definition and data collection Level 3 ‘Participatory science’ • Citizens as basic interpreters Level 2 ‘Distributed intelligence’ • Citizens as sensors Level 1 ‘Crowdsourcing’ Haklay (2013). Citizen Science and volunteered geographic information: Overview and typology of participation, Crowdsourcing Geographic Knowledge
- 7. Goals and environment 5C’s Levels of participation Consulting Conservation/Investigation/ Virtual/Education Contributory Crowdsourcing/ Distributed Intelligence (Conservation/ Investigation) Collaborative (Conservation) Co-created Participatory Action Collegial Extreme Citizen Science Comparing
- 8. • Analysing: – Environment (physical/online), – Technology (web/mobile/pen & paper), – Engagement (levels of control over the project), and – Relationships with professional science • Aspects of learning and creativity are not explicit Core typologies of citizen science
- 9. Citizen Science Increasing awareness to environmental or scientific issue Producing scientific outputs Achieving temporal and geographical coverage Achieving inclusiveness Increasing scientific literacy Accessing resources Creating enjoyable & engaging experiences Balancing Citizen Science goals • Each citizen science project is a balancing act between the scientific goals, scale and depth of engagement, benefits to different stakeholders (scientists, participants, project funders)
- 10. • Who is learning and what are they learning? • Is the learning designed into the project? • Which goals are addressed through the learning process and tools? • Is the learning evaluated and does it inform the project? Some questions on learning
- 11. 1. Task/game mechanics 2. Pattern recognition 3. On topic learning 5. Off topic knowledge and skills 4. Scientific process 6. Personal development Participation as volunteer Source: Laure Kloetzer, University of Geneva
- 12. A taxonomy on learning outcomes in citizen science projects. 3 mains categories: 1. personal development, 2. generic knowledge & skills, 3. project-specific knowledge and skills Source: Laure Kloetzer, University of Geneva
- 13. Bioblitz etc. Participating in Big Garden Bridwatch (source: RSPB) Participating in BioBlitz (source: OPAL, Esri) Kerski. (2016) Mapping BioBlitz Field Data in ArcGIS Online Esri GIS Education Community Blog
- 14. • Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network Rebecca Jacobson
- 16. Volunteer thinking Hanny van Arkel. “The Dutch schoolteacher and Queen admirer who discovered Hanny’s Voorwerp”.
- 17. • Data collection processes and protocols • Details about the issues (e.g. bird feeding in winter) • Organisational skills • Familiarity with systems and procedures (CoCoRHaS) • New patterns or discoveries Learning in contributory projects
- 18. DIY Sensing
- 19. More information at http://publiclaboratory.org DIY/Civic Science
- 20. • New tools and social learning (sensors development) • Problem solving skills • Issue specific (what is being measured and how) • Organisational skills • Communication and political action Learning in collegial projects
- 21. Regalado. (2017) Unwrapping DIY enquiry: The study of ‘enquiry’ in DIY practice at individual, community & place levels, PhD Thesis UCL
- 22. • Most of the focus is on the participants – what they learn and how • Little research on the scientists: – Shirk, J. (2014) Push The Edge Of Science Forward. Expanding Considerations Of Expertise Through Scientists' Citizen Science Work In Conservation, PhD dissertation, Cornell University Issues with learning
- 23. Extreme Citizen Science (ExCiteS) is a situated, bottom-up practice that takes into account local needs, practices and culture and works with broad networks of people to design and build new devices and knowledge creation processes that can transform the world. Creating technologies that are designed to be embedded within participatory processes. Extreme Citizen Science
- 24. Pepys estate air quality study
- 25. Diffusion Tubes Pros Cons Comparable to Local Authority data Not real time Only need a step ladder and diffusion tube Active involvement Easy to use Measurement in one location Uses local knowledge Low cost Inclusive Integrates with mobile apps to record location & other details
- 26. Ellul, Francis, and Haklay (2012), Engaging with local communities: A review of three years of community mapping. Urban and Regional Data Management, UDMS Annual 2011 - Proceedings of the Urban Data Management Society Symposium Exploring the results
- 27. • Identifying the most suitable tools (diffusion tubes) • Identifying the role of technology and mapping in documenting the activities and sharing the results • Using both local knowledge and scientific knowledge Community & researchers learning
- 28. Source: Mapping for ChangeEveryAware website at http://www.everyaware.eu Participatory Sensing
- 31. • Sharing limitations and potential application of monitoring • Developing representations that express community views and wishes for utilisation of the information • Developing new initiatives – progressing from contributory, through co-design, to collegial Community & researchers learning
- 34. • Different types of communities: community of practice, interest, and place • Adapting tools and activities to different life stages and shared priorities – mutual learning • Development of general training and learning resource Community & researchers learning
- 35. 64M UK population 14M view Blue Planet II 520,000 in RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 6,500 BTO Garden Birdwatch 65 active in BioHacking & DIY Science 74,000 regular Zooniverse participants UK Engagement Escalator This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 709443 2.1m visitors to Natural History Museum
- 36. General interest in popular science Science blog reader + Galaxy Zoo classifier Galaxy Zoo forum moderator Community manager ExCiteS Founder Citizen Science Translation Hub Galaxy Zoo / citizen science ambassador ...as well as Alice’s journey This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 709443
- 37. Everyone Passive consumption of science Opportunistic or highly limited participation Data collection and analysis High engagement in DIY science Joining volunteer computing or thinking 7 Levels of Engagement Active consumption of science This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 709443
- 38. • Learning is integral to citizen science • It happens at all modes of citizen science, though in different ways and in different areas • There is a need to pay attention to the learning by those who run and develop citizen science and not only the participant Summary
- 39. • New course: Introduction to Citizen Science and Scientific Crowdsourcing • Part of OPENER and DITOs projects • MOOC + face to face course at UCL, aimed at MSc students and practitioners
- 40. Follow us: – http://www.ucl.ac.uk/excites – Twitter: @UCL_ExCiteS – Blog: http://uclexcites.wordpress.com The work of ExCiteS is supported by EPSRC, ERC, EU FP7, EU H2020, RGS, Esri, Forest People Program, Forests Monitor, WRI and all the people in communities that we’ve worked with over the years