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• Date of publication Apr 20, 2016 Category: Article

  Science learning via participation in online citizen science

  by Karen Masters , Eun Young Oh , Joe Cox , Brooke Simmons , Chris Lintott , Gary Graham , Anita Greenhill , Kate Holmes

  We investigate the development of scientific content knowledge of volunteers participating in online citizen science projects in the Zooniverse (http://www.zooniverse.org). We use econometric methods to test how measures of project participation relate to success in a science quiz, controlling for factors known to correlate with scientific knowledge. Citizen scientists believe they are learning about both the content and processes of science through their participation. We don't directly test the latter, but we find evidence to support the former — that more actively engaged participants perform better in a project-specific science knowledge quiz, even after controlling for their general science knowledge. We interpret this as evidence of learning of science content inspired by participation in online citizen science.

  Volume 15 • Issue 03 • 2016 • Special Issue: Citizen Science, Part II, 2016 (PCST Stories / 2)

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  Collection: Volume 15 • Issue 01 • 2016 • Special Issue: Citizen Science, Part I, 2016 (PCST Stories / 1)

• Date of publication Mar 17, 2016 Category: Essay

  Supporting emerging forms of citizen science: a plea for diversity, creativity and social innovation

  by Teresa Schäfer , Barbara Kieslinger

  In recent years, citizen science has gained popularity not only in the scientific community but also with the general public. The potential it projects in fostering an open and participatory approach to science, decreasing the distance between science and society, and contributing to the wider goal of an inclusive society is being explored by scientists, science communicators, educators, policy makers and related stakeholders. The public's participation in citizen science projects is still often reduced to data gathering and data manipulation such as classification of data. However, the citizen science landscape is much broader and diverse, inter alia due to the participation opportunities offered by latest ICT. The emergence of new forms of collaboration and grassroots initiatives is currently being experienced. In an open consultation process that led to the "White Paper on Citizen Science for Europe", the support of a wide range of project types and innovative forms of participation in science was requested. In this paper we argue for mechanisms that encourage a variety of approaches, promote emerging and creative concepts and widen the perspectives for social innovation.

  Volume 15 • Issue 02 • 2016

• Date of publication Mar 17, 2016 Category: Commentary

  "People seem to really enjoy the mix of humour and intelligence": science humour in online settings

  by Oliver Marsh

  This commentary considers the topics of humour and online settings. Both have received increasing attention amongst researchers and practitioners of science communication, and both raise numerous questions around the role of informality and enjoyment in the spread of information. However, online settings also provide a great range of data with which to address these questions. Here I suggest that close consideration of technical infrastructure plays an important role in this data collection. I shall do so using case studies drawn from two popular participatory websites, reddit and Facebook, which display contrasting attitudes towards using humour. I argue that these attitudes are partly products of the different tools provided by the pages for users to show appreciation, which affect the appearance of content on the websites. I also suggest that these tools allow users to appreciate jokes in multiple ways, and by extension might provide researchers with methods for assessing different forms of engagement.

  Volume 15 • Issue 02 • 2016

• Date of publication Feb 24, 2016 Category: Article

  Understanding drivers, barriers and information sources for public participation in marine citizen science

  by Vicki Martin , Les Christidis , David Lloyd , Gretta Pecl

  Interviews were conducted with 110 marine users to elicit their salient beliefs about recording marine species in a citizen science project. The results showed that many interviewees believe participation would increase knowledge (either scientific, the community's, or their own). While almost half of the interviewees saw no negative outcomes, a small number expressed concerns about targeting of marine species by others, or restrictions on public access to marine sites. Most of the people surveyed (n = 106) emphasised the importance of well-designed technological interfaces to assist their data collection, without which they would be unlikely to engage in the project.

  Volume 15 • Issue 02 • 2016

• Date of publication Jan 21, 2016 Category: Essay

  The Swedish mass experiments — a way of encouraging scientific citizenship?

  by Dick Kasperowski , Fredrik Brounéus

  Since 2009 Vetenskap & Allmänhet (Public & Science, VA) coordinates an annual mass experiment as part of ForskarFredag — the Swedish events on the European Researchers' Night. Through the experiments, thousands of Swedish students from preschool to upper secondary school have contributed to the development of scientific knowledge on, for example, the acoustic environment in classrooms, children's and adolescents' perception of hazardous environments and the development of autumn leaves in deciduous trees. The aim is to stimulate scientific literacy and an interest in science while generating scientific output. The essay discusses how the mass experiments can contribute to encouraging scientific citizenship.

  Volume 15 • Issue 01 • 2016 • Special Issue: Citizen Science, Part I, 2016 (PCST Stories / 1)

• Date of publication Jan 21, 2016 Category: Article

  School of Ants goes to college: integrating citizen science into the general education classroom increases engagement with science

  by Tyler Vitone , Kathryn Stofer , M. Sedonia Steininger , Jiri Hulcr , Robert Dunn , Andrea Lucky

  Citizen science has proven useful in advancing scientific research, but participant learning outcomes are not often assessed. This case study describes the implementation and tailoring of an in-depth assessment of the educational impact of two citizen science projects in an undergraduate, general education course. Mixed-methods assessment of citizen science within a college classroom demonstrates that public participation in scientific research can positively alter attitudes towards science. The timing and type of assessments yielded significantly different results and qualitative assessment provided depth and context. However, disentangling the impact of the course from participation in the projects is the biggest challenge.

  Volume 15 • Issue 01 • 2016 • Special Issue: Citizen Science, Part I, 2016 (PCST Stories / 1)

• Date of publication Jan 21, 2016 Category: Article

  Motivation and learning impact of Dutch flu-trackers

  by Anne M. Land-Zandstra , Mara van Beusekom , Carl Koppeschaar , Jos van den Broek

  Many citizen science projects deal with high attrition rates. The Dutch Great Influenza Survey is an exception to this rule. In the current study, we conducted an online questionnaire (N=1610) to investigate the motivation and learning impact of this loyal, active participant base. Results show that the desire to contribute to a larger (scientific) goal is the most important motivator for all types of participants and that availability of scientific information and data are important for learning. We suggest similar projects seek (social) media attention regularly, linking project findings to current events and including the importance of participants' contribution.

  Volume 15 • Issue 01 • 2016 • Special Issue: Citizen Science, Part I, 2016 (PCST Stories / 1)

• Date of publication Dec 15, 2015 Category: Commentary

  Open science

  by Ann Grand

  Open science is the most recent paradigm shift in the practice of science. However, it is a practice that has emerged relatively recently and as such, its definition is constantly-shifting and evolving. This commentary describes the historical background of open science and its current practice, particularly with reference to its relationship with public engagement with research.

  Volume 14 • Issue 04 • 2015

• Date of publication Dec 15, 2015 Category: Article

  Combined art and science as a communication pathway in a primary school setting: paper and ice

  by Craig Stevens , Gabby O'Connor

  A hybrid combination of art and science is used to communicate science in a primary school setting. The purpose of the work is to enhance student awareness of the science behind understanding the global climate system with a focus on the cryosphere. An experiment in communicating science is conducted by taking the collaborative experiences of a professional artist and scientist, which are then combined and projected onto an ostensibly everyday primary school classroom project. The tangible end result is a stand-alone contemporary art work that then is the focal point of community-based promotion of the science and creativity involved. A range of qualitative evaluation elements suggest that the approach does improve student engagement with the scientific approach and reduces the student's uncertainty about ``what science is''.

  Volume 14 • Issue 04 • 2015

• Date of publication Sep 29, 2015 Category: Commentary

  Ships, Clocks & Stars: the quest for impact

  by Katherine McAlpine

  Between 2010 and July 2015, a group of researchers at the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge and the National Maritime Museum were engaged in an Arts & Humanities Research Council-funded project “The Board of Longitude 1714–1828: Science, innovation and empire in the Georgian world”. The project team included a dedicated Public Engagement Officer whose role was to engage audiences with the outputs of the research project.
  The National Maritime Museum celebrated the 300 th anniversary of the 1714 Longitude Act with a major exhibition, Ships, Clocks & Stars: The Quest for Longitude, which told the story of the 18th century quest for longitude, alongside a series of longitude-themed events. To commemorate the same anniversary, NESTA launched the 2014 Longitude Prize, a challenge to find a solution to today’s equivalent of the longitude problem, with the problem chosen by a public vote. Using these two examples as a case study, I explore how history of science helps science communication organisations engage people with science, and vice versa.

  Volume 14 • Issue 03 • 2015