Learning in Game Jams: A Case Study of the GLASS Summer School

Game jams provide exciting opportunities for education and research. In this session we describe the GLASS Summer School, sharing videos where students talk about their experiences, and sharing results from our learning survey. We discuss questions such as what are optimal conditions for game jams? How can we measure learning

Separation of p-Aminobenzoic Acid by Reactive Extraction in the Presence of 1-Octanol as Phase Modifier

The paper presents the studies on reactive extraction of p-aminobenzoic acid with two extractants (Amberlite LA-2 and D2EHPA) dissolved in two solvents with different dielectric constants (n-heptane, dichloromethane), at various 1-octanol concentrations in the solvent. The addition of 1-octanol induced the increase of the extraction efficiency, the most important influence being recorded for the solvent with lower polarity (n-heptane). Moreover, the volumetric fraction of alcohol controls the number of extractant molecules participating in the interfacial product formation. This effect was more important for the extraction in low-polar solvent and was concretized in the reduction of number of Amberlite LA-2 molecules included in the interfacial compound from 3, in the absence of alcohol, to 1, for φ = 20 % alcohol. Indifferent to alcohol fraction in organic phase, for the reactive extraction with D2EHPA in n-heptane, the number of extractant molecules decreased from 2, in the absence of 1-octanol, to 1 in the presence of 1-octanol. The limitation of solute solvation by extractant due to the increase of solvent polarity led to the reduction of the extraction constant and to the amplification of the differences between the extraction constants obtained for the same extractant and the two solvents

Sociability in virtual citizen science

Past research suggests that sociability can enhance volunteers’ experiences of virtual citizen science (VCS). We define four types of sociability. We also describe how outreach events - ‘Thinkcamps’ – can be used to support the design of social tools for VCS platforms

Turning students into citizen scientists

Citizen science, the active participation of the public in scientific research projects, is a rapidly expanding field in open science and open innovation. It provides an integrated model of public knowledge production and engagement with science. As a growing worldwide phenomenon, it is invigorated by evolving new technologies that connect people easily and effectively with the scientific community. Catalysed by citizens’ wishes to be actively involved in scientific processes, as a result of recent societal trends, it also offers contributions to the rise in tertiary education. In addition, citizen science provides a valuable tool for citizens to play a more active role in sustainable development. This book identifies and explains the role of citizen science within innovation in science and society, and as a vibrant and productive science-policy interface. The scope of this volume is global, geared towards identifying solutions and lessons to be applied across science, practice and policy. The chapters consider the role of citizen science in the context of the wider agenda of open science and open innovation, and discuss progress towards responsible research and innovation, two of the most critical aspects of science today

Motivations, Learning and Creativity in Online Citizen Sceince Charlene Jennett, Laure Kloetzer, Daniel Schneider, Ioanna Iacovides, Anna L. Cox, Margaret Gold, Brian Fuchs, Alexandra Eveleigh, Kathleen Mathieu, Zoya Ajani and Yasmin Talsi

Online citizen science projects have demonstrated their usefulness for research, however little is known about the potential benefits for volunteers. We conducted 39 interviews (28 volunteers, 11 researchers) to gain a greater understanding of volunteers' motivations, learning and creativity (MLC). In our MLC model we explain that participating and progressing in a project community provides volunteers with many indirect opportunities for learning and creativity. The more aspects that volunteers are involved in, the more likely they are to sustain their participation in the project. These results have implications for the design and management of online citizen science projects. It is important to provide users with tools to communicate in order to supporting social learning, community building and sharing.This article is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial - NoDerivativeWorks 4.0 License. The article attached is the publisher's pdf

Creativity in Citizen Cyberscience

An interview study was conducted to explore volunteers’ experiences of creativity in citizen cyberscience. Participants were recruited from 4 projects: GeoTag-X, Virtual Atom Smasher, Synthetic Biology, and Extreme Citizen Science. Ninety-six interviews were conducted in total: 86 with volunteers (citizen scientists) and 10 with professional scientists. The resulting thematic analysis revealed that volunteers are involved in a range of creative activities, such as discussing ideas, suggesting improvements, gamification, artwork, creative writing, and outreach activities. We conclude that the majority of creative products are community-related. Creativity in citizen cyberscience is a collective process: volunteers create within a project and a community, both for themselves and for others

Learning outcomes in online citizen science communities designed for inquiry

The purpose of most citizen science projects is engaging citizens in providing data to scientists, not supporting citizen learning about science. Any citizen learning that does occur in most projects is normally a by-product of the project rather than a stated aim. This study examines learning outcomes of citizens participating in online citizen science communities purposely designed for inquiry learning. The ‘Citizen inquiry’ approach adopted in this study prioritises and scaffolds learning and engages people in all stages of the scientific process by involving them in inquiry-based learning while participating in citizen science activities. The exploratory research involved an intervention with two design studies of adult volunteer participants engaging in citizen-led inquiries, employing a mixed-methods approach. The findings indicated that, in both design studies, participants engaged in an inquiry process, and practised inquiry skills alongside other kinds of knowledge and skills not directly related to science. Differences between the outcomes of each study highlighted the importance of the design on learning impact. In particular, participant understanding of research processes and methods, and developing more experimental studies were more evident with the support of a dynamic representation of the inquiry process. Furthermore, in the second study, which was hosted in a more engaging and interactive learning environment, participants perceived science as fun, were involved in inquiry discussions, and showed progress in scientific vocabulary. The paper concludes with some considerations for science educators and citizen science facilitators to enhance the learning outcomes of citizen inquiry and similar online communities for science inquiries

Learning and developing science capital through citizen science

Citizen science, the active participation of the public in scientific research projects, is a rapidly expanding field in open science and open innovation. It provides an integrated model of public knowledge production and engagement with science. As a growing worldwide phenomenon, it is invigorated by evolving new technologies that connect people easily and effectively with the scientific community. Catalysed by citizens’ wishes to be actively involved in scientific processes, as a result of recent societal trends, it also offers contributions to the rise in tertiary education. In addition, citizen science provides a valuable tool for citizens to play a more active role in sustainable development. This book identifies and explains the role of citizen science within innovation in science and society, and as a vibrant and productive science-policy interface. The scope of this volume is global, geared towards identifying solutions and lessons to be applied across science, practice and policy. The chapters consider the role of citizen science in the context of the wider agenda of open science and open innovation, and discuss progress towards responsible research and innovation, two of the most critical aspects of science today