Training needs and recommendations for Citizen Science participants, facilitators and designers

In this report, we aimed to systematise and elaborate on the ideas discussed during the COST Action WG2 workshop “Systematic review on training requirements and recommendations for Citizen Science” that took place in Riga on 12-13th November 2018. Building on the input from the workshop participants’ broad range of different perspectives and expertise in citizen science and education, we compiled a list of training needs for project participants, project facilitators and project designers in citizen science and categorised them into core, operational and engagement needs. Based on our experience we discussed challenges that may need to be considered when designing training in citizen science. We then addressed the needs by formulating recommendations and pointing out available resources that have been proven to be useful in our own citizen science research and practice. While we acknowledge that these training needs and training recommendations may not be complete, we believe that our approach from needs to recommendations can act as a helpful working model when designing training and the list of resources provides a starting point to delve deeper into the topic and good training examples to build on. We invite the community to provide further insights into training needs and recommendations and to contribute further resources to the listThis is an open access publication. The attached file is the published version of the article

More complex than expected—mapping activities and youths’ experiences at BioBlitz events to the rosette model of science communication

Deficit, dialogue, or participation—which of these three main models of science communications is the best fit to describe activities and experiences of citizen science? One might assume that participation is the best match, but the reality of citizen science events is more complex. The rosette model of science communication offers a more detailed set of subcategories, e.g., educate, entertain, or do, in addition to the three main models—deficit, dialogue and participation. To systematically describe citizen science activities and experiences, we apply data on what activities are offered and what young people (5–19 years old) experience when participating in a citizen science event format called BioBlitzes across the rosette model. The mapping results illustrate how the rosette model can help to make citizen science project designers and practitioners more aware of the various modes of science communications that they may encounter at BioBlitz events and inform their design decisions regarding how settings can shape participants’ experiences

Citizen Science, Education, and Learning: Challenges and Opportunities

Citizen science is a growing field of research and practice, generating new knowledge and understanding through the collaboration of citizens in scientific research. As the field expands, it is becoming increasingly important to consider its potential to foster education and learning opportunities. Although progress has been made to support learning in citizen science projects, as well as to facilitate citizen science in formal and informal learning environments, challenges still arise. This paper identifies a number of dilemmas facing the field—from competing scientific goals and learning outcomes, differing underlying ontologies and epistemologies, diverging communication strategies, to clashing values around advocacy and activism. Although such challenges can become barriers to the successful integration of citizen science into mainstream education systems, they also serve as signposts for possible synergies and opportunities. One of the key emerging recommendations is to align educational learning outcomes with citizen science project goals at the planning stage of the project using co-creation approaches to ensure issues of accessibility and inclusivity are paramount throughout the design and implementation of every project. Only then can citizen science realise its true potential to empower citizens to take ownership of their own science education and learning

Citizen science’s transformative impact on science, citizen empowerment and socio-political processes

Citizen science (CS) can foster transformative impact for science, citizen empowerment and socio-political processes. To unleash this impact, a clearer understanding of its current status and challenges for its development is needed. Using quantitative indicators developed in a collaborative stakeholder process, our study provides a comprehensive overview of the current status of CS in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Our online survey with 340 responses focused on CS impact through (1) scientific practices, (2) participant learning and empowerment, and (3) socio-political processes. With regard to scientific impact, we found that data quality control is an established component of CS practice, while publication of CS data and results has not yet been achieved by all project coordinators (55%). Key benefits for citizen scientists were the experience of collective impact (“making a difference together with others”) as well as gaining new knowledge. For the citizen scientists’ learning outcomes, different forms of social learning, such as systematic feedback or personal mentoring, were essential. While the majority of respondents attributed an important value to CS for decision-making, only few were confident that CS data were indeed utilized as evidence by decision-makers. Based on these results, we recommend (1) that project coordinators and researchers strengthen scientific impact by fostering data management and publications, (2) that project coordinators and citizen scientists enhance participant impact by promoting social learning opportunities and (3) that project initiators and CS networks foster socio-political impact through early engagement with decision-makers and alignment with ongoing policy processes. In this way, CS can evolve its transformative impact

Untersuchung zum Zusammenhang von Bild und Verständnis der Fachmethode Chromatographie

Gibt es einen Zusammenhang zwischen Bild und Verständnis? Diese grundsätzliche Frage wird an der Fachmethode "Chromatographie" untersucht, deren ursprüngliche Verfahren Papier- und Dünnschichtchromatographie Versuchsergebnisse mit ästhetischem Charakter liefern. Das Untersuchungsdesign verknüpft mit Unterrichtsbeobachtungen und einer Fragebogenstudie die Lernorte Schule und Schülerlabor. Zu drei Erhebungszeitpunkten werden das Verständnis und die Bilder der Fachmethode von Schülerinnen und Schülern der Jahrgangsstufe 7 (N=338) mittels offener Items erhoben. Die gemäß der Qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse nach Mayring entwickelten Kategoriensysteme für Texte und Zeichnungen zur Chromatographie lassen die enorme Bandbreite der Vorstellungen im Detail offenkundig werden. Die Generierung von Hypothesen aus diesen Daten und deren quantitative Prüfung (mixed-methods-Studie) auf der Basis einer Indexbildung ermöglicht die Beantwortung der Forschungsfrage.Pictures play an important role in science. This is also true for the aesthetic results of chromatography. This mixed methods-study investigates correlations between learners' understanding and their image of chromatography. It elaborates which chromatographic methods are taught in schools (questionnaire-based study) and which differences occur concerning grade, context, content, experiments and media in the teaching of chromatography at Key stage 3 level (observation study in 15 chemistry classes). A questionnaire-based study (N=338) connects the two learning settings "school" and "teaching lab". Classification systems developed by applying the qualitative content-analysis make a detailed analysis of the students' responses and drawings possible. Data of expert interviews is applied to an index construction for the understanding of chromatography. This allows testing hypotheses that are generated from the qualitative data using quantitative methods

Citizen Science: Schoolteachers’ Motivation, Experiences, and Recommendations

Citizen science offers teachers a way to bring authentic scientific research into their classrooms by providing both teachers and their students with opportunities to contribute to authentic research. The potential of citizen science for science education has already been highlighted in various fields and by various stakeholders. More and more studies underpin this potential by providing evidence for the learning outcomes achieved through participation in citizen science projects. In formal education settings, teachers are the gatekeepers for teaching innovations and, hence, the ones who decide whether to engage students in citizen science. However, the expertise of teachers who have already participated in citizen science with their students has not been studied on a broad international level. Therefore, to investigate their experience and learn from their expertise, this study employed a concurrent triangulation design and invited teachers to participate in a survey (N = 56) and an interview (N = 11), independent of their country of residence, their school type, and their teaching subject. The results provide insights into teachers’ motivation, the engagement techniques and types of activities they used, the challenges they faced, and their recommendations for implementing citizen science in formal education settings. The present findings have important implications for the design of professional development programmes and support networks for teachers in citizen science