citizen science & geographical technologies: creativity, learning, and engagement
TRANSCRIPT
Citizen Science & Geographical Technologies: creativity,
learning, and engagement
Muki Haklay
Extreme Citizen Science (ExCiteS) research group, UCL
@mhaklay @UCL_ExCiteS
Acknowledgement
This talk would not be possible without the generosity of
the many people and communities that we have worked
with over the years…
Acknowledgement
… and the funders, project partners, and sponsors that we’ve
worked with (and will work with in the future)
Outline
• Citizen science – why now?
• Citizen science today: across disciplines, technologies,
and levels of engagement
• Pushing citizen science to the extremes
• Learning & creativity in citizen science
• Over to you!
Citizen Science (OED 2014)
citizen science n. scientific work undertaken by members of the
general public, often in collaboration with or under the direction of
professional scientists and scientific institutions.
citizen scientist n. (a) a scientist whose work is characterized by a
sense of responsibility to serve the best interests of the wider
community (now rare); (b) a member of the general public who
engages in scientific work, often in collaboration with or under the
direction of professional scientists and scientific institutions; an
amateur scientist.
Citizen Science & Science
Early science (1600’s – early 1800’s)
Professional science (late 1800’s – 1900’s)
Opening Science (since 2000s)
Citizen Science & Science
Early science(1600’s – earl 1800’s)
Professional science (late 1800’s – 1900’s)
Opening Science (since 2000s)
Illiteracy
Basic to High-school
Higher Education
Citizen Science & Science
Early science(1600’s – early 1800’s)
Professional science (late 1800’s – 1900’s)
Opening Science (since 2000s)
Illiteracy
Basic to High-school
Higher Education
Citizen Science
as Gentlemen/
Gentlewomen
science
Mary Anning (1799-1847)
Citizen Science & Science
Early science(1600’s – early 1800’s)
Professional science (late 1800’s – 1900’s)
Opening Science (since 2000s)
Illiteracy
Basic to High-school
Higher Education
Citizen Science
as Gentlemen/
Gentlewomen
science
Citizen Science
diminishing
© WMO–No. 919
Volunteer rainfall observer Rick Grocke checks
the rain gauge at Tanami Downs cattle station in
the Northern Territory of Australia
The era of professional science • Involvement continued: archaeology, astronomy, ornithology,
conservation, meteorology …
• No recognition, views of volunteers as ‘untrustworthy’
contributors
Shoemaker-Levy 9 on 17 May 1994
Why Now?
• Societal trends:
– Education and qualifications
– Leisure
– Sharing economies / peer production systems
• Technological trends:
– Internet access (broadband)
– Collaborative Web
– Mobile devices
– DIY electronics
Leisure
• Across the developed
world there have been a
marked declined in the
number of working
hours
Source: the Atlantic
Citizen Science & Science
Early science(1600’s – early 1800’s)
Professional science (late 1800’s – 1900’s)
Opening Science (since 2000s)
Illiteracy
Basic to High-school
Higher Education
Citizen Science
as Gentlemen/
Gentlewomen
science
Citizen Science
diminishing
Citizen Science as
open & inclusive
science
Citizen Science Today
Haklay, M., 2013, Citizen Science and Volunteered Geographic Information – overview and typology of
participation in Crowdsourcing Geographic Knowledge
Citizen Science
Long running Citizen Science
Ecology & biodiversity
Meteorology Astronomy
Citizen Cyberscience
Volunteer computing
Volunteer thinking
Passive Sensing
Community Science
Participatory sensing
DIY Science Civic Science
A new era of citizen science
Haklay, M., 2013, Citizen Science and Volunteered Geographic Information – overview and typology of
participation in Crowdsourcing Geographic Knowledge
Citizen Science
Long running Citizen Science
Ecology & biodiversity
Meteorology Astronomy
Citizen Cyberscience
Volunteer computing
Volunteer thinking
Passive Sensing
Community Science
Participatory sensing
DIY Science Civic Science
Biodiversity/Ecology
Participating in Big Garden
Bridwatch (source: RSPB)
Participating in BioBlitz (source: OPAL, Esri)
Kerski, J., 2016, Mapping BioBlitz Field Data in ArcGIS Online Esri GIS Education Community Blog
A new era of citizen science
Haklay, M., 2013, Citizen Science and Volunteered Geographic Information – overview and typology of
participation in Crowdsourcing Geographic Knowledge
Citizen Science
Long running Citizen Science
Ecology & biodiversity
Meteorology Astronomy
Citizen Cyberscience
Volunteer computing
Volunteer thinking
Passive Sensing
Community Science
Participatory sensing
DIY Science Civic Science
A new era of citizen science
Haklay, M., 2013, Citizen Science and Volunteered Geographic Information – overview and typology of
participation in Crowdsourcing Geographic Knowledge
Citizen Science
Long running Citizen Science
Ecology & biodiversity
Meteorology Astronomy
Citizen Cyberscience
Volunteer computing
Volunteer thinking
Passive Sensing
Community Science
Participatory sensing
DIY Science Civic Science
Gathering pace…
Problem
definitionData collection
Visualisation &
analysisAction
Classification
& basic analysis
Basic School
High School
Postgraduate
PhD
Literacy
Current Citizen Science
University/
College
Problem
definitionData collection
Visualisation &
analysisAction
Classification
& basic analysis
Basic School
High School
University/
College
Postgraduate
PhD
Literacy
Where next for Citizen Science?
Participation in citizen science
• Collaborative science – problem definition, data collection and analysis
Level 4 ‘Extreme/ Up-Science’
• 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
Haklay, M., 2013, Citizen Science and Volunteered Geographic Information – overview and typology of
participation in Crowdsourcing Geographic Knowledge
Extreme Citizen ScienceExtreme 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.
What Citizen Science offers?
• Learning to volunteer for a wider goal (contribute to
science)
• Awareness of environmental and scientific issues
• Education in science, technology, engineering &
mathematics
• Developing new skills and insights
• Linking studies to place and local community
• Adapting to different types of learning
What do they learn?
1. Task/game mechanics
2. Pattern recognition
3. On topic learning
5. Off topic knowledge and skills
4. Scientific process
6. Personal development
Participationas volunteer
Source: Laure Kloetzer, University of Geneva
See citizencyberlab.eu
Rich diversity:• A taxonomy on learning outcomes
in citizen science projects • 3 mains categories:
1. personal development, 2. generic knowledege &
skills, 3. project-specific knowledge
and skills
Source: Laure Kloetzer, University of Geneva
Other opportunities
• Join the Citizen Science Association, or the European
Citizen Science Association – both have education
working groups
• Link to local or national projects (e.g. eBird, iNaturalist,
CoCoRHaS)
• Check citizenscience.gov and SciStarter.com
• Let’s talk more in the unconference session (Tuesday
8:30am)
Conclusions
• Citizen science has grown dramatically over the past
decade
• With suitable effort, it is possible to engage people at
all levels, and all stages of the process
• Citizen science provide ample opportunities for
creativity and learning, and geographical technologies
have a major role to play in this
• Follow us:
– http://www.ucl.ac.uk/excites
– Twitter: @UCL_ExCiteS @mhaklay
– Blog: http://uclexcites.wordpress.comhttp://povesham.wordpress.com