Abstract
AbstractCitizen science is a promising field for educational practices and research. However, it is also highly heterogeneous, and learning happens in diverse ways, according to project tasks and participants’ activities. Therefore, we adopt a sociocultural view of learning, in which understanding learning requires a close analysis of the situation created both by the project tasks and the dynamics of engagement of the participants (volunteers, scientists, and others). To tackle the complexity of the field, this chapter maps learning in citizen science into six territories, according to where learning might take place: formal education (schools and universities); out-of-school education (science and nature clubs, summer camps, outdoor education, etc.); local and global communities (neighbourhood associations, activist associations, online communities, etc.); families; museums (science museums, art museums, zoos, and botanic gardens); and online citizen science. For each territory, we present key findings from the literature. The chapter also introduces our six personal journeys into the field of learning and citizen science, displaying their variety and the common lessons, challenges, and opportunities. Finally, we present four key tensions arising from citizen science projects in educational settings and look at training different stakeholders as a strategy to overcome some of these tensions.
Highlights
We have heard these questions many times, from teachers, project leaders, politicians, activists, and volunteers, all active in the field of citizen science (Fig. 15.1)
We provide an introduction to the field for educators, scientists, project leaders, and activists running citizen science projects who would like to learn more about their educational potential and how to support it
We discovered that citizen science projects offer opportunities for learning, which depend both on the design of the projects and the way volunteers decide to engage in these projects
Summary
We have heard these questions many times, from teachers, project leaders, politicians, activists, and volunteers, all active in the field of citizen science (Fig. 15.1). In the Science in the City Air Quality Monitoring project undertaken by Mapping for Change – led by Extreme Citizen Science (ExCiteS) research group from University College London – citizens from various local communities across London volunteered and played an active role in designing the research plan in their area, collecting data, mapping them, and interpreting and reporting the results.
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