Rapidly advancing scientific research is among the main transforming actors of our societies today. Citizen Science can promote public awareness, encourage meaningful contribution to research projects and empower local and global communities. How can we rethink school education through the prism of Citizen Science? And how can we start from schools to re-establish the links between scientific research and society, while promoting awareness and collaboration? link to oral presentation >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN2Y-o3uM-c&t=264s

1. The power of Citizen
Science in Education
@E_MORAITOPOULOU || #RPEUROPE || #RPTHE

2. What is Citizen Science?
A different form of scientific research.
A social movement.
A scientific movement.

3. The eBird
project
✓ Launched by the Cornell Lab of
Ornithology and National
Audubon Society (2002)
✓ Online, open, accessible database
with real-time data on bird
abundance and distribution in
different locations
✓ >20000 participants (recreational
or professional bird-watchers)
✓ Highest achievement: May 2015
more than 9.5 million observations
across the world
PrtSc: the official eBird project website: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/about/
PrtSc: distribution & abundance of observed species during all the current year
✓ Goals:
Maximize the utility and
accessibility of the vast numbers of
bird observations made each year .
Increase our understanding of the
distribution, richness, and
uniqueness of the biodiversity of
our planet.

4. Citizen Science
Used to Map
Community Air
Quality
✓ Initiated and supported by
Mapping for Change
✓ Provides communities mostly in
marginalized areas with a way to
measure air quality using low-
technical methods
✓ local residents in over 30 locations
have been able to collect data,
then see the real results of their
monitoring activities
PrtSc: Map Community Air Quality homepage http://mappingforchange.org.uk/projects/citizen-science-
used-to-map-community-air-quality/
✓ Goals:
Increase local community
engagement and action.
Wider awareness along with policy
debate and action.

5. The Public Lab
✓ Community to learn how to
investigate environmental
concerns using DIY techniques
Launching balloon at Chandeleur || Jeff Warren || Flickr
June-11-LakeBorgne-LA || Aerial imaging acquired by grassroots mapper Erin Sharkey ||Flickr
✓ Goals:
Help Gulf Coast residents to use
simple and inexpensive tools
(e.g. balloons) to produce their
own documentation of the
disaster.
Gather open and accessible data
online.
Support environmental research,
policy, and regulatory changes in
coming years.

6. Who “benefits” in CS?
SCIENCE
Cost-effective & rapid scientific progress.
Amounts of data that could have not been
achieved by research teams.
SOCIETY
Transparent information & raised public
awareness.
Increased scientific literacy on tools and
methodologies (e.g. data analysis).
Community empowerment.
Collaboration.
Civic engagement.

7. The 2 major Scientific & Societal deficits
1. “SCIENCE IS MOSTLY FOR SCIENTISTS”.
2. SCHOOL EDUCATION MISSES THE
LINKS BETWEEN CURRICULUM AND
REAL LIFE.
PROPOSED SOLUTION:
BRING CITIZEN SCIENCE INSIDE CLASSROOMS !

8. Where can we start from….?

9. First steps to
take…
Find and get involved in
existing CS projects,
formal or informal
(e.g. scistarter,
zooniverse etc)
HomePage PrtSc: scistarter. “Science we can do together.”
HomePage PrtSc: Zooniverse. “People-powered research”.

10. Moving further
✓ Create links between
classrooms, teachers
and researchers.
✓ Provide teacher
training and support.
✓ Initiate research
projects from the
students’ genuine
questions and curiosity. Homepage PrtSc: Les Savanturiers (the Knowledge Adventurers) official website . “The School of
Research”. Centre for Research and Interdisciplinarity –CRI
“We are all born researchers, so curious and eager to
understand and act […].”
And reach the point of
designing and initiating
CS projects inside
classrooms!

11. Why should a researcher care?
Why should a teacher care?
• CS in education: Active learning format  more motivated, enthusiastic and engaged students
• Ameliorated student performance while having positive societal impact
• Life-long teacher training and raised interest and enthusiasm in the teaching procedure
• Public awareness  a researcher’s responsibility
• Essentially involving students in actual scientific research can accelerate research progress
• Cost-efficient research projects  in terms of time and human resources

12. Further Resources
Mueller, M., Tippins, D. & Bryan, L. “The Future of Citizen Science”. Democracy & Education, vol
20, no- 1
Harsh R. Shah and Luis R. Martinez. “Current Approaches in Implementing Citizen Science in the
Classroom”. Department of Biomedical Sciences, NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine, New
York Institute of Technology. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY & BIOLOGY EDUCATION, March 2016,
p. 17-22
Cavalier, D. & Kennedy, E., B. “The Rightful Place of Science: CITIZEN SCIENCE”. Consortium for
Science, Policy & Outcomes Tempe, AZ and Washington, DC
Jenkin, M., “Five ways to turn your students into citizen scientists”, published on The Guardian,
Friday 5 April 2013