Presentation given March 15 in OKCast Podcast on teaching sensor journalism.

1. 5 THINGS TO KNOW
WHEN TEACHING
SENSOR JOURNALISM
PROF. AMY SCHMITZ WEISS
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
sensorjournalism.wordpress.com

2. WHAT’S IN THE AIR
AIR QUALITY
SENSOR PROJECT
• Collaboration between inewsource and journalism and
geology departments at San Diego State University
• Co-taught by journalism professor and geology lecturer
• Semester-long project – students’ stories and data
collected from air quality sensors deployed in the
community will be published on inewsource
• Sensor technology: Arduino, Grove dust PM2.5 sensor
and Grove MQ2 gas sensor, LCD display to provide
data readings (data run every 30 seconds,
averages)
• Year-long grant funded by the 2014-2015 ONA Hack
the Curriculum Grant

3. • Don’t let the technology lead - journalism comes
first!
• Identify existing datasets first
• Identify/collaborate with news partners
• Allow time for R&D and multiple prototypes
#1 PLAN

4. #2 POWER IN
NUMBERS
• Collaborate with other
departments on campus (e.g.
Public Health, Engineering,
Computer Science, Geology,
Geography)
• Invite multiple guest speakers
to teach specific subjects & give
different perspectives (e.g. data
journalism, sensor tech, public
health, etc.)
• Involve the community in the
effort: to be sensor beta-
testers, provide general
feedback, be a part of focus
groups, etc.

5. #3 BE AGILE &
FLEXIBLE
• Be able to adapt and pivot
quickly is crucial
• General organization of the
course and clear learning
outcomes are necessary -
but the journey on how to get
there should be flexible
• Allow the flow of the class and
the students’ learning
experience to guide you week
by week

6. #4 TROUBLESHOOT
& TECH SUPPORT
• Whether using a third-party sensor
tool or building your own - you will
need to be in the role of tech
support
• How will you help your students
and the community troubleshoot
issues with the sensor?
• What is the short (during the class)
and long-term strategy (after the
class ends) for tech support?
• Identify tech resources early on and
bring them into the project
• Have clear guides/instructions on
the sensor build and sensor
maintenance

7. #5 HAVE FUN
• Make time for fun - incorporate it into the class
activities
• Explore new systems and applications with
open discovery methods
• Get out of the classroom and do informal
observations on campus with the sensors

8. THANKS! QUESTIONS?
ASCHMITZ@MAIL.SDSU.EDU
@DIGITALAMYSW
FOLLOW OUR NEWS COVERAGE:
http://inewsource.org/whats-in-the-air/
TEACHING TIPS, BLOG,
CLASS SYLLABUS AND MORE:
sensorjournalism.wordpress.com