citizen scientist bird watchers

Enabling students to become citizen scientists

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The citizen science movement is gaining momentum and both citizens and scientists can benefit. Citizen science projects allow students to participate in and contribute to real-world science while developing a stronger understanding of the nature of science.

Citizen science is described as public participation in scientific research and is a way to involve ordinary people in real-life research with scientists. Scientists are increasingly realising the value of citizen scientists, as they can contribute data and many more hours of observations and analysis than scientists can achieve on their own. Citizen science also increases participants’ awareness and understanding of science and related issues. Citizen science is nothing new, but technology is now making it easier for school students to participate and access the results.

How do citizen science projects work?

Like any scientific work, citizen science projects have to be carefully planned to ensure the collection of meaningful and accurate data. People need to be adequately instructed or trained before taking part in such projects so they are aware of the scientific method that they are to use, and how to record their observations. This means that involving students in citizen science projects provides an authentic framework for teaching the nature of science and fostering your students’ science capabilities.

The New Zealand Garden Bird Survey

Recently, I organised a LEARNZ virtual field trip based on the New Zealand Garden Bird Survey. This field trip was an opportunity to explore a national citizen science project, encourage student participation in the project, and connect students with scientists. The garden bird survey asks people to record the highest number of each bird species seen in a particular area of their garden during a one-hour period. This information is useful, as birds are an indicator of the health of the environment. The survey is completed annually over one week and has now been running for ten years. Measuring the population trends of garden birds is an enormous task, hence the need for citizen scientists.

For students to effectively participate in citizen science projects they need to have adequate prior learning and support, so the LEARNZ Garden Bird Survey field trip was an ideal way to prepare students to take part in the survey. Along with the field trip, Landcare Research has provided a wealth of resources. All this online material provided students with the background needed to effectively participate and contribute as citizen scientists. The task could be altered to suit younger students. Rather than having to sit for an entire hour recording bird observations, students were encouraged to work collaboratively in 10-minute blocks and combine results.

bird identification - citizen scientists Springston School students share their bird identification skills during the LEARNZ Garden Bird Survey field trip.

Initially, I was a little sceptical about how accurate some of the data recorded in the garden bird survey would be. During the field trip, I asked Jon Sullivan from Lincoln University about how accurate the results from the survey are. He assured me that inaccuracies in the data are taken into account through meticulous identification and analysis of variables. The sheer volume of data produced also means that averages and reliable trends can be determined.

The field trip led to twice as many schools taking part in this year’s garden bird survey compared to last year. Students were able to connect with the scientists who helped create the survey during field trip audioconferences, and to compare their findings with those made by other students living in different parts of the country. A highlight of the field trip was seeing students actively engaged in meaningful science and sharing some of the inspiring work that schools such as Akaroa Area School are doing to restore local parks and gardens to attract more native birds to their local area.

This citizen science project not only gave students the opportunity to learn more about birds and the nature of science, but it also allowed students to actively contribute to this science. Over the coming months, robust statistical analysis of the data will be completed, but already, students have been able to see a summary of the initial results online. The field trip allowed me to witness just how much awareness and satisfaction students can gain from taking part in a citizen science project.

citizen scientist bird watchers Students take part collaboratively in the New Zealand Garden Bird Survey.

How to take part in a citizen science project

Not all citizen science projects are suitable for students. Encourage participation in relevant projects that:

  • engage your students within a relevant context
  • provide enough information about how to participate and thereby model an easy to follow scientific methodology
  • support students to develop adequate domain knowledge to allow meaningful participation
  • require simple yet interesting data collection rather than repetitive, ongoing or monotonous recording
  • give adequate feedback to students by effectively sharing the analysis of results.

Citizen science can expose students to real-world science and allow them to contribute to the body of scientific knowledge. These projects offer great opportunities to meaningfully develop your students’ science capabilities. Citizen science projects help students to understand the very nature of science. They foster curiosity, model sound scientific processes, and engage students not just in science but as scientists.

Check out these New Zealand citizen science projects:

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Encouraging healthy STEM growth

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I am counting down the days until I leave for a LEARNZ field trip to Antarctica. The planning and preparation for the journey has been intense: everything from completing a medical to creating a website for students to follow the adventure.

A few days ago I met two members from the science team that we will follow while down on the ice. Inga Smith and Greg Leonard made time to chat about the work they will be doing from a field camp on the sea ice, 15 kilometres away from New Zealand’s Scott Base.

Inga is a physicist and interested in the interactions between the ocean, ice shelves and sea ice, but she is also passionate about equality in education. Our conversation quickly changed from: why the melting of ice shelves can lead to more sea ice over winter in parts of Antarctica to how can we encourage more women to study physics?

Inga produced some sobering statistics about the lack of women studying STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects at university and when I did my own research I have to admit I was startled by the results:

  • Women in New Zealand make up less than a quarter of those studying for a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and just over a third of those studying for a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.
  • There are approximately 31,000 architects, engineers and related professionals employed in New Zealand. Of these, only 13.2 per cent are female.
  • There are approximately 22,000 physical science and engineering technicians employed in New Zealand, 16.1 per cent of whom are female.
  • The current level of female representation in engineering is low compared to other professions, such as accountancy, law and medicine.

While considering these figures we need to remember that women represent 51 per cent of the population and 47 per cent of the workforce.

enrolments-in-bsc-graph

These numbers are particularly concerning when we take into account the fact that girls perform as well as boys in Year 13 mathematics with calculus, physics, and chemistry. So why are more female students choosing to study biology-based subjects rather than physics, IT and engineering compared to boys?

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From Virtual to Reality

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An insight into the use of virtual field trips

Routeburn Track panaorama

When I tell people that I’m a virtual field trip teacher, I can get a variety of responses ranging from confusion and scepticism through to surprise and even envy. It can be challenging to explain what a virtual field trip is, and what it isn’t. Sometimes people struggle with the concept, thinking that real field trips are being replaced by online programmes. But in reality, virtual field trips can provide the inspiration for rich learning journeys and spark community involvement.

The Virtual Great Walker field trip

Last term I was involved in the ‘Virtual Great Walker’ field trip and I have to admit that initially I had some concerns. Firstly the plan was to only walk part of the track as a day walk. Secondly this trip had to inspire action, as the great walks cannot be fully appreciated virtually and they certainly can’t be done from the comfort of your own home. How could this trip inspire youngsters to take the virtual into reality and get walking?

The field trip needed to capture the essence of the world-famous Routeburn Track, but this posed some challenges. We knew that we would not be able to access the website if we walked all of the Routeburn Track, and we would have to carry all our filming equipment. I felt that we had to walk the whole track to do it justice, so a plan was developed. We would walk the Routeburn over the weekend so we could be ready to talk to students during audioconferences back in Queenstown during the week.

Behind the scene

Usually, our field trips involve daily audioconferences and activities, with experts who feature in videos and answer students’ questions in pre-booked audioconferences. These daily activities are followed by an evening of frantic effort back in an area with an Internet connection. Each night two people from the LEARNZ team edit videos, write diaries and ambassador updates, and upload images to the LEARNZ site so students can see what has happened the very next day. This material stays online for students to revisit or use retrospectively. For this field trip we would have to film everything over the weekend and then upload it to the site over the following three days.

Before starting the field trip, background pages were developed on the website to allow students to build their knowledge of New Zealand’s Great Walks, their biodiversity, and how to safely complete such a walk. These pages are designed to give just enough detail to inform students of key concepts so they can start more focused, meaningful inquiries of their own, and ask quality questions during the field trip audioconferences.

Experts to guide the way

The next challenge was how to organise transport to the beginning of the track near Te Anau and from the end of the track in Glenorchy. Susie Geh from the Department of Conservation (DOC) in Queenstown made this all possible and accompanied us on the walk. LEARNZ works hard to make connections between experts and students. It can be difficult to find people willing to take time out of their busy schedules to help on trips, and not everyone is able to communicate well with students. Fortunately, over the years, we have met some fantastic experts. I have worked with Ruud Kleinpaste (aka the Bugman) on a number of trips, and knew that, alongside Susie and other DOC staff, he would make the perfect addition to the team. After numerous phone calls and lots of organisation, I managed to meet Ruud, Susie, and videographer Pete Sommerville from LEARNZ, in Queenstown.

The adventure begins

From here, Susie drove us to Te Anau where we stayed the night ready to begin our walk the following day. After picking up hut tickets and checking the weather, we drove to The Divide where we met members of the Kids Restore the Kepler group. They wanted to go for a day walk and share some of the work that they have been doing on the Kepler Great Walk. These students were knowledgeable and passionate about Fiordland, and bringing birdsong back to the area. It was great to be able to share their work with students from all over the country.

Rain set in after lunch, making our portrayal of the western side of the Alps authentic. Moss-covered beech forest kept us all enthralled as we spotted different birds and invertebrates. Ruud could barely contain his enthusiasm as he leapt from one rotten log to another in search of bugs. A night at McKenzie Hut saw us refreshed, ready for the climb over Harris Saddle. The weather cleared and we were rewarded with stunning views over the Hollyford. The camera hardly spent any time in the pack as we tried to capture the essence of the area and our journey through it.

That evening Ruud took us bug hunting by torchlight, and it was intriguing to discover species I had never seen before. Our final day on the track led us downhill to the road end, where students from nearby Glenorchy School greeted us. They are an Enviroschool, and were keen to share some of the work they have been doing in pursuit of their Green Gold Award. An Enviroschool is a school whose entire curriculum is based around the main theme of sustainability and they can work with their community to achieve bronze, silver and green gold awards.

These students make money for the school through selling vegetables. They also source local native seeds to grow seedlings in their nursery. These seedlings will be planted nearby to help restore a wetland area.

Where to from here

DOC had arranged a pick up for us, so we all piled into the car and headed back to Queenstown ready for a long-awaited hot shower. Experiences such as these are impossible to fully capture through a virtual field trip, but they’re not supposed to. While talking to students in the audioconferences that followed, I could hear the enthusiasm of students from different parts of the country. Many spoke of the plans they had to get out and about on tracks in their own area, and some had formed groups to help restore parts of their local environment. Seeing students inspired by field trips such as this is what the use of digital technology should be about. We need to use technology to engage and inform students so they are inspired to form new ideas, collaborate, and take action. We need to make the virtual a reality!

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Connecting schools with scientists

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Most primary school students are full of wonder and curiosity about the world around them. Our job as educators is to embrace this and encourage further purposeful enquiry. Sometimes, however, we can be ill prepared for the complexity of the questions that are thrown our way, particularly when it comes to science. Just imagine if you had a scientist that you could call upon to answer some of these curly questions, and just how much would students gain from asking this expert?

Speaking the same language

I used to think that, as a teacher of science, part of my job was simply to connect my students with scientists. But this is oversimplifying what is actually a complex interrelationship. Educators and scientists often do not speak the same language. If you were to invite a scientist into your classroom to answer your students’ questions would the responses they give be useful?  Probably not, unless you had spent time preparing both the scientist and your class to ensure you could converse in a common language.

There is an increased drive for schools to connect with their science community. This requires active partnerships where both scientists and educators contribute and recognise each other’s expertise. Even with the ability to connect online it can be difficult to establish connections with the science community, especially if you are trying to contact individuals who are already busy with their normal workload.

An easier way to create these connections in a meaningful way is to use an ‘interpreter’ — a person whose job it is to broker a relationship between experts and schools. I became a virtual field trip teacher with LEARNZ back in 2009, and since then I have facilitated many connections between teachers, their students, and experts out in the field. Much time is spent talking with experts both before and during the field trip to gain an understanding of their work. I can then explain the intricacies of the New Zealand curriculum, the prior learning of students, and how they as scientists can best share their knowledge to engage these students. In this way LEARNZ can take the hassle and hard work out of connecting your class with scientists within the meaningful and relevant context of a virtual field trip.

snowmobiles trekking in Antarctica
Students can see what life is like in places like Antarctica during LEARNZ virtual field trips and talk with scientists working in the field.

Developing these connections between schools and scientists is also of benefit to scientists who want to foster an interest in science, encourage the next generation of scientists, and share their research. Increasingly, this partnership is also required to meet the obligations from those who allocate research grants.

Sparking interest

I used to be a little sceptical of the ‘virtual world’ that the Internet can offer. But, after delivering numerous virtual field trips and participating in webinars and the likes for professional development, I can see that rather than trying to replace reality, virtual applications offer something that would otherwise be inaccessible. Virtual field trips, for example, are not designed to replace actual class field trips, but to engage your students in a novel, yet relevant learning experience.

Recently, I was lucky enough to travel to Antarctica to deliver one such field trip. I have always dreamed of going to Antarctica, and even though this was my second visit to this white wilderness, I was still really excited, as I knew I would be able to share my journey with thousands of students from around New Zealand. Although Antarctica is a remote and inhospitable place, it still captures the imaginations of many people, and as we all contemplate a future affected by climate change, Antarctica remains highly relevant to us all.

A curious penguin visits the LEARNZ team on location
During the LEARNZ Antarctica field trip students met a few local residents as well as scientists.

Antarctica is the perfect place for scientists, as it is largely unmodified by people and, therefore, offers scientists the ideal place to investigate natural processes. Throughout the two weeks that I spent in Antarctica I was able to follow the work of a group of scientists from the University of Otago and the American SCRIPPS institute working on Antarctic marine food webs. I facilitated conversations between the scientists and students back in New Zealand. Students took part in audio conferences and a chat room using Adobe Connect. The daily action was shared through videos, photos, and diaries. Background pages and activities on the LEARNZ website allowed enough domain knowledge to be gained prior to the field trip to allow students to ask meaningful questions yet also spark further inquiry. Two hundred and thirty five classes were enrolled in the trip, and from the evaluations that we have received it seems that students not only learnt a lot, they also really enjoyed the field trip. Students appreciated being able to talk with scientists who understood how to best answer their often challenging questions and were totally engaged by the authentic context of Antarctica.

You can watch a video about why the scientists chose to work out at Cape Bird in Antarctica:

Why Cape Bird from LEARNZ on Vimeo.

Future Focused Science

The Chief Science Advisor’s 2011 report on Science Education for the twenty-first century raised questions about how to ‘engage and enthuse’ more young New Zealanders in science, and whether the science we teach is addressing the ‘serious questions we will face in the future’. If we are able to connect schools and scientists we can ensure that up-to-date scientific knowledge is provided, students’ horizons are expanded, and students can be inspired by role models within the science community. Real-life authentic science can be shared, which allows students to apply their scientific knowledge and knowledge from other domains to address real-world challenges. LEARNZ and other initiatives can help create these connections and ultimately help foster and focus the intrinsic curiosity and capabilities of our students.

Links

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Digital technologies and the future of science education

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I’ve been thinking recently about how science education has changed since I was at primary school in the eighties. With the high speed pace of technological change, are we as teachers keeping up or are we making do with what we’ve always done? What are the opportunities that digital technologies provide? Do we need to change the way we teach science?

How do we teach science effectively?

According to Prime Minister John Key, “International studies show that we are not keeping pace with achievement in other countries, particularly in maths and science. In fact, we have been on a gradual downward slide since the early 2000s.” This is a strong mandate to change the way we are teaching science.

To teach science effectively we need to understand the fundamental principles on which science is based – the nature of science. It’s not about being a scientist as such, but about “ensuring that young New Zealanders are enthused by science and able to participate fully in a smart country where knowledge and innovation are at the heart of economic growth and social development” (The Gluckman Report, 2011).

According to Pulitzer Prize winner, Carl Sagan, in his final interview, ‘Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge’. So, as teachers, we don’t have to have a huge bank of scientific knowledge to teach science well. This is particularly true in the context of the modern, connected classroom where information and, indeed, scientists are just a mouse click away. What can be more challenging is to make science relevant to the individual students we teach, and give science a human face.  We need to recapture the awe and wonder of science and be innovative in the way we approach science.

We don't have to be experts

I’ve always been interested in science, and as a science graduate it is not a subject I struggle to grasp. I willingly admit, however, that my most memorable and successful moments of science teaching have been those where I have not played the role of an expert; moments where I have allowed my students to follow their own inquiries and connect with people outside the classroom. Technology and social media not only allows these connections, it encourages them.

Since joining the LEARNZ team I have been lucky enough to facilitate many such connections between experts and students. Field trips take students virtually to places they may never otherwise get to go, and introduces them to experts they are not likely to ever meet.

The value of virtual fieldtrips

It always amazes me just how much I learn within the three days of a field trip. Being fully immersed in a topic, on location, and in the presence of a variety of experts is incredibly engaging. Feedback from teachers using LEARNZ has also reflected this with comments such as, ‘my students learnt a huge amount during the trip and were able to teach their peers about what they have learned’. The power of LEARNZ is that it covers relevant topics by utilising different media in real-life contexts. Students can talk directly to scientists and ask them questions during audioconferences, then watch videos that follow their work. To see an example of this, watch the video ‘Life of a Scientist’ recorded during the Wandering Whales field trip.

Humpback Whale skin biopsy
Seeing science in action: This is a humpback whale skin biopsy collected during the LEARNZ Wandering Whales field trip. Students were able to see scientists shoot a dart at a whale from a boat out on Cook Strait and then watch as the sample was processed. The scientist also explained how the DNA analysis of the sample fitted into a bigger picture — contributing to a global database of whale migration that all scientists can use.

Students can learn about the nature of science through the virtual reality of a field trip; seeing scientists in action in awe-inspiring environments including Antarctica, offshore island sanctuaries, wetlands, or on board a boat involved in the Cook Strait Whale Project. They can see how science comes alive in a variety of New Zealand contexts, and use the language of science in an authentic way as they navigate their way through a field trip website.

The readiness of young minds to suspend reality for the virtual

When I was teaching, it always impressed me just how readily students suspended reality and excitedly took part in field trips. Comments like ‘I’m going snorkelling tomorrow on the Marine Reserves field trip’ were common. It was a little more challenging explaining this to parents who were concerned that their child did not have flippers and a snorkel, and why had they not seen a permission slip. But parents too can be a part of field trips, as students can log in to the site from home and share their learning.

Virtual field trips engender personal science enquiry

My most rewarding moments as a LEARNZ field trip teacher haven’t just come from exploring amazing places, but also from hearing how students take what they have learnt to equip themselves that they might embark on their own science inquiries. Often classes get involved in their own local investigations and community projects as a result of their involvement in a virtual field trip.

Marine biologist Sven Uthicke
Shelley along with ambassadors from a variety of New Zealand schools shares the work of Sven Uthicke, a marine biologist, as he works down in Antarctica during the LEARNZ Ocean Acidification field trip.

The future of science education lies beyond the four walls of a classroom

LEARNZ Virtual field trips are just one of the vehicles by which we can engage students in effective and innovative science learning. Experiences such as those offered by LEARNZ are changing the way we are able to access and learn science. I believe the future of science education lies in our ability to utilise digital technology to go beyond the four walls of our classroom, and allow our students to access the wealth of global knowledge now freely available. So, rather than needing to be experts in science, we need to teach our students how to find, interpret, and productively engage with online networks and digital resources. For students to be successful in this digital environment they need a teacher’s wisdom and high level of literacy skills to guide them.

To develop the skills and attitudes that make up the Nature of Science, we need to remember that science is more than test tubes, white coats, and Bunsen burners. Students need to see the reality of science, and LEARNZ field trips show this because they involve real people doing real science in their daily work.

Future-focused science education resources

LEARNZ and other digital technologies allow students to connect globally, share their voice, and act locally. You may like to check out these resources to support future oriented science education:

Help create a future generation of scientists…

It is all about inspiring awe and wonder, and getting our students to look at their world with a questioning mind, arm them with the strategies to test their own theories, and further their learning. Luckily, technology is making this both possible and free to access. As Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge”. LEARNZ and other online initiatives can capture our students’ imaginations, inspire a greater interest in science, and help create a future generation of scientists.

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