sense-it - mlearn 2015 presentation

Sense-it: A Smartphone Toolkit for Citizen Inquiry Learning

Mike Sharples, Eloy Villasclaras-Fernández, Christothea Herodotu, Maria Aristeidou, Eileen ScanlonInstitute of Educational Technology

Citizen science and inquiry learning

●Citizen science engages millions of people worldwide in scientific activities: e.g. counting birds in gardens, classifying astronomy observations

●Citizens may learn about the topic, but no change in attitudes to science or knowledge of the scientific process (Bossard, Lewenstein & Bonney, 2005)

●Inquiry learning can help people to engage in and understand the scientific process by carrying out investigations to address personally meaningful problems.

●Can we combine these?

Citizen inquiry

Citizen science+ inquiry learning+ shared creativity= citizen inquiry

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Sense-it missions

How can you use a smartphone or tablet to:-Measure the height of a tree?-Create a noise map of your city or school? -Find whether birds are scared by city noise?-Discover whether it rains more when the atmospheric pressure is low?

-Find which is the fastest lift (elevator) in your country?

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Citizen inquiry process

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Initiate a mission

• Propose an engaging question or topic

Recruit participants

• Encourage interested people of all abilities to join• Decide on the methods and process

Enact mission

• Collect data• Discuss progress

Conclude mission

• Attempt to reach consensus• Share the results

nQuire-itCitizen inquiry missions: Spot-it, Sense-it, Win-it

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nQuire-itCitizen inquiry missions: Spot-it, Sense-it, Win-it

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Sense-it mission

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Sense-it Android app

Modern smartphones have over 15 sensors:tilt, acceleration, air pressure, ambient temperature, humidity, illumination, magnetic field

Sense-it exposes them for inquiry learning

and connects with nQuire-it platform

Citizen inquiry learning

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Processing of data (fastest lift)

Creating missions

Calibration of sensors

●Eight mobile devices placed under bulb at distance of 1 meter

●Calculated illuminance: 67 lux●Actual readings ranged from 33 to 1000 lux●Mobile sensor readings may not be accurate!●Software for light sensors in older model

devices does not record continuous values

●Other sensors, e.g. air pressure, may give continuous values, but may not be accurate

1 meter

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User engagement

●300 users●56 missions created, 29 by users●Examples: ●Registro de la luz solar (measure the sunlight at noon over several days)●Air pressure and rainfall (does it rain when the pressure is low?)●How loud can you scream?

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Evaluation

●Design-based research: identified and addressed usability issues●Engagement profiles (cluster analysis of user actions): ●Engagement profiles of ‘loyal’, ‘hardworking’, ‘persistent’, ‘lurking’, ‘visiting’●‘Volunteers with an existing bond with other members stay linked the longest;

science experts are mostly ‘visitors’●Need to help volunteers to bond, and scientists to contribute more●Engagement ended when facilitator left

●Evidence of science learning:●“I tried measuring through the window and with the window open, I got a big

difference (and yes, the windows were just washed :p ). I knew windows absorb some light but the difference was really big.” (Belgium, Record the Sunlight)

●“Belgrade has a good average. I wouldn't expect this!” (‘Germany, Record the Sunlight)

●“I wasn't aware of how a noisy neighbourhood I live!!! ;-)” (Argentina, Noise Map)

●How to create a sustainable community?

www.nquire-it.org

Sense-it – Google Play

Thanks to:Eileen ScanlonEloy Villasclaras-FernandezChristothea HerodotouMaria Aristeidou