Inspiring Lifelong Science Engagement in Non-STEM Majors through Citizen Science
Abstract
Through this talk I will present a model for engaging non-STEM majors in introductory science courses in citizen science. The context will be Zooniverse's classroom.zooniverse.org effort, but the framing and questions will be broader - what short and long-term opportunities does citizen science provide for non-STEM majors, what lessons have we learned, and what open questions remain? Working with a national collaboration of astronomy educators and researchers at a range of institution types (R1, SLAC, Community College) with funding from the NSF-IUSE program, we have developed a suite of active learning curricular materials incorporating a citizen science based research experience into Astro 101. The in-class activities and group research experience engage the students in citizen science through Zooniverse and employ custom extensions to Google sheets to provide a student-friendly interface for data analysis and interpretation, all while addressing core Astro 101 topics (see classroom.zooniverse.org). In the next phase of this effort, we will enhance the Astro 101 experience (by extending beyond Galaxy Zoo to provide research opportunities in exoplanets, stars, and planetary science) as well as develop parallel curricular materials for introductory Geoscience and Biology courses, providing Zooniverse-based research opportunities in climate change and biodiversity. The goal is to examine the impact of having a critical mass of non-STEM majors on a given campus sharing a common language, exposure to, and understanding of citizen science. How does membership in a citizen science aware (and potentially engaged) college campus community impact students' attitudes towards science and scientists, the role of society in science, and their own science (and citizen scientist) identity development and potential for lifelong engagement and advocacy?
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #233
- Pub Date:
- January 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AAS...23341705T