Learning to see, seeing to learn
Impacts of an online tool on volunteers' observational practices during aquatic macroinvertebrate identification
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21392873 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Marti Louw (0000-0002-4178-1291, Human‐Computer Interaction Institute Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA), Camellia W Sanford‐Dolly (0000-0003-3971-2892, Rockman et al Cooperative Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 108 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 332-364 |
| Publication date | 2024-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Science Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0036-8326 • E-ISSN: 1098-237X |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/sce.21834 |
| OpenAlex | W4386802220 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 84 |
Scientific observation is a disciplinary‐informed way of looking at the world that requires the coordination of domain knowledge and perceptual skills with specialized tools and techniques to systematically identify objects, organisms, specimens, or phenomena of interest. Identification is a particular form of skilled observational practice where the observer recognizes key features for classification. Learning to see like a scientist is crucial for many citizen science activities, yet participants often have limited access to training and resources needed to practice. We posit that observational fluency development in taxonomic identification activities for citizen science has two components: (1) increased accuracy in noticing relevant features, and (2) use of more disciplinary‐based explanatory language; and self‐efficacy is crucial while developing these competencies. This study explores the extent to which an interactive visual identification platform supports learners' observational fluency development in the context of aquatic macroinvertebrate identification in environmental education. We examined changes in water quality monitoring volunteers' accuracy, self‐efficacy, and explanatory language use after participation in a training that integrated the online identification (ID) tool. Methods included surveys, focus groups, and an ID accuracy task before and after training. Our findings indicate that learners, especially novices, demonstrated increased self‐efficacy and accuracy in specimen identifications after participating in a training utilizing the online tool. They also shifted their ID justifications, incorporating more scientific terminology and salient diagnostic characters, and fewer generic descriptive adjectives. Results suggest that trainings using dynamic visual tools can positively impact observational fluency development and the quality of data contributed by volunteers
Context (archaeology) · Data science · Discipline · Experiential learning · Fluency · Geography · Identification (biology) · Linguistics · Mathematics education · Observational learning · Observational study · Science education · Terminology · Animal and Plant Science Education · Computer Science · Data Visualization and Analytics · Ecology · Psychology · Species Distribution and Climate Change
Quantifying Qualitative Analyses of Verbal Data
Sources of science self-efficacy beliefs of middle school students
Engagement in science through citizen science
Citizen Science as an Ecological Research Tool
A review of citizen science and community-based environmental monitoring
A Framework for Articulating and Measuring Individual Learning Outcomes from Participation in Citizen Science
Principles for Reducing Extraneous Processing in Multimedia Learning
Assessing data quality in citizen science
Object categories and expertise
The current state of citizen science as a tool for ecological research and public engagement
Citizen science can improve conservation science, natural resource management, and environmental protection
Goal Setting and Self-Efficacy During Self-Regulated Learning
A Scaffolding Design Framework for Software to Support Science Inquiry
The Qualitative Researcher's Companion
Missed opportunities for observation‐based ecology in the Next Generation Science Standards
Self-efficacy
Supporting Observing-on-the-Move with Proximity-Based Technology
Making Classifications (at) Work
Institutional Ecology, `Translations' and Boundary Objects
Discipline and the Material Form of Images
Lists, field guides, and the descriptive organization of seeing
Individual- and community-level impacts of volunteer environmental monitoring
Introduction
Citizen Science as a Tool for Conservation in Residential Ecosystems
Public Participation in Scientific Research
Volunteer stream monitoring
On Scientific Observation
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |