eScience in Schools

1
e-Science in Schools
Schools eScience for the Study of Environmental
Science

• Dr. Danaë Stanton Fraser
• Department of Psychology
• University of Bath

2
Rationale

• Demonstrate potential uses of the GRID for
  e-Science in schools by
• providing and exploring data resources
• visualisation of data
• interacting with scientists
• widening interaction about data beyond local
  group (Nottingham, London, Sussex)

3
Background

• Builds on the work of the Equator IRC integrating
  sensors with the GRID

Antarctic lake sensing
Urban pollution sensing

4
Background

• Builds on projects designing and developing
  technologies with schools e.g. KidStory, Ambient
  Wood

5
Aims

• To explore how emerging eScience technologies can
  enhance science education
• Hands-on approach to learning science in schools
• Children learn about presence and impact of
  pollution
• Encourage an understanding of the scientific
  process
• Support collaborative activity between different
  schools and with scientists

6
Activities Children as active scientists

• 2 schools involved
• Glenbrook Primary in Nottingham
• Varndean Secondary in Brighton
• Sessions to familiarise children with pollution
• Children use mobile carbon monoxide sensors to
  measure pollution levels in their local
  environment
• Use software tools to analyse their data in the
  classroom and to share with others

7
Mobile Sensors

• Children can collect pollution data
• Mobile sensor records and gives instant feedback

8
Analysing data
Video replay
Textual annotation
Interest point
Time series
9
Connectivity, schools and scientists

• Children in same school
• Scientific Teams
• Children in different schools
• Connectivity, Community
• Children and scientists
• Learning from the Experts

10
The FutureTowards a full-scale project

• Scale up to include a large number of schools
  across the UK
• Public participation
• Include media companies to facilitate access to
  further schools and downloadable software
• Expert scientists suggest activities
• Requires low costs sensor kits or mobile phones
• More in-depth evaluation of the benefits to
  education

11
The FutureShort term

• Ongoing work eScience and education review
  funded by JISC March Oct 2005. Deliverable will
  inform future funding.
• Small scale studies
• Papers
• eScience All Hands
• Computer Supported Collaborative Learning 2005
• Evaluation of the benefits to education

12
Acknowledgements

• Team
• Dawn Woodgate, University of Bath
• Steve Benford, Ella Tallyn, Duncan Rowland, Dave
  Kirk, Mark Paxton, University of Nottingham
• Hilary Smith, Sara Price, Geraldine Fitzpatrick,
  University of Sussex
• The pupils and teachers at Glenbrook Junior
  School and Varndean Secondary School
• Funding from the JISC
• With added support from the Equator IRC