Citizen Science, Education, and Learning: Challenges and Opportunities

Area of Science:

• Citizen Science
• Science Education
• Informal Learning

Background:

• Citizen science is expanding, creating knowledge through public collaboration.
• Integrating citizen science into education presents opportunities and challenges.
• Existing efforts support learning within citizen science and its use in educational settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify dilemmas and opportunities in integrating citizen science into education.
• To propose strategies for effective collaboration between citizen science and educational systems.
• To highlight the importance of co-creation for inclusive and accessible citizen science learning.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and analysis of challenges in citizen science education.
• Identification of competing goals, epistemologies, communication, and values.
• Exploration of co-creation as a solution for alignment and inclusivity.

Main Results:

• Dilemmas include competing scientific and learning goals, differing worldviews, communication gaps, and value conflicts.
• These challenges can hinder integration but also signal opportunities for synergy.
• Co-creation at the planning stage is crucial for aligning outcomes and ensuring accessibility.

Conclusions:

• Citizen science holds significant potential for empowering citizens in their science education.
• Aligning educational outcomes with project goals via co-creation is essential for successful integration.
• Prioritizing accessibility and inclusivity in project design maximizes citizen science's educational impact.