This document describes Sense-it, a smartphone toolkit for citizen inquiry learning. It allows citizens to conduct scientific investigations using their phone's sensors. Sense-it exposes over 15 sensors and connects to the nQuire-it platform for citizen science missions. Example missions include measuring tree height, creating noise maps, and studying the relationship between pressure and rainfall. The toolkit was tested by 300 users who created 56 missions. Evaluation found it helped learning but engagement decreased when the facilitator left, highlighting the need for sustainable communities.

1. Sense-it:
A Smartphone Toolkit
for Citizen Inquiry
Learning
Mike Sharples, Eloy Villasclaras-Fernández, Christothea Herodotu,
Maria Aristeidou, Eileen Scanlon
Institute of Educational Technology

2. 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?

3. Citizen inquiry
Citizen science
+ inquiry
learning
+ shared
creativity
= citizen inquiry
3

4. 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?
4

5. 45
o

6. Citizen inquiry process
6
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

7. nQuire-it
Citizen inquiry missions: Spot-it, Sense-it, Win-it
7

8. nQuire-it
Citizen inquiry missions: Spot-it, Sense-it, Win-it
8

9. Sense-it mission
9

10. 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
10

11. 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
11

12. 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
12

13. 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
13

14. Processing of data (fastest lift)

15. Creating missions

16. Creating missions

17. 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
x8

18. 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?
18

19. 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?

20. www.nquire-it.org
Sense-it – Google Play
Thanks to:
Eileen Scanlon
Eloy Villasclaras-Fernandez
Christothea Herodotou
Maria Aristeidou