EDU 101 covers best practices for citizen science research with Project PoSSUM and Project OTTER. Included are an introduction to citizen science, human subject research, basic research design, research ethics, data collection, analysis, presentation and publication. The course teaches candidates how to structure research projects: from experimental design, to determining sample types and sizes, to qualitative and quantitative methods.
Description
Course Description:
This course provides IIAS/PoSSUM members with an overview of current citizen science research and a foundation for conducting their own research. Current citizen science research gaps in bioastronautics, extra-vehicular activity (EVA), and aeronomy, and possible ways to address these gaps are discussed. Guest instructors, including course alumni, and subject matter experts within the space community, will present their citizen science work as examples.
Goals
The purpose of this course is to give students a foundation on which to participate in or conduct their own research, complimentary to the education activities of IIAS and the research activities of PoSSUM and OTTER.
Objectives
Upon completing this course, graduates will be able to:
- Describe existing citizen science work supported by space agencies
- Design and propose citizen science research projects
- Demonstrate the requirements for human subject research
- Communicate the current gaps in knowledge within bioastronautics, EVA, spacecraft technologies, and aeronomy research
- Demonstrate the ability to conduct a literature review of foundational research in support of a chosen project
- Develop and present their own citizen science research project proposal with literature review, objectives, procedures, budget, potential funding opportunities, and data collection and analysis strategy
Reading
Please view slides, supplemental articles, assignment instructions, and links before each webinar in the shared course drive.
Assignments
Use the IIAS assignment instructions (in the shared course drive) to:
- Describe how citizen science enabled a specific research project or discovery that would have otherwise been infeasible
- Provide a draft literature review of foundational research in support of a potential project and the means by which citizen science methods could be of benefit
- Complete a funding proposal for your research project, including potential funding opportunities
- Present your funding proposal to the class and provide feedback for others
Each assignment is worth 25 points and is graded according to the course evaluation form in the shared drive.
Schedule
- 19 May 2023 16:30-17:30 EDT – Introduction to Citizen Science Research
- 26 May 2023 16:30-18:00 EDT – Introduction to Literature Reviews & Research Funding
- 2 Jun 2023 16:30-17:30 EDT – Introduction to Human Subjects Research
- 9 Jun 2023 16:30-17:30 EDT – Citizen Science in Bioastronautics
- 16 Jun 2023 16:30-17:30 EDT – Citizen Science in EVA and Analog Missions
- 23 Jun 2023 16:30-18:30 EDT – Citizen Science in Aeronomy: Cloudspotting on Mars
- 30 Jun 2023 16:30-17:30 EDT – Citizen Science at NASA
- 7 Jul 2023 16:30-18:00 EDT – Proposal Consultation Time
- 14 Jul 2023 16:30-18:00 EDT – Proposal Presentations
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