CI-TEAM Demo: Environmental CyberCitizens: Engaging Citizen Scientists in Global Environmental Change through Crowdsensing and Visualization

该示范项目正在创建和评估一系列活动，旨在培养具有网络基础设施知识和技能的多样化科学和工程劳动力。一个由教师和本科生组成的多学科团队正在与公民科学家最终用户合作，开发和部署数据收集和可视化工具，以监测密歇根州上半岛Lightfoot湾的关键生态系统。该项目是建立在密歇根理工大学、基维诺湾奥吉布瓦社区学院、几所当地高中和当地土地保护协会现有的教育项目基础上的。国际商业机器公司（IBM）的研究科学家正在积极参与人群传感应用的开发，他们正在与共同的pi和学生合作。智能传感器智能手机正在成为获取、分析和传播环境信息的主要平台。在这个示范项目中，该团队正在开发和使用智能手机应用程序来获取数字图像、水质参数的现场测量和个人叙述。该项目正在开发应用程序，将获取的数据同步或异步传输到一个互动网站，通过这个网站，公民科学家将与专业科学家进行互动。受互联网流行概念的启发，该项目专注于端到端参与，不仅收集数据，而且提供了一个引人注目的创造性可视化环境，通过该环境，用户可以以有意义的方式将定量数据结合起来，同时用定性数据进行框架和/或注释。智能手机应用程序和交互式数据显示是在现有的计算机科学课程中开发的，这对他们的课程产生了重大的、可持续的影响。高中、社区大学和本科生正在实地测试应用程序和数据可视化站点，并向开发人员提供反馈。这些活动通过现有的普通科学、环境科学与工程、社会研究和科学课程提供，并将通过培训教师部署智能手机应用程序和交互式数据显示，在项目期间之后继续进行。利益相关者正在制定和实施协调的网络基础设施计划，为协作和灵活性提供平台，确保为所有参与者提供高效的环境。目前正在进行一项严格的评价工作，包括形成性和总结性两部分。评估的目的是允许持续改进，并确定和记录项目？实现预期结果的整体效率，包括与职业选择相关的结果。更广泛的影响这里要测试的模型具有广泛适应性和/或可采用的潜力。该项目针对的是农村、低收入的高中和社区大学学生，其中印第安人的比例很高。将针对与当地奥吉布瓦文化有关的具体环境数据和信息。项目学校和研究区域位于网络基础设施一直不足的农村地区。该地区的农村性质将带来技术挑战（例如，手机覆盖率低），但让服务不足地区的公民参与进来，以证明先进的网络基础设施系统可以改善他们的生活质量和经济机会，这一点尤为重要。

This demonstration project is creating and evaluating a set of activities aimed at preparing a diverse science and engineering workforce with cyberinfrastructure knowledge and skills. A multidisciplinary team of faculty and undergraduate students is collaborating with citizen scientist end users to develop and deploy data collection and visualization tools, to monitor the critical ecosystems of Lightfoot Bay in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The program is building upon existing educational programs at Michigan Technological University, Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College, several local high schools, and a local land conservancy. Research scientists at International Business Machines (IBM) who are actively engaged in the development of crowd sensing applications are collaborating with the co-PIs and students. Intellectual Merit Sensor-enabled smartphones are serving as the primary platform for acquiring, analyzing and disseminating environmental information. In this demonstration project the team is developing and using smartphone applications to acquire digital images, in-situ measurements of water quality parameters, and personal narratives. The project is developing applications for transferring the acquired data synchronously or asynchronously to an interactive website through which citizen scientists will interact with professional scientists. Inspired by the popular concept of the internet, the project focuses on end-to-end engagement that not only collects data but provides for a compelling creative visualization environment through which users combine quantitative data in meaningful ways while framing and/or annotating it with qualitative data. The smartphone applications and interactive data displays are developed in existing computer science classes, driving significant, sustainable enhancements in their curricula. High school, community college, and undergraduate students are testing the applications in the field and the data visualization site and are providing feedback to the developers. These activities are offered through existing general science, environmental science and engineering, and social studies and science courses and will be sustained beyond the project period by training the teachers to deploy smartphone applications and interactive data displays. The stakeholders are developing and implementing a coordinated Cyber-Infrastructure Plan to provide a platform for collaboration and flexibility, ensuring a productive environment for all participants. A rigorous evaluation effort is being conducted with both formative and summative components. The evaluation is designed to allow constant improvement and to determine and document the project?s overall effectiveness at achieving its intended outcomes, including outcomes related to career choices. Broader Impacts The model to be tested here has the potential to be broadly adaptable and/or adoptable. The project is targeting rural, low-income high school and community college students with high proportions of Native Americans. Specific environmental data and information will be targeted that is relevant to the local Ojibwa culture. The project schools and study area are in rural areas that are consistently underserved by cyberinfrastructure. The rural nature of the area will present technological challenges (e.g. poor cell phone coverage), but it is particularly important to engage citizens in underserved areas to demonstrate that advanced cyberinfrastructure systems can improve their quality of life and economic opportunities.