Display options
Cite
Bela G, Peltola T, Young JC, et al. Learning and the transformative potential of citizen science. Conserv Biol. 2016;30(5):990-9doi: 10.1111/cobi.12762.
Bela, G., Peltola, T., Young, J. C., Balázs, B., Arpin, I., Pataki, G., Hauck, J., Kelemen, E., Kopperoinen, L., Van Herzele, A., Keune, H., Hecker, S., Suškevičs, M., Roy, H. E., Itkonen, P., Külvik, M., László, M., Basnou, C., Pino, J., & Bonn, A. (2016). Learning and the transformative potential of citizen science. Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology, 30(5), 990-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12762
Bela, Györgyi, et al. "Learning and the transformative potential of citizen science." Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology vol. 30,5 (2016): 990-9. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12762
Bela G, Peltola T, Young JC, Balázs B, Arpin I, Pataki G, Hauck J, Kelemen E, Kopperoinen L, Van Herzele A, Keune H, Hecker S, Suškevičs M, Roy HE, Itkonen P, Külvik M, László M, Basnou C, Pino J, Bonn A. Learning and the transformative potential of citizen science. Conserv Biol. 2016 Oct;30(5):990-9. doi: 10.1111/cobi.12762. Epub 2016 Jun 24. PMID: 27185104.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Conserv Biol. 2016 Oct;30(5):990-9. doi: 10.1111/cobi.12762. Epub 2016 Jun 24.

Learning and the transformative potential of citizen science.

Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology

Györgyi Bela, Taru Peltola, Juliette C Young, Bálint Balázs, Isabelle Arpin, György Pataki, Jennifer Hauck, Eszter Kelemen, Leena Kopperoinen, Ann Van Herzele, Hans Keune, Susanne Hecker, Monika Suškevičs, Helen E Roy, Pekka Itkonen, Mart Külvik, Miklós László, Corina Basnou, Joan Pino, Aletta Bonn

Affiliations

  1. Environmental Social Science Research Group, H-1024 Rómer Flóris Street 38, Budapest, H-1024, Hungary. [email protected].
  2. Université Grenoble Alpes, Irstea, UR DTGR, 2 rue de la Papeterie-BP 76, St-Martin-d'Hères, F-38402, France.
  3. Finnish Environment Institute, Yliopistokatu 7-PL 111, Joensuu, 80101, Finland.
  4. NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Edinburgh, EH26 0QB, U.K.
  5. Environmental Social Science Research Group, Rómer Flóris Street 38, Budapest, H-1024, Hungary.
  6. Department of Decision Science, Corvinus University of Budapest, F?vám tér 8, Budapest, H-1093, Hungary.
  7. Department Ecosystem Services, UFZ- Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, Permoserstraße 15, Leipzig, 04318, Germany.
  8. German Center for integrative Bioidversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, Leipzig, 04103, Germany.
  9. Mechelininkatu 34a, P.O. Box 140, 00251 Helsinki, Finland.
  10. Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Brussels, Kliniekstraat 25, 1070 Anderlecht, Brussels, Belgium.
  11. Estonian University of Life Sciences, Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwaldi 1, Tartu, 51014, Estonia.
  12. NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, U.K.
  13. Technical University in Zvolen/Institute of Landscape Ecology of SAS, Stefanikova 3, P.O. Box 254, Bratislava, 814 99, Slovak Republic.
  14. CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
  15. Univ Autònoma Barcelonas, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain.
  16. Institute of Ecology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger-Strasse 159, Jena, 07743, Germany.

PMID: 27185104 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12762

Abstract

The number of collaborative initiatives between scientists and volunteers (i.e., citizen science) is increasing across many research fields. The promise of societal transformation together with scientific breakthroughs contributes to the current popularity of citizen science (CS) in the policy domain. We examined the transformative capacity of citizen science in particular learning through environmental CS as conservation tool. We reviewed the CS and social-learning literature and examined 14 conservation projects across Europe that involved collaborative CS. We also developed a template that can be used to explore learning arrangements (i.e., learning events and materials) in CS projects and to explain how the desired outcomes can be achieved through CS learning. We found that recent studies aiming to define CS for analytical purposes often fail to improve the conceptual clarity of CS; CS programs may have transformative potential, especially for the development of individual skills, but such transformation is not necessarily occurring at the organizational and institutional levels; empirical evidence on simple learning outcomes, but the assertion of transformative effects of CS learning is often based on assumptions rather than empirical observation; and it is unanimous that learning in CS is considered important, but in practice it often goes unreported or unevaluated. In conclusion, we point to the need for reliable and transparent measurement of transformative effects for democratization of knowledge production.

© 2016 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

Keywords: aprendizaje transformador; biodiversidad; biodiversity; collaborative assessment; interacciones; participación; participation; política ciencia-sociedad; science-society-policy interactions; transformative learning; valoración colaborativa

MeSH terms

Publication Types