Doug ClowIET Technology Coffee Morning 2 June 2010

What’s iSpot?

• Millions interested in nature• Watch BBC/OU nature programmes• How can we help them learn?

• Use thrill of observing nature & sense of achievement when you identify it

• BUT identification is difficult

• Lower barriers to identification• Open to all• Provide identification checking

through a social network

= social networking for natural history

Take a photo

• A new generation of environmentalists• Five national surveys, regional outreach• Big Lottery Fund: £12m (OU £2m)• Build online learning communities• Focus on creating new data recorders,

not creating new data• Link to existing resources, not recreate

No really, what is iSpot?(live demo)

iSpot ecosystem

So how’s that working out, then?

“…I am new to iSpot and have to say that having a community of people with the knowledge and enthusiasm to help with the identification of all the creatures people come across is a brilliant thing."

“Thank you so much, With all the books I have it is so hard identifying birds.... Thank goodness for iSpot”

"I found out about iSpot in my husband's copy of Sesame and am addicted! Have been telling family and friends about it and am now waiting to start S159."

"Thank you S159 / iSpot and all its contributors for getting me interested in nature :)"

"I am really enjoying the way iSpot gets people thinking and talking about nature, and I can't go outside now without "seeing" things and I just want a camera with me all the time now!"

Usage statistics (1 June 2010)

• 120,000 visits• 4,000 registered users• 11,500 observations

• 20,000 images• 14,000 identifications• 31,000 agreements

Euonymus Leaf Notcher (Pryeria sinica) IndependentSix-year-old girl discovers Asian moth in UK Daily ExpressSix-year-old finds UK’s rarest moth TeletextGirl finds rare moth Daily Mirror A hairy moment for little Katie Daily Mail Spotted in Britain for the first time, the voracious Asian moth Newbury TodayRare moth found in West Berkshire

Experts

Observations & identification

• 98% of observations have an identification

• 83% of IDs match an NBN taxon name

• 89% of those are at species level

• = 72% of observations have an NBN-matched species ID

Plus many other groups with few observations >

So what?(Towards a theory of participatory learning)

Design concept

Design space

System

specification

ImplementationDeployed

system

Testing

Field studies

General requirements

Theory of useTask

model

Taylor, Sharples, et al (2006)

Engeström’s (1987) extended activity system

ControlTechnological

(human-computer interaction)Semiotic

(social rules)

Technological Tool(mobile learning technology)

Semiotic Tool(learn-space)

ObjectTechnological

(access to information)Semiotic

(knowledge and skills)

CommunicationTechnological

(communication channels and protocols)Semiotic

(conversation and division of labour)

Changed object (revised knowledge and skills)

ContextTechnological

(physical context)Semiotic

(community)

SubjectTechnological

(technology user)Semiotic(learner)

Taylor, Sharples, et al (2006)

Laurillard (1993)

Laurillard (1993)

OEROER

participatorylearning

participatorylearning

Fairy Rings of Participation -Makriyannis & De Liddo (2010)

Photo: Cofiem on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/kramrecords/4468578071/

Fairy Rings of Participation -Makriyannis & De Liddo (2010)

• iSpot Team: Doug Clow, Richard Greenwood, Richard Lovelock, Jonathan Silvertown, Mike Dodd, Martin Harvey, Donal O’Donnell, Jenny Worthington, Marion Edwards, Jon Rosewell, Janice Ansine, iSpot Mentors

• Photos: Mike Dodd, Jonathan Silvertown, Martin Harvey• Slides will be available on Slideshare

http://dougclow.wordpress.com