Cooperation to Raise Learner Awareness & Encourage Community Participation

Kurt Ackermann
Hokusei Gakuen Junior College
k_acker[at]hokusei[dot]ac[dot]jp

Cooperation to Raise Learner Awareness &Encourage Community Participation
ABSTRACTMy interest in incorporating citizen science (CS) into one of my content-based English courses arosefrom a desire to link classroom activity with “real-world” situations and/or activities. The impetus wasless a language learning goal than an inspiration to utilize a platform for bringing my second year
junior college students’ attention to pressing environmental issues, primarily the climate crisis, tofoster both broader awareness of the issues, as well as their agency in addressing them.
Attending the LD30 Conference persuaded me that the language learning aspect can also potentiallybe strengthened through incorporation of techniques such as PBL (project-based learning). Basedon what I learned from the PBL experiences of colleagues at the conference, I have suggested anenhanced approach to exposing students to CS that also facilitates language learning. The paper
ends with some suggestions for projects that could be used with non-science majors.
Keywords: content-based instruction, citizen science (CS), project-based learning, real life research project

For over ten years, I have been teaching a content-based second-year geography course in English(L2) to my junior college English department students. It provides a useful platform for introducing
topics such as the climate crisis, sustainability and sustainable development. However, the scopeand depth to which the issues can be addressed is limited by time, and instruction in L2.
One avenue I am currently exploring is to encourage learners to participate in locally available “citizen
science” (CS) activities. For the most part, these would not be conducted using the learners’ second
language, but their introduction and discussion in the classroom can potentially lead to independent
learner involvement outside the classroom. I can reasonably anticipate positive effects on both theirlives and their local community.
In his presentation at LD30, Robert Moreau introduced project-based learning (PBL) as being basedon the pedagogical principle of “learning by doing” (Moreau, 2023), which resonated with me as mygoal of raising awareness is one best reached by having learners directly engage with activities that
can assist them in better grasping the implications of the concepts they are exposed to in the course.
Although their engagement is not necessarily related to language learning, I think it is important fromthe point of view of cultivating a deeper understanding and appreciation of environmental issues.
Hokusei Gakuen Junior College, where I teach, has offered content-based courses since 1994. Thesemay variously be referred to as content-based instruction (CBI), content-based language teaching(CBLT), or content and language integrated learning (CLIL) courses. Subjects include anthropology,
life science, and geography, amongst others. Every teacher has their own approach. As the instructor
for the geography course, my background in geography and environmental studies allows me
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to provide knowledge of the issues and their interconnectedness, though time and the fact thatstudents are non-majors studying in a second language limits how deeply they can be addressed.
Geography is a second-year elective course, though as students are required to take several ofthese electives to fulfill graduation requirements, they may not always take it out of interest in thesubject. I do, however, assume that most are motivated out of interest and I make efforts to provide
activities that they will enjoy. As they are English majors, most of the coursework is carried out inEnglish, but using Japanese (L1) for expansion activities in the community outside of the classroom
cannot be avoided. I also assume that any students participating in activities such as these, which
are not mandatory, will be more motivated in general and should benefit from the further intellectual
stimulation.
My participation in the LD30 Conference served to remind me of the benefits to learner developmentof fostering engagement and autonomy and helped me to develop a better understanding of how
PBL could be applied to my situation.

CITIZEN SCIENCE (CS)As a child growing up more or less in the middle of the forest in rural eastern Canada, observing
nature was a daily routine. Watching the changes occur in our local blueberry field after drainage
ditches were dug nearby and how the once bountiful wild fruit bushes gave way to scraggly spruce
trees gave me an eye for observing cause and effect. Noting the changes brought on by the climate
crisis to my current home in Hokkaido has inspired me to try and use my content-based geography
course for second-year English majors as a vehicle for increasing their awareness of the profoundchanges that will impact their lives in the near future.
Getting out into nature and having firsthand experiences is one of the best ways to see the situation,and I have considered the possibility of some kind of field trip, but the logistics are challenging. As
a result, I have been constantly on the lookout for something that could serve as an opportunity to
expose my students to Hokkaido’s natural environment and also be a learning experience for them.
When I eventually found a project that seemed to be a straightforward participatory activity with little
barrier to entry, I decided to introduce it to my students and to estimate their level of possible interest.
Researching the background of this project called Herpthon, which I detail later in this section, I cameto be aware that this type of activity fell into the category of so-called citizen science (CS), defined ineasy-to-understand terms by Vohland et al. (2021, p. 1):“Citizen science broadly refers to the active engagement of the general public inscientific research tasks. Citizen science is a growing practice in which scientists andcitizens collaborate to produce new knowledge for science and society.”
Although anyone with interest and curiosity can engage with science in general, my interpretation of
the concept of CS is that non-specialists, such as my students, would be able to have their hands-on
interaction with nature become an effective learning experience by contributing to projects run byresearchers or other groups with specific scientific goals.
In a sense, sharing is at the root of CS. Even non-specialists can engage with important scientificresearch in a variety of ways. Members of the general public can help scientists to better use theirtime by assisting with mundane and time-consuming, but crucial, tasks that might otherwise takescientists away from doing what they do best. By becoming involved, citizen scientists can not
only help scientists perform their crucial research more efficiently, but also increase their own
knowledge of the issue, or acquire new knowledge and understanding that they can then further
share with their circle of acquaintances, family, etc. Learners as citizen scientists can be expected
to enrich awareness within and among their current communities, and to join new communities,
which will also benefit from such participation.

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Figure 1 illustrates the three goals that are associated with CS (Kobori, 2022). I feel that these fit inwell with my hopes for what learners will take away from my course. They will likely align with theaims of almost any course as well.

Research

CitizenScience

SocialchangeEducation
Figure 1: Three goals of CS (adapted from Kobori, 2022)
Various studies point to the benefits of participation in CS, even for those who are not initially familiar
with the background of the project, or even science in general. According to Marley et al. (2022),
CS is an example of “real life research projects” (RLRP) which can provide data for scientists while
also increasing the confidence and engagement of students. It is most effective if related to thestudents’ field of study (science majors) but does not have to be. A study by Mitchell et al. (2017),
found that although student participants lost some confidence in the quality of data collected, theexperience can encourage them to improve their data collection approach. In the context of mynon-science major students, I hope for and foresee their increased awareness of scientific issues,
allowing them to engage more proactively in conversations on related topics within and outside of
their current communities.
Although the concept of CS appears relatively easy to embrace, the next challenge lies in identifying
examples of CS that learners can participate in. Quick searches on the internet seem to suggest that
CS projects are fairly common in North America and Europe. In my own teaching situation at Hokusei
Gakuen, in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, options are limited. My approach toward incorporating CS is to
identify projects currently in progress that the students could join with a minimum amount of advance
preparation. As CS projects will have started before my course and continue after it has finished,
student participation will only be transient with regard to the CS project itself, but it can be hoped thatsome of them may be motivated to continue after the course and even after graduation.
Despite a first attempt in the spring 2023 semester, my students have not as yet actually participatedin CS projects. I am planning to use CS projects in my geography classes from April this year (2024),
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so I have spent time trying to find appropriate examples to present to them as options. One activity
that takes place in various locations in or near Sapporo is tree planting. Tree planting may not at
first appear to be an example of CS, since contribution to research is one of the stated goals of
CS. However, the approach to planting trees has evolved from simply getting as many trees in the
ground as possible, with little regard to what varieties were present previously, to reproducing
levels of diversity that would contribute to more sustainable forests as the trees mature.
Participating in ecologically planned tree planting projects can educate the participants, interested
citizens in general, and my students in particular, as to why it is important to not just plant any tree,
but that the selection is part of a scientifically conceived plan to obtain the best results in terms of
ecology, biodiversity and benefits to people as well. Therefore, tree planting that involves monitoring
may also be an engaging type of CS (Idris et al., 2022).
By joining a project that utilizes a platform such as iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/) for posting
photographs taken by both citizen scientists and expert researchers, the non-specialists can learn
how to take photographs that will be of use to the research in question. For example, many species,
whether animal or plant, are difficult to distinguish on the basis of a single photograph, due tosimilarities in appearance. Photographs that are taken from various angles allow distinguishingfeatures of the subject organism to be identified. Although explanations of these techniques can befound on the platform in various forms, explicit instructions to students from the project coordinators
and/or from the instructor can provide additional guidance and scaffolding.
The popularity of iNaturalist with educators at many levels has meant that there have been instancesof mostly disinterested participants posting inappropriate or non-useful data to the site, causing somefrustration to the community. As a result, a more general app called Seek (https://www.inaturalist.
org/pages/seek_app) was developed and is recommended for projects where learner participation
is mandatory. Unlike iNaturalist, users need not be identifiable, and the anonymity is suitable foryounger learners. This platform can be useful for some educators wishing to engage their learners in
CS from a young age and in situations where participation is required. However, this does not suit myapproach.
My first attempt at interesting my students in participating in CS was an event called Herpthon 2023
(https://koke-koke.com/Kamui/archives/category/herpthon). The name is derived from “Herpetological
Marathon”, and the concept is for ‘teams’ of participants to take photographs of (living or dead)
reptiles and amphibians found in Hokkaido. Participants are also invited to make recordings, forexample of frogs croaking, since photographing them may be difficult. An incentive of sorts existed
in the form of a competition for the best photograph taken during the 2023 iteration of the marathon.
In addition to the fact that there are a limited number of amphibian and reptile species in Hokkaido,
meaning less complexity, the period of the ‘event’ corresponded quite closely to the length of theuniversity’s first semester. I felt that this would also help me to ease into the experience of CS ingeneral. Although a handful of students expressed some interest, in the end none actually took up
the challenge. An earlier start and better explanation may have helped, but the main reaction fromstudents was revulsion at the idea of having any interaction with ‘uncute’ animals such as frogs andsnakes, whether living or dead, so a psychological hurdle to participation exists and I will need tothink carefully about which projects to introduce.
Whether it is photographing amphibians and reptiles for a project such as Herpthon, planting trees in an
ecologically sound manner, or any other activity that contributes to scientific research, understanding orpractical outcomes, there can be various levels of complexity or depth of participation. Haklay (2013, p.
115) proposes four “Levels of participation and engagement in Citizen Science projects” as compiled in
Figure 2.

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Level 4 ‘Extreme Citizen Science’> Collaborative science – problem definition, data collection and analysis

Level 3 ‘Participatory Science’> Participation in problem definition and data collection

Level 2 ‘Distributed Intelligence’> Citizens as basic interpreters> Volunteered thinking
Level 1 ‘Crowdsourcing’> Citizens as sensors> Volunteered computing

Figure 2: Levels of participation and engagement in citizen science projects (from Haklay, 2013)
As they involve less of a deep understanding and expertise on the part of participating students,
Level 1 and Level 2 are of most interest and relevance to my situation. Level 3, involving datacollection, may also be possible as the students gain more confidence in their ability to participate.
However, it seems reasonable to assume that basic data collection of the kind that my students
might engage in, such as photographing animals and recording other relevant information about
them and when or where they were spotted, would be included in Level 1 participation.
Another CS project that may interest my students is the “Hanamaru Maruhana (Bumblebee National
Census) Project”. This project is introduced on Fukuoka University’s Faculty of Commerce, Citizen
Science Research Centre website and may attract more student interest than the “Herpthon”
project. The center identifies it as a good example of a citizen science project that fits into theLevel 1 ‘Crowdsourcing’ category (Haklay, 2013), since participants from around the country
provide photographs they take of bees, and which are used to create a census for bumblebees.
As this appears to be an ongoing project, it may be a good addition to the choices of project for
students, given its relevance to geography topics such as ecosystems and farming/resources.
In Hokkaido, Bombus terrestris, the buff-tailed bumblebee, common in Europe, is classified as a‘designated invasive alien species’ and there is concern that it will displace the native bumblebees,
so participation in the project can raise learner awareness of the situation, its effect on Hokkaido
ecosystems, and also encourage them to think about the consequences for and impacts on
agriculture in Hokkaido. That may also motivate them to create connections between participation in
the activity and their choice of foods to use in a second semester in-class activity where, in groups,
they research locally produced foods to create a ’Hokkaido Breakfast’ and locate the production
regions on a map of the prefecture.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND PBL

Although incorporating CS into my course is not a formal example of environmental education, amodel outlining the progression in environmental education from an initial focus on information
proceeding through to action, introduced by Henderson and cited in Jacobson (1999), is a goodsummary of my expectations for the path that learners would follow (Figure 3).
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action↑concern↑
understanding↑
appreciation↑

awareness of program/problem↑little awareness

Figure 3: Awareness-to-action model (adapted from Jacobson, 1999)
Jacobson emphasizes that even as familiarity with the program/problem increases, “…the first few
levels of the hierarchy always should be included in educational programs, even for adolescentsand adults, because the awareness phase of learning remains important and enjoyable for maturelearners,” (Jacobson, 1999, p. 239). I also agree with this philosophy and approach to education on
environmental issues, as it will serve to remind learners of what they should be trying to achieve. The
life experiences of project participants will place them at varying levels of the model from the outset,
but through continual stimulation of awareness and understanding of the environmental issues, allshould be able to make progress rapidly to a stage where they can engage in meaningful action.
Despite having an understanding and image of what an approach based on environmental education
principles entails, before attending the LD30 Conference, I did not have a clear image of how tointegrate a CS project into my course in a structured manner. Attending a presentation on PBL atthe conference given by Robert Moreau introduced me to a possible framework for introducing CS.
In his presentation, Moreau (2023) introduced Stoller and Myers’ (2020) five-stage framework, consistingof preparation, information gathering, information processing, display and reflection. I felt that thiswas something that I could use. Given that I am in the preliminary phase of trying to incorporate
citizen science activities into my course as a complement to the main (assessed) content, I will not
attempt the more advanced stages of display and reflection. In my approach, preparation will involve
introducing the concepts behind citizen science and the background of the projects which will befeatured as options for the learners to engage with. Information gathering and processing at thispoint in time will not be highly structured, nor given overly strong emphasis. Instead, there will be
more emphasis on the experiences directly had by students as they participate in their chosen
projects, and the awareness generated as they come to realize the significance and/or utility of theinformation/data that they are contributing to the project.

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Although the use of PBL in my course seems a good fit, this was my first exposure to it, and noneof my colleagues at my school use it either. It will obviously take some time and research to obtaina clear grasp of how it is best implemented and how to approach using it effectively. As part of
my investigation into PBL, I found the emphasis by McDowell (2017) on “confidence in learning
attributes” (growth mindset, assessment-capable learning and collaboration) and “competence inlearning levels” (surface, deep and transfer) to have strong appeal, and the idea that PBL could
facilitate the cultivation of these in my learners further increased my interest in this method.
Although face-to-face work on tasks and collaboration is a very important skill for learners, it is also
true that some of them find it very difficult to work with others in a face-to-face situation. I haveexperience with a variety of learners who have expressed misgivings about being required tooperate in such contexts. The use of technology, with which many of them are more comfortable
than direct human interaction, may help to alleviate this, as well as enhancing overall collaboration.
I think that finding CS projects that also allow this type of more indirect participation is one way ofaccommodating such learners.
The times that we live in present enormous variety in how we can engage with science and witheach other and as Busch (2013, p. 209) writes, it can be anticipated that introducing learners to
websites or applications which involve them in CS endeavors will, “nurture a collective effort, asense of collaboration and community that is particular to these times” independent of the original
ostensible goal of learning a second language.

CONCLUSION

With all these still-expanding connections being made, I further appreciate the experience of attending
LD30, and even feel excitement at the prospect of bringing all these threads together, whether in mycurrent courses, or in a future course that I may design and teach. The exposure to PBL in particular will
help with how I structure my approach. A project related to ecosystems and invasive species introducedby McDowell (2017), despite being a kindergarten project, convincingly illustrates the suitability of CS
for use in a PBL environment. Activating student interest is an ongoing challenge but exposing themto examples of what their peers are capable of achieving, and also by giving them the opportunity to‘get their hands dirty’ in CS projects, should engage their interest and curiosity. All these experiences
hold the potential to raise their awareness of a range of issues, awareness that they will pass on tomembers of their communities and also engage their capacity to think critically. That to me is a very
worthwhile outcome.

REFERENCES

Busch, A. (2013). The incidental steward: Reflections on citizen science. Yale University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt32bp4r
Citizen Science Research Center (2023, February 8). Shichizun saiensu-tte? Shimin no ironna
kakawarikata wo jirei to awasete goshokai. Fukuoka University, Faculty of Commerce. https://note.com/csrc/n/n92674f9f45e9
Gras-Velázquez, A. (2020). Project-based learning in second language acquisition. Routledge.
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Idris, N., Alias, N., Sittrambaram, G & Ishak, M. (2022). Realizing citizen science action in tree
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Kobori, H. (2022). Shimin kagaku no susume: Jibungoto minnagoto de kagaku kyōiku shakai wo
kaeru. Bun’ichisōgōshuppan.
Marley, S. A., Siani, A., & Sims, S. (2022). Real-life research projects improve student engagement andprovide reliable data for academics. Ecology and Evolution, 12(12), Advance online publication.
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McDowell, M. (2017). Rigorous PBL by design: Three shifts for developing confident and competentlearners. Corwin.
Mitchell, N., Triska, M., Liberatore, A., Ashcroft, L., Weatherill, R., & Longnecker, N. (2017). Benefits
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