Download A citizen science water monitoring project: an

A citizen science water monitoring project:
an environmental education opportunity
from university campus to community
school.
Mrs. Irene Muller
North-West University (NWU) Vaal
Campus
Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
South Africa – my country
Gauteng – my province
North-West University – my work
place
NWU (Vaal Campus)
On campus – national symbols
(NWU Vaal) – unique SES
Outline of presentation
• Rationale
• Social learning
• Project – NWU (Vaal Campus) communitybased water monitoring project
• Findings
• Conclusion
Nigerian proverb
“In the moment of crises
the wise build bridges
and the foolish build
dams”
Rationale
• Water quality – global and national problem
• Citizen science – community members (data
collectors) to address a local problem
• 2015 – Afriforum – 10/11 drinking water samples
tested positive for E coli
• Community – based monitoring focuses mainly on
biological, qualitative data
• Focus – physical variables in monitoring and
qualitative data of participants
• Environmental education & social learning – learn
through experience
Water sources of NWU (Vaal Campus)
Problem statement – South African Scenario
• Drought – water shortage – poor water quality
• 3 factors – lack of strategic planning; lack of skills; poorly
functioning waste water treatment plants
• Globally universities required to shift to problem-solving
and applied research
• Universities need to bridge the gap between scientific
knowledge and societal needs
• Schools: NEIMS report of 2014: 20 463 schools – no
laboratory; 474 no ablution facilities; 604 – no water
supply.
• Campuses: 2013 – Potchefstroom campus closed down due
to water reservoir problems
• Study is first to link educational institutions in South Africa
with community-based monitoring
Literature review
Water
monitoring
project
Citizen science
Communitybased water
monitoring
Environmental
education
Social learning
Project-based
teaching
Water quality
management
Adaptive
management
Public
participation
Social (informal) learning defined
Bandura
(1971; 1977)
Influenced by type
of data collected
and values
Live model
COP
Identity
Links to practical
learning and
indigenous
knowledge
Aid with social
capital
Modelling
Wenger
(1998)
Learning
citizenship
Social learning
Landscape of
practices
Keen et al.
(2005)
Pahl-Wostl et al.
(2007)
Reed et al.
(2010)
Collective action
and reflection
Governance
Process of social
change
Influence d by
cultural and socioeconomic values
Transformative
learning
3 time scales and
levels
Double loop
learning
Social (informal) learning – Bandura
(1971 & 1986)
• “individual learning which takes place in a social
context and is influenced by social norms”
• learning through experience.
• respond automatically and unconsciously
• students develop thoughts which guide their future
actions
• insightful behaviour
Social (informal) learning – Bandura
(1971 & 1986)
• Four interrelated processes of modelling
Attention - to recognize features of the activity interpersonal
Retention - how well a student can remember the
activity ; reproduce it in the long term or permanently
Motoric reproduction - response of the student
according to the modelled pattern
Self-reinforcement and motivation - overtly express
action after being exposed to modelling.
COP – Wenger (1998)
•
•
•
•
COP = social learning system
Mutual engagement of five domains namely:
(a) the discipline of domain - what we care about;
(b) the discipline of community - the effects of participation
on the trust and dynamics of the group;
• (c) the discipline of practice - how our practice can become
curriculum and visible
• (d) discipline of convening - leadership, sustainability of
partnership, the roles of participants and needed resources;
• (e) the social discipline - personal responsibility which comes
with social participation
Identity – Wenger (1998)
• includes all memories, competencies, events, stories
and relationships a student has with people and
places.
• a nexus of multi-membership as students belong to
multiple communities at any given time.
• is multi-scaled due to the sharing of experience with
others in the same scenario or those who share our
world
Learning citizenship – Wenger (1998)
•
•
•
•
how identity is invested in a community
the ability to contribute in their communities
bridge boundaries by using their multi-membership
the ability to be involved in more than one group of
participants as a trusted member
• able to identify need in a community and connect to
other to enhance learning
Landscape of practices – Wenger
(1998)
• not only based on curriculum content
• dynamic as communities emerge, split, compete or
complement each other
• between the landscapes of practices there are boundaries possible misunderstandings between commitments, values or
perspectives
• learning can be positioned in one of three modes:
(a) engagement - doing of things and direct experience in
activities;
(b) imagination - the construction of an image of the world to
aid with understanding
(c) alignment - the coordination of activities
Social (informal) learning – 2005 and
on
• Collective action and reflection -demonstrate a
change or understanding beyond the individuals or
small groups (Keen, 2005)
• Governance - the legal and organizational structure
as well as the cultural and socio-economic
environment (Pahl-Wostl et al., 2007)
• Process of social change beyond the individual level
in wider social context. Need to learn from each
other in ways which benefit wider social-ecological
systems. Can improve management of socialecological systems - outcomes (Reed et al., 2010)
Outlay of water monitoring project at the NWU
(Vaal)
Water monitoring
project
Transdisciplinary in
nature
Research:
Combination of
Disciplines:
Participants:
Physical/
Researcher
Natural Science
Students
Educational
Science
Learners
Environmental
Management
Campus Management –
Environmental manager
GCI
Rand Water
Non-participating students; local
and school community
Participatory Action
Research (PAR) and Case
study research
What we monitor…….
Tool to
measure
compliance
or detect non
compliance
What: 9 parameters
pH; temperature; DO;
BOD; % nitrates &
nitrites; % chloride;
hardness; turbidity; E
coli levels
Biological indicator –
coliform bacteria indicate overall
water health – big
picture
Physical parameters
– “snap shot view” –
pollution?
Water monitoring project at the NWU (Vaal)
Lecturer
Learning - selfdirected; social
Expert: Rand
Water
Water
monitoring
project
Water health
students
awareness
Student
with
learners
community
Educated; responsible
Monitoring (2015 – 2016)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Multiple case study findings –pre-service
teachers
The ability to test water / practical
skill
Subject knowledge - Physical Science;
general knowledge about water as a
scarce resource
Participation in the project benefits
their communities/learners and
schools
Responsibility towards the
environment
Enjoyment
Psychological safety - warm and
personal relationships between
students and students and lecturer
Social learning - interaction - diverse
knowledge base; various role players
Pre-service teachers in schools
Schools:
• Monitoring on campus
was good exposure
• Have practical skills
• Opportunity to indicate
knowledge
• Exposure to classroom
management
• Confidence to teach
Multiple case study findings -learners
• Enjoyment
• Opportunity to learn
• Easy to perform water
quality tests – guided
and clear instructions
• Diverse new knowledge
• Clean water is safe for
human use
Multiple case study findings -campus
• Raised awareness - campus
management
• Realization of previous
planning – esthetical
instead of water wise
• Proposed:
• gabions to minimize
erosion;
• widening of storm water
into dams;
• removal of reeds in dam 2
Quantitative findings – example
temperature & DO
Temperature
Dissolved oxygen (DO)
20/07/201
6
05/10/20
16
River
River
06/05/201
6
20/07/20
16
D5
11/03/20
16
12/02/20
16
D3
18/09/20
15
20/07/20
15
D2
15/05/20
15
D1 B
20/03/20
15
D1 A
20/02/20
15
0
10
20
Temperature in °C
30
12/02/201
6
D4
18/09/201
5
Sites
S
i
t
e
s
11/03/201
6
D5
06/05/20
16
D4
05/10/201
6
20/07/201
5
D3
15/05/201
5
D2
20/03/201
5
D1 B
20/02/201
5
D1 A
0
5
10
DO
in ppm
15
Findings - quantitative
•
•
•
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Dams are polluted and have poor water quality
Water quality weakens from 2015 to 2016
Erosion of dams (3,4,5) caused concern
Reasons for pollution:
circulation of water in dams; minimum use of pumps in efforts to
save electricity;
the current drought
frequent winds which carries dust and pollutants to water bodies;
increased student numbers - increase in pollution with food
containers, tins and glassware;
the on-going built of new buildings
more students with vehicles;
limited awareness of students and campus members regarding the
environment.
Findings: NWU (Vaal Campus) Citizen
Science framework
Purpose: Experience of participants
Objective: Learn and change
Scope
Context:
NWU (Vaal
Campus) & local
community
schools
Audience: Academia and community
Local, short-term (2 year)
Scale
Social: Both experts and novices
Citizen science
model:
Affected natural resource
NWU (Vaal Campus)
water monitoring
project
Water - quality and status
of community water
Knowledge dimension
Rand Water & researcher: advice and training
Available participants
Pre-service teachers and learners: data collection
and interpretation;
Roles of
participants
GCI and campus management: management of
campus water storage resource
Real life relevance activities
Social learning
Outcomes of
Education
Environmental
outcomes
Knowledge, skills,
Social dimension
Attitudes/ behaviour,
awareness, participation
Healthy water storage
resources on campus
Social and
environmental
responsible
actions
Environmental management
dimension
A three tiered social-ecological system model for the water monitoring
project at NWU (Vaal)
Findings: Three-tiered citizen science
(future) system framework
Challenges – project
• Apparatus – safety of pre-service teachers
• Indigenous knowledge about water
• Planning – extra curricular activity; monitoring
program & reflection; academic timing
• Funding
• Conflict of interest – economical issues; "fees
must fall"; implementation of adaptive proposals
• Schools – phone calls x visits √
• Volunteers – biological versus physical data
collection; motivation; management at schools
• Project – sustainability ?
NWU Initiatives - sustainability
• GCI – global initiative; action to promote
sustainable living among students
• Actions: Earth hour; Tree planting; Energy and
Water Saving competitions; Mobile vegetable
garden in a small container; waste pic up
initiatives
Limited awareness; only a few committed students
• EE for SD niche – research – focus on sustainable
communities – work together with NGO’s like
WESSA in schools
Conclusion
• Gain for all involved
• Pre-service teachers &
learners – knowledge, skill, social capital
• GCI – research
• Campus management and technical services –
adaptive management proposals
• Schools – subject knowledge and prescribed practical
• Researcher – knowledge of students; informal
learning – valuable; project-based teaching approach
Bibliography
Alcock, P.G. 2010. Rainbows in the mist – indigenous weather knowledge, beliefs and folklore in South Africa. Pietermaritzburg: Intrepid Printers (Pty) Ltd.
Bandura, A. 1971. A theory of social learning. New York City: General Learning Press.
Bandura, A. 1977. Social learning theory. New York: General Learning Press.
Bandura, A. 1986. Social foundations of thought and action. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Barnard, P. & De Villiers, M. 2012. Biodiversity early warning systems – South African citizen scientists monitoring change. South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), Pretoria.
Barron, B.J.S. 1998. Doing with understanding: lessons from research on problem- and project-based learning. The journal of learning sciences, 7(3&4):271-311.
Blackmore, C. 2007. What kinds of knowledge, knowing and learning are required for addressing resource dilemmas? : a theoretical overview. Environmental science and policy, 10:512- 523.
Bonney, T., Cooper, C.B., Dickinson, J., Kelling, S., Phillips, T., Rosenberg, K.V. & Shirk, J. 2009. Citizen science: a developing tool for expanding science knowledge and scientific literacy.
Bioscience, 59(11):977-984. http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1525/bio.2009.59.22.9 Date of access: 1 March 2016.
Brundiers, K., Wiek, A. & Redman, C.L. 2010. Real-world learning opportunities in sustainability: from classroom into the real world. International journal of sustainability in higher education,
11(4):308-324.
Buytaert, W. & Zulkafli, Z. 2014. Citizen science in hydrology and water resources: opportunities for knowledge generation, ecosystem service management, and sustainable development.
Frontiers Earth Science. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/feart.2014.00026 Date of access: 25 July 2016.
Campbell, T., Medina-Jerez, W., Erdogan, I. & Zhang, D. 2010. Exploring science teachers’ attitudes and knowledge about environmental education in three international teaching
communities. International journal of environmental and science education, 5(1):3-29.
Carr, A.J.L. 2004. Why do we all need community science? Society and Natural Resources, 17:841-849.
Cooper, C.B., Dickinson, J. & Phillips, T. 2007. Citizen science as a tool for conservation in residential ecosystems. Ecology & Society. http://hdl.handle.net/10535/2968 Date of access: 25 July
2016.
Craigie, F., Saayman, P. & Fourie, M. 2010. Environmental compliance and enforcement institutions. (In Paterson, A. & Kotze, L.J. eds. 2010. Environmental compliance and enforcement in
South Africa: legal perspectives. Claremont: Juta p. 65 - 102).
Conrad, C.C. & Hilchey, K.G. 2011. A review of citizen science and community-based environmental monitoring: issues and opportunities. Environmental monitoring assessment, 176:273-291.
Conrad, C.T. & Daoust, T. 2007. Community-based monitoring frameworks: increasing the effectiveness of environmental stewardship. Environmental management.
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00267-007-9042-x/fulltext.html Date of access: 15 April 2015.
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). 2010. A CSIR perspective on water in South Africa – 2010. www.csir.co.za. Date of access: 25 Jan 2016.
Doppelt, Y. 2003. Implementation and assessment of project-based learning in a flexible environment. International journal of technology and design education, 13:255-272.
Du Plessis, A. 2010. Understand the legal context. (In Paterson, A. & Kotze, L.J. eds. 2010. Environmental compliance and enforcement in South Africa: legal perspectives. Claremont: Juta p.
11- 40).
Earth Echo. 2016. http://www.monitorwater.org/ Date of access: 29 July 2016.
Enengel, B., Muhar, A., Penker, M., Freyer, B., Drlik, S. & Ritter, F. 2012. Co-production of knowledge in transdisciplinary doctoral theses on landscape development – an analysis of actor roles
and knowledge types in different research phases. Landscape and urban planning, 105:106-117.
Fazey, I. 2010. Resilience and higher order thinking. Ecology and society, 15(3): 52. http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol15/iss3/art9/ Date of access: 14 Sept 2015.
Fernandez-Gimenez, M.E., Ballard, H.L. & Sturtevant, V.E. 2008. Adaptive management and social learning in collaborative and community-based monitoring: a study of five community-based
forestry organizations in the western USA. Ecology and society, 13(2): http://wwwecologyandsociety.org/vol13/iss2/art4/ Date of access: 27 March 2015.
Freire, P. 2005. Pedagogy of the oppressed. 30th ed. NY: The Continuum International Publishing Group Incorporated.
Harris, F. & Lyon, F. 2013. Transdisciplinary environmental research: building trust across professional cultures. Environmental science and policy, 31:109-119.
Hartleb, T. 2015. SA’s water treatment works in critical state. News 24, 29 July. http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/SAs-water-treatment-works-in-critical-state-20150729 Date of
access: 1 March 2016.
“It creates a bigger and better
perspective of the world for
me” - Cheney
E mail presenter:
[email protected]
“If you want to go fast, go alone; if you
want to go far, go together “ – African
proverb
Thank
you !