Teaching with and about citizen science
Yaela Golumbic
March 17, 2025, 9:44 a.m.
Teaching with and about citizen science
Yaela Golumbic, Egle Butkevičienė
The latest meeting of the ECSA Working Group on Citizen Science and universities focused on teaching with and about citizen science, offering insights into innovative approaches to integrating citizen science into university curricula. The meeting featured two presentations from WG members, followed by a vibrant discussion on the benefits, challenges, and opportunities of incorporating citizen science in higher education. From hands-on workshops to research-focused courses, the meeting showcased the spectrum of possibilities for incorporating citizen science into higher education. Here’s a snapshot of what was discussed, along with a few ideas to spark your imagination.
Citizen science across the curriculum
Dr. Egle Butkevičienė from Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Lithuania, shared her experiences in embedding citizen science into university teaching. Her work, inspired by involvement in projects like Time4CS and YouCount has paved the way for broader integration of citizen science into teaching and research at KTU.
Key initiatives highlighted by Egle include:
- Incorporating citizen science into research courses: A dedicated stream giving students a fresh perspective on collaboration and data collection and allows them to explore how citizen science can enrich their research practices.
- Training programs: Sessions designed to enhance knowledge and understanding of citizen science among students and researchers.
- Integration into existing courses: From Bachelor’s to PhD courses, citizen science perspective is being embedding into existing teaching programmes— especially around science communication
- Guidelines for universities: Developing comprehensive resources to help university educators integrate citizen science into their teaching.
- Reaching beyond campus: The Kaunas University of Technology also offers informal learning opportunities in dedicated citizen science courses for the public and researchers. Sure, it’s tricky to get people to sign up, but hey, who doesn’t love a challenge?
Egle also emphasised leveraging eu-citizen.science resources and using opportunities through Erasmus+ projects, such as ENHANSE “Empowering higher education through citizen science and innovative future-oriented learning strategies”, exploring future thinking via citizen science, to enrich the teaching experience.
A full credit dedicated citizen science course
Over at Tel Aviv University (TAU), Dr. Yaela Golumbic is leading a full-credit (13-week), graduate-level course on citizen science at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History. It’s not just a course — it’s an experience.
Here are the key features that make it stand out:
- Open doors: Whether you’re a student at Tel Aviv University, another institution, or just a curious soul, this course welcomes everyone. Oh, and it’s free!
- Hands-on learning: The course is built as a set of workshops, discussions, and incorporates lot of practical activities which make the course as interactive as it gets.
- All things citizen science: The syllabus is comprehensive of all topics at the forefront of citizen science today. The topics covered by the curriculum include:
- Citizen science contribution to society, SDG & policy — how real-world impact is driven by people-powered data and collective action
- Tensions and synergies in citizen science — citizen science is not always easy, but it is rewarding. Finding the right balance in the key!
- Leading a citizen science project — where and to start your citizen science journey
- Science communication — turning complex ideas into stories that inspire, connect, and spark curiosity
- Ethical considerations in citizen science — because every good scientist should ask not only “Can we” but also, “Should we?”.
Curriculum of the citizen science course given at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University
Citizen science course students active in learning
Discussion
Together the two presentations demonstrate the spectrum of ways to incorporate citizen science in university teaching — from introducing citizen science as a small component of existing courses to offering standalone, in-depth courses.
The discussion following the presentations underscored additional opportunities to expand the teaching with and about citizen science. Some key insights included:
- Collaborative teaching opportunities: Joint courses delivered by experts from various disciplines (e.g., ecologists together with social scientists) could provide a balanced view of both the scientific and societal aspects of citizen science.
- Interdisciplinary engagement: Courses that attract students from different faculties offer unique exchanges—and maybe even new research or collaboration ideas.
- Evaluating impact: There is a need for systematic evaluation of citizen science courses to understand their impact on students’ perspectives and practices regarding citizen science.
The meeting highlighted both the progress and the untapped potential of teaching with and about citizen science in higher education. The shared experiences from Kaunas University of Technology and Tel Aviv University serve as inspiring examples of how educators can creatively embed citizen science into their curricula. Moving forward, collaborations, resource sharing, and rigorous evaluation will be key to unlocking the full potential of citizen science in academia.