Project+Hopping+EF

Ellen Foster -- Experiments in Methods 1/31/2013

__ MEMO: Project-Hopping __


 * **Topical Area** || **Data Sets** || **Social Theoretical Questions** || **Why Now?** || **How Prepared?** || **Bias** || **Fields of Work** || **Funders** ||
 * Public engagement

DIY spaces focusing on the building/creation of technology

Critical-making practices and participatory design || Interviews

Documents of outreach from the spaces

Participant observations and data on programming and practices || Visibility? Who is involved?

Is their programming relevant to issues within the community? Which communities? || Resurgence of DIY Culture and insurgence of maker/hackerspaces

A lot of energy that could be used to help marginalized communities || Beginning with Discourse Analysis Training

Training in ethnographic methods

Connections to maker/hackspaces in Providence and Philadelphia || Hoping for further public engagement

Wanting to expand the reach of these resources and ensure the inclusion of marginalized communities and their needs || Multi-sited; Various maker spaces and community centers within Providence, Philadelphia, Boston, etc. || NSF, GK-12 Fellowship Funding? ||
 * Tacit Knowledge and Appropriate Expertise || Participant observations

Interviews || Who is considered to have relevant tacit knowledge to pass on and relevant appropriate expertise for the creation of programming and technologies? What can issues within these spaces say about expertise and knowledge production? || Resurgence of DIY Culture and insurgence of maker/hackspaces || Training in ethnographic methods

Connections to maker/hackspaces in Providence and Philadelphia || Show the importance of these spaces to draw on diff. strengths within the community || Multi-sited; Various maker spaces and community centers within Providence, Philadelphia, Boston, etc. || NSF, GK-12 Fellowship Funding? ||
 * Inquiry-based Learning

STEM

Constructivist Learning || Ethnographic Observation of students

Survey data utilizing comparative elements of interest || How might science curriculums change to better engage and relate to students and highlight social issues? Is there a place for inquiry-based learning? || The state of science education in public schools and low engagement within science curricula || Already placed in the Albany School District

Ethnographic training/analysis

Have started to explore learning through play and constructivist learning theories || Working to help foster alternative learning styles and approaches

Critical of the current system || Hackett school in Albany

Possibly Summer program with High-schoolers || GK-12 Fellowship NSF? ||
 * Amateur Astronomy and its Contributions to Astronomy.

Citizen Science and Public Engagement || Participant Observer of various AA groups

Data regarding AA contributions to astronomy

Analysis of contribution recognitions, etc.

Comparison and analysis with bucket brigade, TAF, etc. – DIY Bio?? || What is the difference between the work Professional Astronomers do, and that of the work of AA?

What is the difference in recognition and importance?

How does this reflect the value that the astronomy community places on citizen scientists and participants? What are the implications for other citizen science initiatives, particularly those that are socially minded? || AA actively contributes to the knowledge production of astronomy as a field.

With a more recent increase in citizen science (the asthma files, bucket brigade, etc.) it may be of interest to examine the implications of AA. || Ethnographic training/analysis

Discourse analysis to explore the language and literature surrounding AA

Member of the RPI Astronomy Club, which interfaces with other AA groups and has access to astronomical equipment || I like astronomy, I am/have been an astronomer and part of the scientific astronomy community

Working toward the recognition of citizen science as relevant and Contributing to knowledge production of science || Amateur Astronomy Clubs within the surrounding area

AA Clubs elsewhere

Other Citizen Science Groups || NSF…not quite sure? ||

Look at this in terms of Hierarchy of Questions PDF – First level questions are socio-theoretical…next bullet down is what you need to answer to get to those issues … third level gets to questions you would ask in interviews.