Failures of Engagement: Lessons Learned from a Citizen Science Pilot Study

Abstract

Citizen science is growing in popularity, but little research addresses participant learning outcomes. We describe the Chicago Area Pollinator Study (CAPS), which relied on citizen scientists to gather information about urban bee diversity and abundance. Based on pre- and post-CAPS participant surveys, we determined that citizen scientists collected an impressive amount of data and enjoyed the experience but did not achieve the educational goals we hoped for. We detail our failure to effectively engage citizen scientists in the learning process, and we make specific recommendations for creating the types of dynamic and mutually successful projects that scientists and citizens deserve.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was funded by the Landscape, Ecological, and Anthropogenic Processes NSF-IGERT program at University of Illinois at Chicago and supported by Lincoln Park Zoo's Urban Wildlife Institute. Thanks to Jennifer A. Howell-Stephens, Emi Kuroiwa, Clifford R. Shierk, Eric Lonsdorf, Sam Droege, Jessica Monahan, Norbert J. Cordeiro, and the Cordeiro lab at Roosevelt University for their roles in the development and execution of the Chicago Area Pollinator Study and to Henry Howe's lab at University of Illinois at Chicago, J. Amy Belaire, Sarah L. O’Brien, and anonymous reviewers for feedback on this manuscript.