This course will become read-only in the near future. Tell us at community.p2pu.org if that is a problem.
This is a course for anyone who wants to get involved in developing a citizen science research project.
Using off the shelf equipment, and free software, course participants will learn how to go from constructing a research question, to analyzing data, to communicating their findings.
This course follows the scientific method through a series of questions. In addressing these questions participants will develop and run their project.
This course seeks to both increase the scientific literacy skills of its participants, as well as increase their level of civic engagement through science.
What are you trying to measure or infer in your research project? Addressing this question leads you to identifying the variables in your work. Identifying the relevant metrics, and their associated units, is essential in carrying out a meaningful research project. Measured variables are values which are directly measured by an observer, such as using a ruler for length or a thermometer for temperature.
If your research project involves a study of the relationship between the median income of a neighborhood and the availability of grocery stores then the measured variables involved could be:
1. Median income per zip code ($US)
2. GPS coordinates of grocery stores (degrees latitude, degrees longitude)
3. Area of zip code (square kilometers)
At this point you'll want to identify what you're measuring in the course of your work, as well as what units you'll be using in which to measure them.
We're giving the LED lights numerical names measure by nm and their wavelength. (Bioscan)
Yellow- 587
UV- 390
Green- 535
Blue- 469
Red- 661
White- 500
Orange- 610
For further reference, see http://www.livephysics.com/physical-constants/optics-pc/wavelength-colors/.
The wavelength listed for white is an average of the yellow and blue component wavelengths used in most white LEDs: http://www.oksolar.com/led/led_color_chart.htm
UNITS!
For this project we'll be using the following using only metric.
Currently android phones can measure:
Ideas for use of sensors:
Max,
Could you start putting together an online spreadsheet grouping sensors to possible projects, or projects which have already been done?
Shared, and here is the link:
https://docs.google.com/a/wildwood.org/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhFduOPLASDrdFNNTEtYZUZFOTdxMVJIbUdXTzljZGc&usp=sharing
