research-article

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Shifting forms of Engagement: Volunteer Learning in Online Citizen Science

Authors:

Corey Brian Jackson,

Carsten Østerlund,

Kevin Crowston,

Mahboobeh Harandi,

Laura TrouilleAuthors Info & Claims

Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, Volume 4, Issue CSCW1

Article No.: 36, Pages 1 - 19

https://doi.org/10.1145/3392841

Published: 29 May 2020 Publication History

Abstract

Peer production projects involve people in many tasks, from editing articles to analyzing datasets. To facilitate mastery of these practices, projects offer a number of learning resources, ranging from project-defined FAQsto individually-oriented search tools and communal discussion boards. However, it is not clear which project resources best support participant learning, overall and at different stages of engagement. We draw onSørensen's framework of forms of presence to distinguish three types of engagement with learning resources:authoritative, agent-centered and communal. We assigned resources from the Gravity Spy citizen-science into these three categories and analyzed trace data recording interactions with resources using a mixed-effects logistic regression with volunteer performance as an outcome variable. The findings suggest that engagement with authoritative resources (e.g., those constructed by project organizers) facilitates performance initially. However, as tasks become more difficult, volunteers seek and benefit from engagement with their own agent-centered resources and community-generated resources. These findings suggest a broader scope for the design of learning resources for peer production

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Cited By

Jackson CDowthwaite LJeong ETrouille LFortson LLintott CSimmons BMiller G(2024)Unleashing the Power of the Zooniverse: The 2021 Survey of VolunteersSSRN Electronic Journal10.2139/ssrn.4830179Online publication date: 2024
https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4830179
Jeong EJackson CDowthwaite LJohnson CTrouille L(2024)How Personal Value Orientations Influence Behaviors in Digital Citizen ScienceProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36373418:CSCW1(1-25)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3637341
Zevin MJackson CDoctor ZWu YØsterlund CJohnson LBerry CCrowston KCoughlin SKalogera VBanagiri SDavis DGlanzer JHao RKatsaggelos APatane OSanchez JSmith JSoni STrouille LWalker MAerith IDomainko WBaranowski VNiklasch GTéglás B(2024)Gravity Spy: lessons learned and a path forwardThe European Physical Journal Plus10.1140/epjp/s13360-023-04795-4139:1Online publication date: 30-Jan-2024
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-023-04795-4
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Shifting forms of Engagement: Volunteer Learning in Online Citizen Science
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Collaborative and social computing
    1. Collaborative and social computing theory, concepts and paradigms
      1. Computer supported cooperative work

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Published In

cover image Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction

Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction Volume 4, Issue CSCW1

CSCW

May 2020

1285 pages

EISSN:2573-0142

DOI:10.1145/3403424

Editors:
Cliff Lampe
University of Michigan
,
Jeff Nichols
Google
,
Karrie Karahalios
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
,
Geraldine Fitzpatrick
Vienna University of Technology
,
Uichin Lee
KAIST
,
Andres Monroy-Hernandez
Microsoft Research
,
Wolfgang Stuerzlinger
Simon Fraser University, Canada

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Copyright © 2020 ACM.

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Association for Computing Machinery

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Publication History

Published: 29 May 2020

Published in PACMHCI Volume 4, Issue CSCW1

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Cited By

Jackson CDowthwaite LJeong ETrouille LFortson LLintott CSimmons BMiller G(2024)Unleashing the Power of the Zooniverse: The 2021 Survey of VolunteersSSRN Electronic Journal10.2139/ssrn.4830179Online publication date: 2024
https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4830179
Jeong EJackson CDowthwaite LJohnson CTrouille L(2024)How Personal Value Orientations Influence Behaviors in Digital Citizen ScienceProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36373418:CSCW1(1-25)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3637341
Zevin MJackson CDoctor ZWu YØsterlund CJohnson LBerry CCrowston KCoughlin SKalogera VBanagiri SDavis DGlanzer JHao RKatsaggelos APatane OSanchez JSmith JSoni STrouille LWalker MAerith IDomainko WBaranowski VNiklasch GTéglás B(2024)Gravity Spy: lessons learned and a path forwardThe European Physical Journal Plus10.1140/epjp/s13360-023-04795-4139:1Online publication date: 30-Jan-2024
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-023-04795-4
Lundgren LCrippen K(2024)Collections of Practice as High-Level Activity in a Digital Interest-Based Science CommunityJournal of Science Education and Technology10.1007/s10956-024-10111-133:5(647-667)Online publication date: 16-Apr-2024
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-024-10111-1
Crowston KJackson CCorieri IØsterlund C(2023)Design Principles for Background Knowledge to Enhance Learning in Citizen ScienceInformation for a Better World: Normality, Virtuality, Physicality, Inclusivity10.1007/978-3-031-28032-0_43(563-580)Online publication date: 10-Mar-2023
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28032-0_43
Peterman KDel Bianco VGrover ADavis CRosser H(2022)Hiding in Plain Sight: Secondary Analysis of Data Records as a Method for Learning about Citizen Science Projects and Volunteers’ SkillsCitizen Science: Theory and Practice10.5334/cstp.4767:1(35)Online publication date: 11-Nov-2022
https://doi.org/10.5334/cstp.476
Sharma NColucci-Gray Lvan der Wal RSiddharthan A(2022)Consensus Building in On-Line Citizen ScienceProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/35555356:CSCW2(1-26)Online publication date: 11-Nov-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3555535
Ibrahim KKhodursky SYasseri T(2021)Gender Imbalance and Spatiotemporal Patterns of Contributions to Citizen Science Projects: The Case of ZooniverseFrontiers in Physics10.3389/fphy.2021.6507209Online publication date: 4-Jun-2021
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2021.650720
Diethei DNiess JStellmacher CStefanidi ESchöning JKitamura YQuigley AIsbister KIgarashi TBjørn PDrucker S(2021)Sharing Heartbeats: Motivations of Citizen Scientists in Times of CrisesProceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3411764.3445665(1-15)Online publication date: 6-May-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3411764.3445665
Ekström B(2021)A niche of their own: variations of information practices in biodiversity citizen scienceJournal of Documentation10.1108/JD-07-2021-014678:7(248-265)Online publication date: 9-Dec-2021
https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-07-2021-0146
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