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UID:pretalx-citizen-science-communication-trust-2026-X8ZSSX@ifkw.rz.tu-bs.d
 e
DTSTART;TZID=CET:20261005T160000
DTEND;TZID=CET:20261005T161500
DESCRIPTION:Developing trust in science begins early\, shaped by how young 
 learners experience scientific processes and see themselves as participant
 s in knowledge production. This presentation examines how citizen science 
 can support the development of STEM identity and trust among elementary-ag
 ed learners (ages 8–11)\, using OCEAN Kids\, a citizen science activity 
 podcast about nurdles and microplastics\, as a case study.\n\nOCEAN Kids i
 ntegrates narrative audio storytelling with hands-on participation in scie
 ntific investigation through partnerships with Tumble Science podcast for 
 kids and Nurdle Patrol. The project was supported by the National Academie
 s’ Gulf Research Program through its 2024 Environmental Literacy for Com
 munity Resilience initiative\, which funds place-based education efforts d
 esigned to help communities in the U.S. Gulf Coast region respond to envir
 onmental challenges. This region has been significantly impacted by climat
 e change and environmental disasters\, including oil spills\, and the prog
 ram was designed to support community resilience by engaging learners in l
 ocally relevant environmental investigation and action.\n\nThe design of O
 CEAN Kids reflects four core goals: to broaden participation in science le
 arning\, increase awareness of microplastic pollution and empathy toward e
 nvironmental issues\, connect student observations to local environmental 
 challenges\, and position students as active contributors to scientific di
 scovery and environmental stewardship.\n\nFindings from an external evalua
 tion across pilot and field-test phases (11 classrooms\; approximately 230
  students) highlight a central insight: OCEAN Kids is most effective when 
 it is experienced as an immersive\, purpose-driven\, hands-on citizen scie
 nce program. When the program’s secret-agent narrative\, real-world nurd
 le investigations\, and teacher facilitation come together\, student engag
 ement is exceptionally high. When those elements are missing or constraine
 d\, particularly when the audio is missing\, engagement drops sharply. \n\
 nClassroom observations documented deep engagement\, collaboration\, and c
 onceptual understanding\, with students actively participating in scientif
 ic practices and identifying as contributors to real-world research. Acros
 s implementations\, the program demonstrated strong potential to build kno
 wledge of plastics pollution\, foster environmental stewardship\, and conn
 ect learners to authentic scientific work. Students developed the ability 
 to link local observations to broader environmental systems and began to u
 nderstand science as a collaborative\, iterative process. Audio storytelli
 ng played a key role as an accessible\, screen-free medium that supported 
 imagination\, focus\, and shared learning experiences\, extending particip
 ation beyond the classroom. Students frequently brought their learning int
 o the home\, prompting family discussions and early behavior changes\, sug
 gesting potential for broader trust-building within communities.\n\nAt the
  same time\, findings underscore that engagement—and by extension\, trus
 t-building—is highly sensitive to design and context. When hands-on part
 icipation or narrative cohesion was reduced\, engagement declined.\n\nThis
  presentation will examine both what worked and what did not within U.S. c
 lassroom implementations\, offering practice-based insights into the role 
 of communication design in shaping participation and trust. It concludes w
 ith a set of best-practice principles for engaging elementary-aged learner
 s in citizen science\, with implications for researchers and practitioners
  seeking to foster trust through participatory science communication.
DTSTAMP:20260721T202342Z
LOCATION:Tagungsraum
SUMMARY:Building Trust Early: STEM Identity\, Audio Storytelling\, and Elem
 entary Participation in Citizen Science - Sara Robberson Lentz
URL:https://ifkw.rz.tu-bs.de/citizen-science-communication-trust-2026/talk/
 X8ZSSX/
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