Engaging undergraduate students in citizen science: measuring air pollution as a pedagogical approach

Here we explore how citizen science projects can enhance environmental science and policy education. Citizen science projects can be ideal andragogical self-guided learning companions to more standard classroom-based pedagogies. The chapter will evaluate how citizen science can enable students to explore different forms and implications of knowledge creation and dissemination in relation to environmental issues, while also exposing them to the importance of data integrity, project management, and policymaking. The chapter draws on our experience with distributing personal air pollution exposure monitors to undergraduate students, with students encouraged to monitor various environments and situations, while reporting their findings to an anonymous online database. The chapter describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of the project, based on data collected from students over four years, as well as a focus group discussion. The results show that the project enhanced students’ understanding of air pollution, knowledge production, and civil society. It also fostered a sense of environmental stewardship and advocacy among students, as well as a critical reflection on the challenges and opportunities of citizen science. The chapter concludes that citizen science can be an effective and enriching educational approach, linking academic knowledge with experiential learning and social action.