[open-science] Join us at MozFest - making mobile apps for citizen science & climate change

[Margaret Gold]

We'd like to invite you to join us on Saturday the 25th at MozFest, where
we will be using Appmaker to build citizen science apps for climate change,
as part of the Open Science & the Web theme.


Here are the details:

Apps for Climate Change - using Appmaker for Citizen Science
<http://lanyrd.com/2014/mozfest/sdfcdk/>

MozFest <http://2014.mozillafestival.org/>: Saturday 25th, Ravensbourne
College

Mobile applications have shown enormous potential in citizen science for
data gathering and real-time information sharing. Applications can range
from wildlife & habitat monitoring, to environmental measurement, to
infectious disease measurement & tracking.

In this workshop we will use climate change as a focus for thinking about
citizen science apps.  We’ll specifically be looking at how  local
communities can use personal apps to draw attention to  climate change
impact. We’ll also be considering how personal apps created by local
communities can help scientists to measure climate change.

With Mozilla’s Appmaker <https://webmaker.org/appmaker>, anyone can develop
mobile apps - even non-coders. In this workshop we will explore using
Appmaker to create citizen science apps by and for local communities. Our
goal is to come up with a  wishlist of citizen science components for
Appmaker, and even build a few ourselves. And of course we’ll also be
hacking together a few apps.

Who should come?

If you’re passionate about doing something to address climate change, or
want to help people in local communities to take action about their
changing environment, then this one’s for you!

If you enjoy tinkering and would like to try your hand at using the easy
Appmaker platform to make your own mobile application, then this one’s for
you!

If you enjoy a nice bite-sized coding challenge, and would enjoy helping us
develop new science components for Appmaker, then this one’s for you!

Just curious about what this all this citizen science stuff is all about?
Then this one is also for you! All ages welcome. No coding skills needed.

Workshop Structure:


   -

   First, we'll start with a presentation about climate change and mobile
   apps, based on our experiences using apps and Appmaker in some recent
   projects (e.g. http://arcticscience.pbworks.com). This will include a
   brief overview of Appmaker itself.


   -

   As a group we’ll brainstorm ideas for apps for climate change, which we
   will cluster together thematically on flip charts, and then invite everyone
   to choose an area to work on further in more detail in teams.
   -

   In breakout teams around each of the app idea areas, your first
   assignment will be to identify the different Appmaker components that will
   be needed to build the app. Many components already exist, but we will find
   that there are quite a few gaps that new science components could fill.
   Location services is a good example.
   -

   Before the break we will get together again as a group to draw up a big
   wish list of components needed for citizen science apps but not yet in
   Appmaker, which we can contribute to the Appmaker ‘most wanted components’
   list. (https://github.com/mozilla-appma...
   <https://github.com/mozilla-appmaker/appmaker/wiki/Component-Ideas> )
   -

   BREAK
   -

   The second half of the session will start with a more detailed
   run-through of Appmaker and the Appmaker component building process
   (Polymer, etc.).
   -

   We'll encourage participants to team up on building apps, templates, and
   components, but you're welcome to go solo if you wish (as coders, we
   understand this...).


   -

   Finally, we’ll get back together as a group to share what we’ve come up
   with, and with any luck, we'll be able to start making apps for citizen
   science with components from this workshop!


We have set up a development Appmaker server
<http://appmaker.sciencemakers.net/designer> for use in the workshop.


We also have a Workshop Etherpad
<https://etherpad.mozilla.org/mozscience-appsclimatescience> for discussion
before, during and after the event.

What do you need to bring?

Bring your own laptop and ideas - we’ll bring the flipcharts and post-it
notes!

REGISTRATION

This workshop is part of the three-day Mozilla Festival 2014, Open Science
and the Web theme:

https://sendto.mozilla.org/page/contribute/mozilla-festival-2014-registration

The Facilitators

This workshop is being organised and run by Margaret Gold (@MobileMaggie) &
Brian Fuchs (@bcf5) of the Mobile Collective
<http://www.mobilecollective.co.uk/>, Simon Clifford (@simonaclifford)
of Science
Makers <http://www.sciencemakers.net/>, and Diana Mastracci (@DMastracci)
of the Citizen Cyberlab <http://citizencyberlab.eu/>.





*The Mobile Collective                              *

Mobile:   0798 563 2237
Email:    margaret at tmc.bz
Skype:   margaretgold
*Twitter:  @mobilecollectiv <http://twitter.com/#!/mobilecollectiv>      *
             @MobileMaggie
*Webs*ite: The Mobile Collective <http://www.mobilecollective.co.uk/>
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