Mobile phones bring the world at our fingertips. We can access any information from anywhere, but also feed all sorts of databases. In school practice their mobile devices are often perceived as a time-consuming distraction, but it is possible – or even necessary – to expose students to the kind of activities that engage them in learning through innovative ways. That means bringing new learning methods, ennhancing communication, all thanks to modern tools – like mobile apps.

If an app is engaging and valuable, it could even have students more than happy to receive some extra homework, combining learning and entertaining. Environmental observations, citizen science are perfect examples of potential use of technology serving scientific and educational purposes. cience relies on observation. As more people examine natural phenomena and record and share information, we gain better understanding of the world.

These opportunities provide personally transformative experiences. Additionally, citizen-scientist participants can help researchers to maximize the amount of data collected.

That was the purpose of creating EDU-ARCTIC Monitoring System mobile app: to engage students more directly in citizen science, to facilitate process of sumbission of measurements, to make it more fun by allowing adding photos. Thanks to the app, it is possible to provide measurements from various locations (trips, summer vacation). We want to enlarge our citizen science network as widely as possible. Mobile app offers direct access to our illustrated monitoring manual, history of you measurements and map with results. This way you will always tell a drizzle from hail, and identify plants and birds.

Also, never again will you forget to add a measurement – the app will remind you each Monday. Students who add observations gain EDU-COINS, so there’s element of positive rivalry involved. They can also exchange them for unique prizes: backpacks, photoalbums, jigsaws, magnets, wallpapers. First snow, first flowers, first birds coming back from wintering sites – nature is such a fascinating object for observation! Learn for yourself! They say that for every hour spent training citizen scientists, we get NINE hours of data collection back, so it’s definitely worth it!

Download the app for free from Google play (Android) or App Store (IOS).

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