Low-Cost Programmable Air Quality Sensor Kits in Science Education

Abstract

We describe our citizen science approach and technologies designed to introduce students in upper secondary schools to computational thinking and engineering. Using an Arduino microcontroller and low-cost sensors we have developed the air:bit, a programmable sensor kit that students build and program to collect air quality data. In our course, students develop their own research questions regarding air quality before using their own air quality sensor kit to answer their respective questions. This project combines electronics and coding with natural sciences providing a truly interdisciplinary course. We have open-sourced the teaching materials including the building and coding instructions. In addition, students can contribute to our web-based platform for storing, visualizing, and exploring the collected air quality data. It also provides an open API for anyone to download air quality data collected by the students. Through the website, available at airbit.uit.no, students are motivated to contribute air quality data open to the public. We describe lessons learned from our pilot project in a Norwegian upper secondary school and how we are deploying it in 10 schools across Northern Norway. In the pilot, students successfully built and coded the air:bits, and after two months of data collection they could correctly describe local patterns in the air quality. We believe that by combining electronics and coding with the natural sciences we motivate students to engage in all scientific disciplines.