iSpot Mobile – A Natural History Participatory Science Application

Will Woods

• Millions interested in nature• They watch nature TV programmes

• Vast wealth of• OER on nature• more formal learning

• How can we help people to learn?

• Lower barriers to identification• Open to all• Provide identification checking

through a social network

= social networking for natural history

• Use thrill of observing nature & sense of achievement when you identify it

• BUT identification is difficult

iSpot

Broadcasts

Experts

Mentors

Users

Formal learning &

OER

iSpot Keys

Main purpose of developing the mobile app was to allow users to upload observations (a combination of photo, identification, and location)

The secondary purpose was to enable iSpot website functionality on a mobile device in a native format and using the enhanced capabilities of a multi-touch mobile phone

The app exchanges data securely through a RESTful API within the iSpot Drupal service.

Richard Greenwood says “Producing a coherent and extensible API was important because it allowed iSpot to be consumed and updated via new channels such as mobile applications and third party websites, this opened up new avenues to reach existing and new users…”

Flavours of Android

Screen Sizes

Version 1

“She thought she had to put something in the scientific name or the common name and did not realise that she could leave these blank (she knew it was a ladybird but there was not the option to say just ladybird so she selected one of the named ladybirds, a 10 spot one, even though she knew it was wrong just to get to the next screen and submit the observation)”

Through evaluation we realised that we had been creating a service that largely mimicked website navigation and we therefore had to completely redesign the navigation and layout for the mobile app

Version 2

Participant 7“Overall I have found the app to be extremely stable, easy to navigate and fairly intuitive.”

Participant 3“Pull down icon menu intuitive once you try it for the first time” “Tried taking photo of pot plant and identifying it. Intuitive interface. Easy to add details. Recognised my location. …Pleased to see my first observation appear on iSpot.”

Version 3

Tester 1“The app crashed only once in more than two hour's use, which is a very noticeable improvement on the last version.”

Tester 2“'Around here' map showing locations of observations in my immediate vicinity seems clear …and easy to use”

Consider the following:• Short windows of development • Ensure adequate design input • Establish features most suitable to app development • Design for a single platform initially and ensure that you

consider specific interface issues

• Paper on iSpot app development explains process

Why did we build natively?:• HTML5 standard were not established across mobile• Highly bespoke environment (not mimicking web) • Students prefer app to ‘web optimised’ (ECAR mobile

preferences report September 2012)• Android and iPhone dominate market• Designing for a single platform simpler• Easier to quantify cost of development• Easier to test – analysing at event level using Google

Analytics for mobile beta

Current Plans• Beta was released to public on 7th June 2012

–https://play.google.com/store/apps• Version 1 in November 2012

–Social and community aspects–Commenting and identifying observations– “around here” functionality– filtering

Future Plans• Version 2 in Summer 2013?

– HTML5 i.e. available across device types– International rather than UK specific–Regional mapping layers (localisation)– Incorporating user feedback– Improved social tools–Ecology relationships –Bioblitz (surveying) included

• iSpot Team: Jonathan Silvertown, Doug Clow, Richard Greenwood, Richard Lovelock, Mike Dodd, Martin Harvey, Donal O’Donnell, Jenny Worthington, Marion Edwards, Jon Rosewell, Janice Ansine, iSpot Mentors…and me!

• Photos: Mike Dodd, Jonathan Silvertown, Martin Harvey

w.i.s.woods@open.ac.uk@willwoodshttp://technocrapy.wordpress.com