Mass experiments

Annual CitizenScience-project

The Star-Spotting experiment. Photo: Mattias Pettersson, Umeå Universitet

Every autumn since 2009, thousands of Swedish pupils of all ages and members of the public have been helping researchers gather huge amounts of data. These so-called mass experiments are of mutual benefit: the researchers get more data than they could otherwise easily collect, the pupils get the opportunity to participate in real research, and the teachers get material and methods based upon state-of-the-art research to integrate in the curriculum.

Kid taking part in The Lady Bird Experiment Photo: Erik Cronberg – VA (Public & Science)

VA (Public & Science) coordinates these Citizen Science-projects as part of the European science festival, European Researchers’ Night.  Schools from across the whole of Sweden are involved.

The mass experiments efficiently link education to research, establishing valuable contacts with researchers and giving students insights into research methods and scientific thinking.

VA helps the researcher to design an experiment whereby students gather data guided by their teacher. Research projects are also selected according to how well they fit into the curriculum. The researcher and VA jointly develop instructions and teachers’ manuals, and researchers also communicate directly with individual teachers and students using webinars and sometimes social media.

We have been running mass experiments since 2009. Here you can find an information folder about the Swedish mass experiments.

Examples of our most recent experiments:

VA’s annual mass experiments are examples of citizen science. Our experiences from conducting them are shared in an essay published in the Journal of Science Communication that discusses how mass experiments/citizen science can stimulate scientific literacy and an interest in science while generating scientific output.

Other citizen science-related projects

VA has helped to create a national portal for citizen science in Sweden. More information about the project, ARCS, can be found here.

VA was a partner in an EU-funded project called EU-Citizen.Science that developed a European platform for citizen science.

VA is also a member of ECSA (European Citizen Science Association).

Latest about the mass experiment:

Most plastic litter found on beaches reveals Swedish citizen science project

The first report of the Plastic Experiment, a citizen science project involving young people and members of the public from across Sweden, has now been published. The most plastic litter… Läs mer

Skapad:

2023-05-15 |

Uppdaterad:

2023-09-25 |

Kategorier:

Citizen Science, European Researchers' Night, Mass experiment, News articles

Whole of Sweden invited to help research plastic pollution

The Plastic Experiment is part of ForskarFredag, European Researchers’ Night in Sweden, and is being run by VA in collaboration with the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation and the University of… Läs mer

Skapad:

2022-09-14 |

Uppdaterad:

2023-09-25 |

Kategorier:

European Researchers' Night, Mass experiment, News articles

Swedish school pupils help log 19,000 items of plastic litter in nationwide citizen science project

Plastic litter in the oceans has major consequences for humans, plants and animals, but it is a problem that starts on land. In the Plastic Experiment, school pupils are helping… Läs mer

Skapad:

2022-06-16 |

Uppdaterad:

2023-09-25 |

Kategorier:

EU-projekt, European Researchers' Night, Mass experiment, Massexperiment, News articles
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VA - Public & Science

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