Learning through eScience - about the project

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This research explores the relationship between e-Science, GRID technologies and learning. The project investigates ways to support scientific enquiry in schools through the design and development of new technology devices and data representations. These devices and representations encourage the scientific enquiry process and integrate with GRID technologies to further support students learning about air quality, pollution and data handling both in their environment and in a remote unfamiliar environment. This collaborative study is funded by JISC.

The area being monitored

The area around Vandean school has been of interest to us. Click here for a map of the area surrounding school. In particular we have looked at:

Ditchling Road (a busy main road)
close to Balfour Road (a quieter but narrow road)
and on the School field (open space)

The equipment

We are using an array of novel and well known technology devices including, thermometers, wind anemometers, CO device, GPS, hand-held computers, ribbons, wind sock, and other low tech measuring devices. A selection of these is shown below.

	GPS, PDA, and CO monitor used in combination to track CO whilst getting a location trace of area walked / monitored. PDA provides real-time (but slightly delayed) feedback on levels being detected.
	Graph screen shown on PDA to indicate CO level.
	Thermometer to measure temoerature differences, also indicates a prediction of weather based on barometric patterns (rising or falling)
	Wind ribbons used to show direction and strength of wind
	Wind sock - another wind 'visualiser'

Researchers

The following people are involved within the Interact and IDEAS labs in Informatics, University of Sussex, and at Nottingham and Bath:

Our collaborating school in Brighton is Varndean School.

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Page updated 2 June 2004