5 THINGS TO KNOW WHEN TEACHING SENSOR JOURNALISM

PROF. AMY SCHMITZ WEISSSAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY

sensorjournalism.wordpress.com

WHAT’S IN THE AIR

AIR QUALITY SENSOR PROJECT• Collaboration between inewsource and journalism and

geology departments at San Diego State University

• Co-taught by journalism professor and geology lecturer

• Semester-long project – students’ stories and data collected from air quality sensors deployed in the community will be published on inewsource

• Sensor technology: Arduino, Grove dust PM2.5 sensor and Grove MQ2 gas sensor, LCD display to provide data readings (data run every 30 seconds, averages)

• Year-long grant funded by the 2014-2015 ONA Hack the Curriculum Grant

• Don’t let the technology lead - journalism comes first!

• Identify existing datasets first

• Identify/collaborate with news partners

• Allow time for R&D and multiple prototypes

#1 PLAN

#2 POWER IN NUMBERS

• Collaborate with other departments on campus (e.g. Public Health, Engineering, Computer Science, Geology, Geography)

• Invite multiple guest speakers to teach specific subjects & give different perspectives (e.g. data journalism, sensor tech, public health, etc.)

• Involve the community in the effort: to be sensor beta-testers, provide general feedback, be a part of focus groups, etc.

#3 BE AGILE & FLEXIBLE

• Be able to adapt and pivot quickly is crucial

• General organization of the course and clear learning outcomes are necessary - but the journey on how to get there should be flexible

• Allow the flow of the class and the students’ learning experience to guide you week by week

#4 TROUBLESHOOT & TECH SUPPORT

• Whether using a third-party sensor tool or building your own - you will need to be in the role of tech support

• How will you help your students and the community troubleshoot issues with the sensor?

• What is the short (during the class) and long-term strategy (after the class ends) for tech support?

• Identify tech resources early on and bring them into the project

• Have clear guides/instructions on the sensor build and sensor maintenance

#5 HAVE FUN• Make time for fun - incorporate it into the class

activities

• Explore new systems and applications with open discovery methods

• Get out of the classroom and do informal observations on campus with the sensors

THANKS! QUESTIONS?

ASCHMITZ@MAIL.SDSU.EDU

@DIGITALAMYSW

FOLLOW OUR NEWS COVERAGE:

http://inewsource.org/whats-in-the-air/

TEACHING TIPS, BLOG, CLASS SYLLABUS AND MORE:

sensorjournalism.wordpress.com