ERIC Number: EJ1258104
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0046-760X
EISSN: N/A
Science in the Making: 1930s Citizen Science on the BBC
History of Education, v49 n3 p327-343 2020
During 1931-1933 several BBC radio broadcasts invited listeners to participate in what would now be termed 'citizen science' experiments. Scientists broadcast on a research topic, and asked for relevant data and observations from listeners. Most of these broadcasts were part of the "Science in the Making" series. Topics investigated ranged across natural history, meteorology, auditory perception, dreams and social science. One "Science in the Making" broadcast resulted in an article in a refereed academic journal. This article describes these broadcasts, the listeners' role, and the outcomes of the series. It situates them in the context of the BBC's adult education provision, and examines their educational and scientific contributions. Although the broadcasts were considered successful, they were short-lived. The article investigates reasons for this. It also looks at the reasons for the demise of inter-war adult education provision at the BBC during the later 1930s.
Descriptors: Citizen Participation, Scientific Research, Science Education, Educational History, Educational Radio, Foreign Countries, Adult Education, Program Descriptions
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A