Presention on "iSpot Mobile - A Natural History Participatory Science Application" for mLearn 2012.

1. iSpot Mobile – A Natural History Participatory
Science Application
Will Woods

2. • 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?

3. • Use thrill of observing nature & sense of
achievement when you identify it
• BUT identification is difficult
• Lower barriers to identification
• Open to all
• Provide identification checking
through a social network
= social networking for natural history

5. Broadcasts
iSpot Keys Experts
iSpot
Formal
learning & Mentors
OER
Users

6. 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

7. 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…”

8. Flavours of Android

9. Screen Sizes

10. Version 1

12. “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

13. Version 2

25. 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.”

26. Version 3

36. 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”

37. 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

38. 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

39. 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

40. 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

41. • 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
@willwoods
http://technocrapy.wordpress.com