Work Programme

WP1 Literature review - was completed by one of own team members Rob (Math Graduate) and the task was to conduct a literature review of air quality networks monitoring, analysis and applications in citizen science initiatives along with other initiatives.
     This was a new field for Rob and gave him a large experience in air quality and environmental science analysis research. It allowed an objective unbiased review of the air quality domain. Rob was advised by Gordon (AirNode) and Hua (NTU) on the domain of air quality and factors to highlight in the literature review.  The literature review identified methods of monitoring, analysing and managing citizen science initiative for air quality experience analysis. Specifically it included and reviewed these categories:  AQ sensors ranges, network, analysis methods, mitigations and causations.

Completed in the
NERC hackathon in September 2021

WP2 Air Quality Analysis - The AirNode software analyses the AQ measurements using statistical, prediction and geospatial analysis.
        The statistical analysis includes gain statistics (mean, inter quartiles, standard deviation, skewness etc) and statistical methods. The statistical methods include slope analysis, acceleration of the gradient, peak identifications, cluster analysis, feature correlation, pattern recognition and change point analysis. The techniques range from K nearest neighbour to isolation forests to support vector machines.  The aim is to automatically identify irregular pattern that don’t occur often in the daily cyclical AQ measurements. These are then used to identify anomalies the AQ measurements or irregular patterns cause by irregular large emission events.
         The prediction analysis includes machine learning through XGboost classification and unsupervised deep learning in LSTM neural networks along with other methods. The next two days AQ measurements are predicted. These are then used to compare to measurement to identify and classify irregular patterns and anomalies.  

Completed during the NERC hackathon September 2021 on a few Use cases

WP3 AQ sensor Network - The network was scoped for the Nottingham site and Putney High Street site. Impacting factors were evaluated and existing AQ sensors were evaluated for extra attributes, irregular patterns and quality control metrics.

WP4 Citizen Science Initiative - A Dashboard was constructed that can be seen opposite. The aim was to increase EDI group involvement in environmental sciences and potential to choose further study. Two influential reports Aspires (10 year study) [1] and enterprising science (5year UCL study) [2]defined a measurement science capital that pupils had a various phases of education. The science capital could be measured in the 8 categories described in the appendix. The more science capital a pupil had the more likely they were to choose further science studies.  This initiative aims to increase the amount of science capital for pupil through these 8 categories.
       It was shown in these studies that there areeffective methods to increase science capital. The 4 step method in the studiesis stated in the appendix. This initiative aims to follow this method and the abilityconduct their own air quality analysis on their air quality experience at schoolallows this initiative to be a key method to increase science capital. The initiativedesigned a citizen science that had a 4 step method similar to one stated inthe appendix including the 4 steps below:
  1 A class manual and a lesson planner was designedto allow an explainer lesson on the topic of air pollution, causes, impacts andpossible mitigations through videos, storytelling and significant statistics. Asecond lesson planner allowed for documenting the pupils experiences of airquality and how this varied and their opinions
  2 A lesson planner was designed for viewing the airquality measurements, allowing pupils to identify when they experienced these airquality levels. Another lesson planner was designed to measure air quality and othermeteorological factors with a handheld device at various locations near theschool and a programme to repeat.
  3 A lesson planner was designed to use thedashboard to monitor the variances of AQ measurements and find trends, irregularpatterns and regular patterns. Another lesson planner was designed to hypothesisfrom emission sources which of these causes these peak and irregular patterns inAQ measurements and gain pupil opinions and own analysis.
  4 A set of Test were designed to allow pupils toconduct their own analysis and experiments using the AQ sensors and dashboard tofind causes of air pollution, variances, peak times, impacts from wind factors,impacts from traffic volumes, comparison of indoor classroom measurement tooutdoor sensors. Another set of tests were designed for teachers and parents todo more accurate analysis on air quality exposure and variances.  The initiative was then measured against the 8categories of science capital to see if it had methods to advance these.
   1 Scientific literacy: Pupils would gain understandingthe subject air pollution which they often are not fully aware. Pupils would havehad the chance to design their own experiments and analysis.
   2 Science-related attitudes, values anddispositions: Pupil shall have analysed their own air quality experiences.
   3 Knowledge about the transferability ofscience: Pupil shall have seen the results from their analysis that allowed alarger understanding of impact of air quality exposure on their experience.
   4 Science media consumption: Pupil would have atleast seen video explaining air pollution and if interest researched it themselves.
   5 Participation in out-of-school sciencelearning contexts: The publication of the results would be something that wouldbe of interest to parents and other citizen and in that way they are benefitingsociety. It could cause pupil to have a large interest in science subject and researchmore.
   6 Family science skills, knowledge andqualifications: This initiative gives parent access to the portal which would determinehealth risks of their children and be of large interest to them. It would thereforallow parent to do air quality analysis and be more informed about science analysis
     7 Knowing people in science-relatedroles: Having provided results of interest to society the school may use this tointeract with authorities or scientists to encourage pupil to take more interestin science.
  8 Talking about science in everyday life: Becausethis is relevant to the pupils experience they are more likely to talk about itwith parents and others. This design plan was designed into the making of thedashboard which is an easy to use interface for teachers, pupils and parents touse.

The aim was to increase EDI group involvementin environmental sciences and potential to choose further study. Two influentialreports Aspires (10 year study) [1] and enterprising science (5year UCL study) [2]defined a measurement science capital that pupils had a various phases of education.The science capital could be measured in the 8 categories described in the appendix.The more science capital a pupil had the more likely they were to choose furtherscience studies.  This initiative aims toincrease the amount of science capital for pupil through these 8 categories.
       It was shown in these studies that there areeffective methods to increase science capital. The 4 step method in the studiesis stated in the appendix. This initiative aims to follow this method and the abilityconduct their own air quality analysis on their air quality experience at schoolallows this initiative to be a key method to increase science capital. The initiativedesigned a citizen science that had a 4 step method similar to one stated inthe appendix including the 4 steps below:
  1 A class manual and a lesson planner was designedto allow an explainer lesson on the topic of air pollution, causes, impacts andpossible mitigations through videos, storytelling and significant statistics. Asecond lesson planner allowed for documenting the pupils experiences of airquality and how this varied and their opinions
  2 A lesson planner was designed for viewing the airquality measurements, allowing pupils to identify when they experienced these airquality levels. Another lesson planner was designed to measure air quality and othermeteorological factors with a handheld device at various locations near theschool and a programme to repeat.
  3 A lesson planner was designed to use thedashboard to monitor the variances of AQ measurements and find trends, irregularpatterns and regular patterns. Another lesson planner was designed to hypothesisfrom emission sources which of these causes these peak and irregular patterns inAQ measurements and gain pupil opinions and own analysis.
  4 A set of Test were designed to allow pupils toconduct their own analysis and experiments using the AQ sensors and dashboard tofind causes of air pollution, variances, peak times, impacts from wind factors,impacts from traffic volumes, comparison of indoor classroom measurement tooutdoor sensors. Another set of tests were designed for teachers and parents todo more accurate analysis on air quality exposure and variances.  The initiative was then measured against the 8categories of science capital to see if it had methods to advance these.
   1 Scientific literacy: Pupils would gain understandingthe subject air pollution which they often are not fully aware. Pupils would havehad the chance to design their own experiments and analysis.
   2 Science-related attitudes, values anddispositions: Pupil shall have analysed their own air quality experiences.
   3 Knowledge about the transferability ofscience: Pupil shall have seen the results from their analysis that allowed alarger understanding of impact of air quality exposure on their experience.
   4 Science media consumption: Pupil would have atleast seen video explaining air pollution and if interest researched it themselves.
   5 Participation in out-of-school sciencelearning contexts: The publication of the results would be something that wouldbe of interest to parents and other citizen and in that way they are benefitingsociety. It could cause pupil to have a large interest in science subject and researchmore.
   6 Family science skills, knowledge andqualifications: This initiative gives parent access to the portal which would determinehealth risks of their children and be of large interest to them. It would thereforallow parent to do air quality analysis and be more informed about science analysis
     7 Knowing people in science-relatedroles: Having provided results of interest to society the school may use this tointeract with authorities or scientists to encourage pupil to take more interestin science.
  8 Talking about science in everyday life: Becausethis is relevant to the pupils experience they are more likely to talk about itwith parents and others. This design plan was designed into the making of thedashboard which is an easy to use interface for teachers, pupils and parents touse.
The aim was to increase EDI group involvementin environmental sciences and potential to choose further study. Two influentialreports Aspires (10 year study) [1] and enterprising science (5year UCL study) [2]defined a measurement science capital that pupils had a various phases of education.The science capital could be measured in the 8 categories described in the appendix.The more science capital a pupil had the more likely they were to choose furtherscience studies.  This initiative aims toincrease the amount of science capital for pupil through these 8 categories.
       It was shown in these studies that there areeffective methods to increase science capital. The 4 step method in the studiesis stated in the appendix. This initiative aims to follow this method and the abilityconduct their own air quality analysis on their air quality experience at schoolallows this initiative to be a key method to increase science capital. The initiativedesigned a citizen science that had a 4 step method similar to one stated inthe appendix including the 4 steps below:
  1 A class manual and a lesson planner was designedto allow an explainer lesson on the topic of air pollution, causes, impacts andpossible mitigations through videos, storytelling and significant statistics. Asecond lesson planner allowed for documenting the pupils experiences of airquality and how this varied and their opinions
  2 A lesson planner was designed for viewing the airquality measurements, allowing pupils to identify when they experienced these airquality levels. Another lesson planner was designed to measure air quality and othermeteorological factors with a handheld device at various locations near theschool and a programme to repeat.
  3 A lesson planner was designed to use thedashboard to monitor the variances of AQ measurements and find trends, irregularpatterns and regular patterns. Another lesson planner was designed to hypothesisfrom emission sources which of these causes these peak and irregular patterns inAQ measurements and gain pupil opinions and own analysis.
  4 A set of Test were designed to allow pupils toconduct their own analysis and experiments using the AQ sensors and dashboard tofind causes of air pollution, variances, peak times, impacts from wind factors,impacts from traffic volumes, comparison of indoor classroom measurement tooutdoor sensors. Another set of tests were designed for teachers and parents todo more accurate analysis on air quality exposure and variances.  The initiative was then measured against the 8categories of science capital to see if it had methods to advance these.
   1 Scientific literacy: Pupils would gain understandingthe subject air pollution which they often are not fully aware. Pupils would havehad the chance to design their own experiments and analysis.
   2 Science-related attitudes, values anddispositions: Pupil shall have analysed their own air quality experiences.
   3 Knowledge about the transferability ofscience: Pupil shall have seen the results from their analysis that allowed alarger understanding of impact of air quality exposure on their experience.
   4 Science media consumption: Pupil would have atleast seen video explaining air pollution and if interest researched it themselves.
   5 Participation in out-of-school sciencelearning contexts: The publication of the results would be something that wouldbe of interest to parents and other citizen and in that way they are benefitingsociety. It could cause pupil to have a large interest in science subject and researchmore.
   6 Family science skills, knowledge andqualifications: This initiative gives parent access to the portal which would determinehealth risks of their children and be of large interest to them. It would thereforallow parent to do air quality analysis and be more informed about science analysis
     7 Knowing people in science-relatedroles: Having provided results of interest to society the school may use this tointeract with authorities or scientists to encourage pupil to take more interestin science.
  8 Talking about science in everyday life: Becausethis is relevant to the pupils experience they are more likely to talk about itwith parents and others. This design plan was designed into the making of thedashboard which is an easy to use interface for teachers, pupils and parents touse.

WP5 Further publishing - A programme of further processes for the School to do with results can be seen in the github.