citizen cyberscience summit 2014 v4

Involving schools in tracking flu symptoms: Flusurvey and National

Science & Engineering Week

Katherine Mathieson, British Science AssociationDr Alma Adler, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Dr Christina Fuentes, British Science Association

Citizen Cyberscience Summit 2014

Citizen science in schoolsWhy would schools get involved?-Fun!-Supports the curriculum-Motivates learners-Raise the profile of STEM in school


National Science & Engineering Week

• UK’s largest grassroots celebration of STEM, largely focused in schools

• Combination of events and national projects and competitions– Every year we offer a mass participation

project, in partnership with researchers


Flusurvey• Alternative to traditional flu

surveillance techniques that rely on point of contact with health professionals

• Recruits participants from throughout the UK and ask them to fill in background survey and weekly survey to tell us how they are feeling



Hospitalisations and deaths

Severe symptoms, GP visits, NHS direct calls, etc

Majority of cases

Flusurvey

Flusurvey: why partner with NSEW?• In previous years results show that

children drive flu epidemics• School closures disrupt epidemics• Living with or working with children is

one of the greatest risk factors for reporting flu

• BUT few children in our study


Partnered approach• School materials

– Background on flu and Flusurvey– Instructions for taking part– Classroom activity ideas– Sample lesson plan + student worksheet

• Incentives– Individual students, classes, schools


Mass participation to citizen science

• “Disease detectives”: anonymised datasets and lessons/activities– How are the data analysed?–What questions can be asked?–What do the data reveal?Understanding and appreciation of

complete process, from data collection to interpreting results


Barriers of engaging teachers• Initial interest• Time for activity not directly within

curriculum– Running in classroom– Preparing outside of classroom

• Time for your specific activity over others


Flusurvey specific barriers• Minimal time for teachers to prepare• Data protection• Longitudinal study– Time barriers x multiple sessions–Maintaining interest

• Analysis of data: how to get level correct for students


Moving forward• Successful from Flusurvey’s perspective – 3 x number of under-18 participants–More regular reporting– Increased awareness of Flu in under-18s

• For the future– Improve website (more child friendly)– Expansion to other diseases


Involving schools in tracking flu symptoms: Flusurvey and National Science &

Engineering WeekKatherine Mathieson, British Science Association

[email protected]

Dr Alma Adler, London School of Hygiene & Tropical [email protected]

Dr Christina Fuentes, British Science [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]



citizen cyberscience summit 2014 v4

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