ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to identify some design features for engaging members in online citizen inquiry communities whilst also supporting inquiry learning within them. It discusses the nQuire-it community for citizen inquiry, where members of the public create small-scale science investigations for others to contribute, on topics that have included weather and environmental noise. Creating a community for citizen inquiry requires development of tools and practices that can be adopted by diverse groups of people and support the facilitation of inquiries. A starting point for developing such a community is exploring design aspects of online communities and inquiry learning practices. The chapter employs a design-based research methodology. Design-based research stresses the need for design principles that inform and enhance both research and practice in educational contexts, and leads to the development of usable knowledge. The data collection employed open-ended survey questions and it was aiming at gaining insight into the satisfaction and learning levels of the community members.
