What is crowdsourcing in AP Computer Science Principles?
Crowdsourcing is the practice of getting input, information, or labor from a large number of people over the internet. In AP Computer Science Principles, you need to explain how the internet lets people solve problems at scale, including through citizen science, where everyday people contribute data to real research using their own devices.
Why This Matters for the AP Computer Science Principles Exam
This topic falls under the Impact of Computing big idea, which is one of the more heavily weighted parts of the multiple-choice section. You will likely see a passage about a computing innovation followed by questions about how it gathers input from many people and what effects that has. You also investigate real computing innovations during the course, so understanding how widespread access to data and collaboration helps people identify problems, build solutions, and share results gives you stronger material to write about.
The exam wants you to explain how people participate in problem-solving processes at scale, so focus on the "why it works" behind crowdsourcing and citizen science, not just definitions.
Key Takeaways
- Crowdsourcing is obtaining input or information from a large number of people via the internet.
- Citizen science is research done in whole or part by distributed individuals, many of whom are not scientists, who contribute data using their own computing devices.
- Citizen science is one type of crowdsourcing, but crowdsourcing also covers feedback, labor, funding, and idea contests.
- Widespread access to information and public data makes it easier to identify problems, develop solutions, and share results.
- Collaboration through computing can enhance what individual humans can do.
- Crowdsourcing creates new models for collaboration, including connecting businesses or social causes with funding (crowdfunding).
How the Internet Powers Problem-Solving at Scale
The internet gives huge numbers of people access to information and public data. That access makes three things easier: spotting a problem, building a solution, and getting the results out to people who need them.
Before this kind of access, you might have had to consult a manual, track down a professional, or wait for a physical journal to find an answer. Now scientific findings show up in online journals and articles people can read worldwide. That same openness lets large groups of people work together on a single problem, which is the core idea behind both citizen science and crowdsourcing.
Citizen Science
Citizen science is scientific research conducted in whole or part by distributed individuals, many of whom are not scientists, who contribute relevant data to research using their own computing devices.
Ordinary people might count birds at local feeders or scan images of the sky to help spot new galaxies. In each case, a computing device such as a smartphone is the tool that sends data from the volunteer to the researchers.
The payoff is scale and diversity. A wide range of people can contribute, which gives scientists more data from more places than a single lab could collect alone. This is a clear example of human capabilities being enhanced by collaboration through computing.
Examples of Citizen Science
These are real-world applications of citizen science, not required AP content. They are useful to recognize the pattern of people contributing data through their devices.
| Name | Description | URL |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas Bird Count | Every winter, the Audubon Society hosts the Christmas Bird Count, where volunteers count birds. The data helps measure the health of bird populations. | https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count |
| eBird | eBird is an online database of bird information that birdwatchers help collect. It is among the world's largest biodiversity-related science projects, with millions of bird sightings contributed each year. | https://ebird.org/home |
| Zooniverse | A large platform for citizen science, Zooniverse hosts projects in many fields, from the arts to astronomy. | https://www.zooniverse.org/ |
| NASA | NASA hosts several citizen science projects, from tracking penguin colonies to studying giant kelp forests. | https://science.nasa.gov/citizenscience |
| National Geographic | National Geographic lists citizen science projects, mainly in biology and earth science. | https://www.nationalgeographic.org/topics/citizen-science/ |
Crowdsourcing
Crowdsourcing is the practice of obtaining input or information from a large number of people via the internet. Citizen science is one form of crowdsourcing, but the idea is broader than science.
Like citizen science, crowdsourcing lets a wide range of people contribute to an organization or cause, which produces more diverse input and lets groups accomplish more than they could by gathering everything by hand. It also offers new models for collaboration, such as connecting businesses or social causes with funding.
Examples of Crowdsourcing
These are applications of crowdsourcing, not required AP terms. Use them to recognize the different shapes crowdsourcing can take.
- Feedback: online reviews of restaurants or products, and surveys.
- Labor or volunteers: platforms that rely on contributors from the internet, and projects like Wikipedia that depend on volunteer writers.
- Problem-solving or content: innovation contests that invite people to submit ideas and solutions, sometimes for a prize, to tackle anything from product design to global challenges.
- Funding: crowdfunding sites such as GoFundMe, Kickstarter, and Patreon let people raise money for causes ranging from creative projects to medical bills.
How to Use This on the AP Computer Science Principles Exam
MCQ
Expect passage-based questions where a computing innovation collects input from many people. Be ready to identify whether something is crowdsourcing, name the benefit (scale, diversity of data, faster solutions, shared results), and recognize citizen science as a specific type of crowdsourcing.
Written Response
When you investigate a computing innovation, explain how it uses data from many people and how that collaboration helps solve a problem. Tie your answer to specific effects: how access to public data helps identify the problem, how the crowd contributes to the solution, and how results get shared.
Common Trap
Do not just define crowdsourcing. Questions usually ask you to explain how people participating at scale changes what is possible, so connect the definition to a concrete benefit like more diverse data or wider reach.
Common Misconceptions
- Crowdsourcing and citizen science are not the same thing. Citizen science is a type of crowdsourcing focused on research; crowdsourcing also includes feedback, labor, funding, and idea contests.
- Citizen science contributors do not have to be trained scientists. The whole point is that many are not, and they still contribute useful data using their own devices.
- Crowdsourcing is more than just asking for money. Crowdfunding is one form of it, but crowdsourcing covers any input or information gathered from a large group online.
- A bigger crowd does not automatically mean better data. Input from many people can still carry bias or errors, which is why the value comes from how the contributions are used, not just the number of contributors.
- The benefit is not only collecting data. Widespread access also makes it easier to spot problems in the first place and to share the results widely once a solution is found.
Related AP Computer Science Principles Guides
Vocabulary
The following words are mentioned explicitly in the College Board Course and Exam Description for this topic.Term | Definition |
|---|---|
citizen science | Scientific research conducted wholly or partly by non-professional scientists who contribute data and observations using their own computing devices. |
collaboration | The process of working together with others to develop computing innovations that benefit from diverse talents and perspectives. |
crowdsourcing | The practice of obtaining input, information, or solutions from a large number of people via the Internet. |
dissemination of results | The process of sharing and distributing findings, solutions, or information widely to relevant audiences. |
distributed individuals | People spread across different locations who contribute to a common goal or research project, typically coordinated through digital networks. |
problem-solving processes | Methods and approaches used to identify, analyze, and develop solutions to challenges, often involving multiple participants working collaboratively. |
public data | Information that is openly accessible to the general public and can be used to identify problems and develop solutions. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is crowdsourcing in AP Computer Science Principles?
Crowdsourcing is obtaining input, information, or work from a large number of people through the internet. In AP CSP, it shows how computing helps people solve problems at scale.
What is citizen science?
Citizen science is scientific research conducted partly or fully by distributed individuals, many of whom are not scientists, who contribute data using their own computing devices.
What is the difference between crowdsourcing and citizen science?
Citizen science is one type of crowdsourcing focused on research. Crowdsourcing is broader and can include reviews, surveys, public data collection, content creation, funding, and problem-solving.
How does crowdsourcing help solve problems at scale?
Crowdsourcing uses widespread internet access to gather more data, ideas, feedback, or funding than one person or organization could collect alone. That scale can help identify problems and develop solutions.
What are examples of crowdsourcing?
Examples include online reviews, Wikipedia contributions, citizen science projects such as bird counts, innovation contests, surveys, and crowdfunding platforms that connect people with projects or causes.
How is crowdsourcing tested on the AP CSP exam?
AP CSP questions often describe a computing innovation and ask how it uses input from many people. Strong answers explain the benefit, such as scale, diverse data, collaboration, or wider dissemination of results.