Abstract:

This work describes the implementation of learning activities using ICT and digital skills and reflects on the potential and limitations of this new experiences for citizen science projects. In a climate change scenario, the project “EDUMAR - Educating for the Sea” (SAICT-POL/23480/2016) aims to educate for the preservation and sustainability of the sea and its resources through citizen science. More than 300 primary school students participated in interdisciplinary science activities focusing on the causes and consequences of climate change in ecosystems of the intertidal rocky shores, learning to identify marine species and acquiring ICT skills to insert data in a biodiversity mapping application. The project also involved the participation of pre-service and in-service teachers, as well as researchers.

Two main activities were conducted using ICT skills. First, students went to the National Museum of Natural History and Science (University of Lisbon), where researchers introduced: concepts related to the project theme, practical activities on species identification, and the functioning of the Biodiversity4All/iNaturalist application. Secondly, students went to the Avencas beach (Portugal), and using the iNaturalist app, they inserted data on species distribution. They worked in groups of 5 students maximum and used a tablet to take pictures of intertidal marine species and upload them in the app. A drone was also used to record image of this activity.

Methodology included the analysis of data inserted by children in the iNaturalist app, questionnaires to in-service teachers and focus group interviews with the research team.

Results of data inserted in the platform enabled to access primary school students learning on species identification (around 45% of the identifications were correct). Researchers and teachers’ reflections were analysed and provided insights on several categories: students’ motivation and autonomy, students’ digital skills, tablet usability, friendly use of iNaturalist app and limitations of the equipment, such as, tablet hardware characteristics with implications on image quality and app running performance, especially on saving data.

Alongside the impact on students learning and ICT skills development, the activity also involved children in citizen science contributing to help scientists on better monitoring the coastal marine biodiversity and understanding how climate change may affect that biodiversity.

Keywords:

Mobile digital technologies, ICT skills, Citizen science platforms, Primary education, Climate change.