Handbook:Pedagogical approach
1 For whom and how are we developing identification tools and other learning resources?
KeyToNature is developing targeted products and solutions based on existing identification tools. A main aim of the project is to develop and adapt identification tools according to the needs of the target groups envisaged by the project (further information on D2.1 Multidimensional need analysis and market report).
The development is being realised by discovering the requirements of the different target groups of the project. How does it work? In the first phase of the project, a set of existing identification tools was presented to potential users (teachers). After each presentation, teachers were asked to report on their impressions on of the tools - strengths and weaknesses - and to mention some possible pedagogical scenarios for their use. In accordance with teachers' responses, first requirements for the further development of the tools have been defined. In the current phase of the project, the discovery process continuous in a more detailed way. The tools - already with some improvements implemented according to the first results of the evaluation process - are being tested under real teaching circumstances, and teachers give detailed feedback on the tools and their use at school, university or in other pedagogical organisations such as botanical gardens and museums. The feedback is again used for the reengineering of the identification tools. This process of testing, feedback and reengineering will continue during the life time of the project.
In addition, the KeyToNature tools shall be developed according to general pedagogical aims, requirements and usability aspects that match with the demands of the target groups. These requirements are again discovered. In this case, the process is about discovering, what the tool is and learning, what the requirements are by exploration, i.e. by using and playing with the tools and exploring their strengths and weaknesses and looking for possible improvements and new developments.
It is essential to point out that the KeyToNature tools are being developed to meet the needs of three main target groups that have to be analysed separately.
2 Primary school children
In the scope of primary schools, the K2N tools have to cope with demanding pedagogy and usability related requirements. More as identification of species, the tools are being designed for supporting general pedagogical aims such as:
- Improvement of cognition.
- Generation of problem solving abilities.
- Development of team work abilities.
- Improvement of knowledge in biodiversity
- Improvement of social skills.
- Reinforcement of self-esteem, activation of emotion
- Satisfying the high level of curiosity of children
The KeyToNature keys dedicated to primary school children can be characterised as follows:
- They have a small scale, i.e. they include a small set of species to identify
- No technical terms, i.e. language and information provided must respect the age of the children and avoid excessive demands.
- As many pictures as possible
From a Usability point of view, the tools should be as easy as possible to use respecting the needs of young children (e.g. single choice menus). Navigation, look and feel need to be appealing for this age group. Positive feedback needs to be given on different actions (also on errors). Most tools have already implemented a help function.
- Examples of tools appropriated for the secondary school education
- Examples of pedagogical scenarios
- Read here the experiences from the field
3 Secondary school children
For the target group of secondary school children, the general pedagogical requirements are similar as they were above described for primary school children, but the pedagogical aims are different. The acquisition of knowledge in the biodiversity domain comes in the foreground. The identification process gets a bigger focus, knowledge on identification processes and procedures as well as on different aspects such as taxonomy of the species, bio-indication, socialisation, habitats, etc. become increasingly important in the teaching process. Therefore tools, which are appropriate for secondary schools, deliver more detailed and complex information and support children to explore it.
Usability aspects equally need to address the needs of the target group. Look and feel, navigation, feedback, language, etc. have to meet the needs and taste of teenagers. Motivation is also an extremely important aspect; especially young teenagers are difficult to motivate to getting involved in activities on identification of organisms. Electronic based identification tools are a way to promote motivation amongst the generation of digital natives.
- Examples of tools appropriated for the secondary school education
- Examples of pedagogical scenarios
- Read here the experiences from the field
4 Tertiary education and research communities
In the context of university seminars and research work, the identification tools have to fulfil more and more the needs of these scientific communities. The amount of species and additional information in the databases of the tools needs to be large and exhaustive for a defined area or category. A complex, accurate and technical identification process, e.g. uses of multiple criteria tools and adoption of technical language, is expected in the context of universities. In a university context, tools are more used for identification than for supporting pedagogical activities. In this context, K2N-tools are being developed for promoting effectiveness and quality in teaching, improving knowledge in identification processes and techniques, improving knowledge in taxonomy, promoting interest for biodiversity, supporting field work by electronic identification tools for mobile devices and promoting knowledge transfer within the biology communities. General usability principles for human computer interaction are being adopted for the development of the tools.
- Examples of tools appropriated for the secondary school education
- Examples of pedagogical scenarios
- Read here the experiences from the field
5 Which pedagogical approach does KeyToNature support?
The K2N products and keys do not have an inherent pedagogical model. They are at first information, consultation and identification tools that can be integrated in every possible teaching activity. But if we look closer to the concepts of identification we could quickly come to the conclusion that KeyToNature products can best support those open and active learning activities. The concept of *active learning* encompasses ideas about knowledge acquisition (e.g. *constructivism*, see box below) and the importance of the social dimension (e.g. *collaborative learning*, see box below). In addition, problem-based learning approaches with quite strong links to active learning can be extremely well adopted for teaching biodiversity aided by identification keys.
Why is the identification of organisms a unique experience to promote active, problem-based learning and in some cases collaborative learning ? Identification is an active, explorative activity. Students are encouraged to discover principles for themselves and so become less passive as learners. Identification of organisms helps to provide the learning environments that support open, active, and in many cases collaborative learning approaches. Groups of students can plan a certain identification approach, work together on the identification of certain individuals, discuss and revise assumptions and results, and present results to others.
6 Why is the identification of organisms in the field so important from a pedagogical point of view?
The field identification of organisms presents a unique set of visual learning, visual thinking and visual communication requirements. Being able to identify their knowledge of images for thinking and communicating is extremely important for school children. Identification allows students to practice necessary visual skills and explore visual approaches to problem solving within the identification of organism knowledge domain. Visual learning can be defined as *the acquisition and construction of knowledge as a result of interaction with visual phenomena* (Seels, 1994 P. 107 in STANLEY p. 13)
