Identification of Ants - Development of the Learner-Oriented Digital Tool ID-Logics

Jorge Groß¹, Joachim Langstein¹, Jürgen Paul¹ and Eva Ritter^1,

¹University of Bamberg, Department of Science Education, Markusplatz 3, 96047 Bamberg, Germany

Cite this paper

Jorge Groß, Joachim Langstein, Jürgen Paul and Eva Ritter. Identification of Ants - Development of the Learner-Oriented Digital Tool ID-Logics. World Journal of Chemical Education. 2020; 8(1):21-28. doi: 10.12691/WJCE-8-1-3

Abstract

Ants are fascinating creatures and they have an enormous impact on most terrestrial ecosystems. Despite their importance, relatively few people are able to securely identify the various ant species. In addition, simultaneously to the worldwide extinction of species (especially of insects), the number of species experts is decreasing, not only in Germany. The aim of our project is to improve the possibilities of determination of species and get students back in touch with nature. Based on experiential realism, the learner-orientated and interactive species identification tool “ID-Logics” for ants was developed. Using the design-based-research approach and the model of educational reconstruction, students’ conceptions were collected in an interview study (n=7). According to the interview analyses, three essential learning barriers were identified. To overcome these learning barriers, data-based solutions were developed. Therefore, digital components were evaluated in three teaching experiments (n=6). On the one hand, the results showed that students were able to describe basic characteristics of ants. On the other hand, learning obstacles occurred with certain characteristics where students needed assistance. For this, interventions such as abstract graphics or short videos can support them in the process of identification. Moreover, a fault tolerant programmatic logic was implemented to combine these components in the identification tool “ID-Logics”. Based on our results, guidelines to develop further interactive identification tools are formulated.

Keywords

species identification, app, students’ conceptions, ants, design-based-research

Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References

[1]	Hölldobler, B. and Wilson, E. O. The Ants. Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 1990, pp. 732.
[2]	Groß, J., Affeldt, S. and Stahl, D. Find my Name! Evidence-based Development of an Interactive Species Identification Tool. In: I. Eilks, S. Markic and B. Ralle (Eds.). Science education research and education for sustainable development. Shaker, Aachen, 2019, 97-108.
[3]	BMU. Nationale Strategie zur biologischen Vielfalt [National Strategy on Biological Diversity] (NBS). Hrsg. Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, Bau und Reaktorsicherheit (BMUB), Berlin, 2007.
[4]	Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Global Biodiversity Outlook 3. Montréal, 2010, 94 p.
[5]	IPBES. Summary for policymakers of the global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. S. Díaz, J. Settele, E. S. Brondizio E.S., H. T. Ngo, M. Guèze, J. Agard, A. Arneth, P. Balvanera, K. A. Brauman, S. H. M. Butchart, K. M. A. Chan, L. A. Garibaldi, K. Ichii, J. Liu, S. M. Subramanian, G. F. Midgley, P. Miloslavich, Z. Molnár, D. Obura, A. Pfaff, S. Polasky, A. Purvis, J. Razzaque, B. Reyers, R. Roy Chowdhury, Y. J. Shin, I. J. Visseren-Hamakers, K. J. Willis, and C. N. Zayas (eds.). IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany, 2019.
[6]	Sanchez-Bayo, F., Wyckhuys, K.A.G. Worldwide decline of the entomofauna: A review of its drivers. Biological Conservation 232, 2019, 8-27.
[7]	Hallmann, C.A., Sorg, M., Jongejans, E., Siepel, H., Hofland, N., et al. More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas. PLOS ONE 12(10): e0185809, 2017.
[8]	Frobel, K. and Schlumprecht, H. Erosion der Artenkenner [Erosion of species connoisseurs]. Abschlussbericht im Auftrag des BUND Naturschutz in Bayern e.V. Nürnberg, 2014, 92 S.
[9]	Lindemann-Matthies, P. The Influence of an Educational Program on Children’s Perception of Biodiversity. The Journal of Environmental Education, 33(2), 2002, 22-31.
[10]	Bromme, R., Stahl, E., Bartholomé, T. and Pieschl, S. The case of plant identification in biology: When is a rose a rose. In P. P. A. Boshuizen, R. Bromme, and H. Gruber (Eds.), Professional learning: Gaps and transitions on the way from novice to expert (pp. 53-71). Kluwer Academic Press, Dodrecht, 2004
[11]	Bebbington, A. The Ability of A-level Students to Name Plants. Journal of Biological Education, 39(2), , 62-67.
[12]	Randler, C. and Bogner, F. X. Cognitive achievements in identification skills. Journal of Biological Education, 40 (4), 2006, 161-165.
[13]	BITKOM (Eds.). Digitale Schule - vernetztes Lernen: Ergebnisse repräsentativer Schüler- und Lehrerbefragungen zum Einsatz digitaler Medien im Schulunterricht. [Digital school - networked learning], Eigenverlag, Berlin, 2014.
[14]	Stevenson, R. D., Haber, W. A. and Morris, R. A. Electronic Field Guides and User Communities in the Eco-informatics Revolution. Conservation Ecology 7(1), 2003.
[15]	Duit, R., Gropengießer, H. and Kattmann, U. Towards science education research that is relevant for improving practice: The model of educational reconstruction. In: H. E. Fischer (Ed.). Developing standards in research on science education (pp. 1-9). Taylor and Francis, London, 2005.
[16]	Gropengießer, H. and Kattmann, U. Didaktische Rekonstruktion - Schritte auf dem Weg zu gutem Unterricht. In B. Moschner, R. Hinz and V. Wendt (Eds.), Unterrichten professionalisieren. [Professionalize education.] Schulentwicklung in der Praxis (pp. 159-164). Cornelsen, Berlin, 2009.
[17]	Duit, R. and Treagust, D.F. Learning in Science: From Behaviourism Towards Social Constructivism and Beyond. In: Fraser, B.J. and Tobin, K. G. (Eds.). International Handbook of Science Education (pp. 3-25). Kluwer Academic Publishers, London, 1998.
[18]	Lakoff, G. and Johnson, M. Philosophy in the Flesh. New York: Basic Books, 1999.
[19]	Steffe, L. P. and D’Ambrosio, B. S. Using teaching experiments to understand students’ mathematics. In D. Treagust, R. Duit and B. Fraser (Eds.), Improving teaching and learning in science and mathematics. Teacher College Press, New York, 1996, 65-76.
[20]	Gropengießer, H. Lebenswelten, Denkwelten, Sprechwelten. Wie man Schülervorstellungen verstehen kann. [Worlds of living, speaking, and thinking: How to understand students’ conceptions.] Didaktisches Zentrum (Beiträge zur Didaktischen Rekonstruktion, Bd. 4), Oldenburg, 2006.
[21]	De Saussure, F. Grundfragen der allgemeinen Sprachwissenschaft. [Principles of general linguistics.] Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, 2001.
[22]	Design-Based Research Collective, Design-based research: An emerging paradigm for educational inquiry. Educational Researcher, 32 (1), 2003, 5-8.
[23]	Plomp, T. and Nieveen, N. (Eds.). Educational Design Research. Part A: An introduction. SLO, Netherlands institute for curriculum development, Enschede, 2013.
[24]	Mayring, P. Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse. [Qualitative content analysis.] Beltz Verlag, Weinheim, 2010.
[25]	Katu, N., Lunetta, V. and Van den Berg, E. Teaching experiment methodology. Paper presented at the Third International Seminar on Misconceptions and Educational Strategies in Science and Mathematics. Ithaca, New York, 1993.
[26]	Stahl, D. Didaktische Rekonstruktion zur Artansprache heimischer Bivalvia [Educational reconstruction of species identification concerning native bivalves] (Vol. 42). Didaktisches Zentrum, Oldenburg, 2013.
[27]	Hashimoto, Y. Identification guide to the ant genera of Borneo. In Hashimoto, Yoshiaki, and Homathevi Rahman (eds.): Inventory and Collection - Total protocol for understanding of biodiversity, UMS press: 2003, 89-162.
[28]	Groß, J. Biologie verstehen: Wirkungen außerschulischer Lernangebote. [Understanding Biology: Effects of informal learning environments.] (Vol. 16). Didaktisches Zentrum, Oldenburg, 2007.
[29]	Mayer, R. E. Multimedia Learning. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001.