Modern Devices and Software Solutions as a Tool for Education on Local Biodiversity: A Case Study

Abstract

The global biodiversity crisis is becoming one of the key challenges for the global community. At the same time, hands-on knowledge of local biodiversity is decreasing among young people, replaced by information about global issues and/or artificial products provided by the media. While information and computer technologies (ICT) are blamed for the alienation of people from the natural world surrounding them, they may also be used for education about wildlife. The article describes a case study of the use of ICT for education about local biodiversity. A progressive web app (PWA) as a universal software solution for all types of devices was used for creating a virtual educational path within the biodiversity-rich urban park. The PWA complements and expands existing educational facilities, provides a multimedia experience when learning about local biodiversity, and introduces elements of gamification to increase the motivation of users.

A Systematic Literature Review on Progressive Web Application Practice and Challenges

“…Munster App Modelling Language (MAML) [51,52] User Interface [53,54] The PWA received a "Performance" score of 86, meaning that it loads quickly regardless of the state of the network. PWA received an "Accessibility" score of 78 because particular objects lacked labels or the contrast between the background and foreground colors was insufficient.…”

“…For web applications, this objective is accomplished using a specially modified HTML structure and specific cascading style sheet rules (CSS). For instance, the application's buttons, multimedia components, and various colors [53] .…”