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Citizen Science Apps in a Higher Education Botany Course: Data Quality and Learning Effects

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  • Nadja Pernat

    (Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
    Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research and Applied Ecology (CIBRA), University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany)

  • Anika Kristin Gathof

    (Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany)

  • Johann Herrmann

    (Institute for Bee Protection, Julius Kühn Institute (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, 38104 Braunschweig, Germany)

  • Birgit Seitz

    (Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, 12165 Berlin, Germany)

  • Sascha Buchholz

    (Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
    Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research and Applied Ecology (CIBRA), University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany)

Abstract

Although species identification apps are becoming increasingly popular in citizen science, they are hardly used in university courses on biodiversity literacy. In this study, we investigated whether the use of a plant identification app by students provides similar data quality to the use of scientific keys and whether it improves the process of knowledge acquisition. To this end, dry grassland plots were monitored in Berlin to record plant species diversity by two groups, Bachelor’s and Master’s students, with different experience in plant identification. Both groups were asked to survey the plots once in April and once in June, the first time with the app Pl@ntNet, and the second time with scientific keys commonly used in teaching. To evaluate their performance and the respective tools, the results were compared with those of experts from the same plots. The students identified, on average, only half of the plants per plot and misidentified or failed to identify a high proportion of species compared with the experts, regardless of the identification tool. In addition, the number of plants identified that did not occur at all in the region or in the considered habitat was alarmingly high. In view of the worldwide loss of species knowledge, it is becoming clear that apps can trigger the study of a species group, but do not solve the fundamental problem of neglecting biodiversity courses at universities.

Suggested Citation

  • Nadja Pernat & Anika Kristin Gathof & Johann Herrmann & Birgit Seitz & Sascha Buchholz, 2023. "Citizen Science Apps in a Higher Education Botany Course: Data Quality and Learning Effects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-15, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:17:p:12984-:d:1227563
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Moritz von der Lippe & Sascha Buchholz & Anne Hiller & Birgit Seitz & Ingo Kowarik, 2020. "CityScapeLab Berlin: A Research Platform for Untangling Urbanization Effects on Biodiversity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-30, March.
    2. Corey T Callaghan & Jodi J L Rowley & William K Cornwell & Alistair G B Poore & Richard E Major, 2019. "Improving big citizen science data: Moving beyond haphazard sampling," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(6), pages 1-11, June.
    3. Maria Peter & Tim Diekötter & Kerstin Kremer, 2019. "Participant Outcomes of Biodiversity Citizen Science Projects: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-18, May.
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