Abstract
Due to the rapid changes caused by globalization and internationalization, this study focused on achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 and 15 via specific digital learning materials—animal conservation apps—particularly designed for enlarging primary school pupils’ knowledge of biodiversity and conservation of natural habitats, and promoting sustainable development and lifelong learning abilities. Through a collaboration with Taipei Zoo, this study recruited 37 undergraduates who took the Learning Design and Practice course to develop the digital learning-assisted materials, namely animal conservation apps and assessment tools that suited the digital learning materials. In the initiative stage of the course, the undergraduates were required to work as a team and to learn in a group by observing and experiencing the model apps provided in the class. The provided apps were developed in compliance with the ADDIE model. In the middle stage of the course, each team was asked to develop their team app and assessment tools following the ADDIE model. In the final stage, each team’s design results were evaluated based on the digital learning material scale and core competency test evaluation: art domain. The results show that the undergraduates were able to integrate the expertise they gained in the course to developing high-quality digital learning materials. According to the educational professionals’ evaluation, the assessment tools designed by the undergraduates scored high marks.
Highlights
The 21st century is the era of the knowledge economy
The quality of the digital learning materials, the animal conservation apps, was examined and assessed according to the 3-level checklist, which included A+, A, and B, and this was based on the ratings of the evaluation of the digital learning materials issued by the Ministry of Education of Taiwan (MOE) [25]
Using the digital learning materials developed in the past as an example, the teacher discussed with each group of undergraduates how to design the fundamental structure of learning content, layout, games, and knowledge checkpoints
Summary
The 21st century is the era of the knowledge economy. Recently, Taiwanese society has been faced with demographic changes, a low birth rate, an aging population, multiple interactions of ethnic groups, rapid development of information, an emphasis on the sustainable development of the environment and ecology, and other changes. Given the above context and fulfilment of SDGs 4 and 15 in students’ learning processes, this study aimed to apply the Learning Design and Practice course to instruct undergraduates in absorbing content knowledge (CK) on environmental protection, animal conservation, and design approaches for digital learning materials for primary school pupils. Apart from this, the course placed particular stress on classroom teaching and practice, curriculum planning, material design, and the integration of CK and DS into developing digital game-based learning materials for primary school pupils. The learning content within the digital game-based learning materials was required to arouse users’ desire for exploration and inspection, which could make users feel more interested in understanding animals and exploring the environment [3] This in turn may expand the users’ knowledge base of environmental and ecological education. The key issues discussed in this study are as follows: (1) How the undergraduates developed digital learning materials suitable for primary school pupils, and (2) how the undergraduates designed the assessment tools to evaluate the digital learning materials they developed
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
