In this training unit, students explored how climate change affects biodiversity and ecosystem health, and why these changes are a serious global challenge. Through adapted scientific texts and real-world examples, learners developed a clearer understanding of species extinction, disrupted ecosystems, and the urgent need for conservation and climate action.

The use of Augmented Reality (AR) tools such as Google Arts & Culture – Expeditions and Seek by iNaturalist played an important role in supporting learning. AR helped students visualise complex environmental processes that are difficult to observe directly, such as coral bleaching, habitat loss, and species adaptation. By interacting with 3D models and exploring real ecosystems virtually and locally, students were able to connect theoretical knowledge with real-world situations.

This learning unit also encouraged active participation, critical thinking, and creativity. Through AR-based exploration, discussions, and collaborative tasks, students reflected on how nature adapts to change and how humans can learn from these strategies to build more sustainable and climate-resilient solutions. The combination of biology, technology, and environmental education supported meaningful STEAM learning and increased students’ motivation and engagement.

Overall, the unit helped students move beyond facts and statistics toward awareness and responsibility. By understanding the links between climate change, biodiversity, and human actions, learners are better prepared to act as informed citizens and future decision-makers who care about protecting the natural world and supporting a resilient future.

Phase Description
Explore

- Research and understanding: Students learn how climate change increases extinction risk through adapted texts, short videos, and reliable sources (IUCN, WWF, NASA).

- Content Development: Students work with key ideas: biodiversity, ecosystem services, food chains, invasive species, and carbon sinks/carbon sources. Visual aids (infographics, maps, simple case studies) support comprehension.

- Needs Analysis: The teacher checks prior knowledge using a short warm-up quiz or discussion (e.g., “What is biodiversity?” “How can climate change affect animals?”). This helps adjust language level and task difficulty.
Execute


- AR-based implementation (Delightex): Students explore teacher-created AR scenes about ecosystems under climate stress (reef, Arctic, forest/wetland). Each scene includes short info panels and guiding questions.

- Interactive Exercises: Students complete small tasks: match species to threats, identify links in a food chain, and explain how ecosystem damage can increase climate impacts (feedback loop idea).

- Feedback and reflection: Students submit a short exit ticket / worksheet and discuss answers in pairs or groups. Teacher collects responses (through discussions, digital forms, or observation) to monitor understanding and identify misconceptions.
Enhance

- Deeper AR learning: AR is used to visualise processes that are hard to observe directly (coral bleaching, habitat loss, migration shifts, carbon cycle changes).

- Inquiry + creativity: Students work in groups on a mini challenge (e.g., “Design a protection plan for one ecosystem” or “Create an AR info point about one endangered species”).

- Light gamification: Students earn points/badges for completing scenes, correct task answers, and good teamwork.

- Quests and Challenges: Learning tasks are presented as simple missions or challenges, such as identifying threats to a species or matching adaptations to environments.

- Collaborative Gamified Tasks:Students work in small groups to solve environmental problems, design climate-resilient habitats, or propose conservation actions inspired by nature.

AR-Based Assessments: Assessment in context: Assessment focuses on understanding, participation, correct use of key vocabulary, and the quality of student explanations/solutions based on AR observations.