An Insect Exploratory
This exploratory space has been created to "prime" participatory designers in some of the data in general entomology. Participatory designers may approach this design with a wide variances in terms of experiences with entomology issues. Those who are already primed based on their own lived experiences may skip right to the design questions on pp. 9 and 10. The more in-depth learning from the actual Digital Entomology Lab relates to learning related to the "General Entomology" course, which has both lecture and laboratory components. It may help to peruse this exploratory because this does showcase some of the ways that materials may be presented in semi-interactive digital form.
Priming the Participatory Designers of the Future Digital Entomology Lab
(Note: The above was created using an ASCII art generator. ASCII art is a throwback to early online art when alphanumeric characters and symbols were used to create images. Some artistes used to create such artwork by hand.)
Immersing in the Language of a Domain Field
Each domain field involves its own language and terminology. The language helps people share ideas. Language can be inclusive or exclusive of peripheral practitioners. There are some direct ways of offering exposures to that subject matter language, from digital flash cards to seek-a-word activities to crossword puzzles. More applied ways--having learners actually use the language in speech and writing--is done for higher-level learning.
A Word Search of Common Insect Names
Directions for the Seek-a-Word Activity: Find the words from the insect lab samples listed to the right in the word search. Place the cursor on the first letter of the word, and highlight the entire word by holding down the mouse button. Once you have identified the word, the system will automatically cross off the found word for you. The words can go in any direction: horizontal, vertical, and diagonal.
(Note: If you click on Restart, you will get the same words but in different configurations. If you click on Finish, the computer will do all the word finds for you.)
An Entomology Crossword
Directions for the Crossword Puzzle: Click on the hints in order to have the system highlight where the word blank is. Once a text field has been correctly filled, it will light up in a darker yellow.
(Note: This was created using a random design, so the software itself puts out the various incarnations of the crossword puzzle. Just click "Re-start" for a new iteration.)
NEXT: Solve three digital jigsaw puzzles of mystery insects. (Click "next page" below, or click the proper page number above.)
