SMARTPHONE USE IN EDUCATION PROCESS: STUDENT ACTIVITIES DURING LITHUANIA’S ENTOMOLOGIST SOCIETY’S EVENT “THE INVERTEBRATE OF THE YEAR - PORTUGUESE SLUG (ARION LUSITANICUS)” IN 2016

Abstract

Today’s student is truly a digital person, cell phone and computer are inseparable part of his life. I have this opinion, that in the educational process, it is necessary to apply various methods, including the use of smartphones. This way, smartphones become the tool to provide the ability to transfer the knowledge for students in the language they can understand. This report describes one of the cases where smartphones are used in the educational process. In the report, it will be described how students participated in Lithuania’s entomologist society’s event “The invertebrate of the year - Portuguese slug (Arion lusitanicus)” in 2016” (the goal of the event - to unite the Lithuania’s entomologists and other nature preservation enthusiasts in order to investigate the amount of territory this slug has invaded, to summarise the data and provide it to ministry of Lithuania state’s environment for the preparation of the plan to combat this invasive species). The goal of the activity: to conduct the search of these slugs in the city of Visaginas, to photograph the detect slugs by the recommendations of the scientists, to fill in “The form of registration of the detection fact” and send it to the society of the entomologists. The course of the activity: gathering the information about the invasive slug - Portuguese slug (Arion lusitanicus) in the web sites, examining the pictures in order to distinguish the differences between Lithuania’s native and invasive slugs, examining the biology of the slugs (the dangers for Lithuania’s native flora by the invasive slugs, how they feed, how fast they are breeding, do they have enemies and etc), organizing the trips for the search of the lugs in the city (the smartphones are used during the activity). The results of the activity: there different kinds of species were found. By following the recommendations, they were photographed and together with filled in “Form of registration of the detection fact” sent to the society of entomologists. Five students conducted the individual researches near their homes. The assumption was made, that there are no invasive slugs in the city of Visaginas. The conclusion of the activity: the response was received from the entomologist at VU GMF Mantas Adomaitis. He states, that there were no invasive (Arion lusitanicus) slugs in the photographs. The found slugs were: Arion fuscus, Limax cireneoniger and Deroceras reticulatum. The summary: during the activity, students felt significant impact in helping scientist find the amount of invasive slug spread in the territory of Lithuania, students developed their environmental and cognitive competences, formed their scientific literacy skills, smartphones were used purposefully during the process of education. Keywords: research, smartphones, engaging in educational material, STEAM.