Digital tools "Popplet and Pixton" for learning about marine ecosystem biodiversity with first-year BGU students.

Abstract

This article was designed to help overcome the learning difficulties of first-year students in the General Unified Baccalaureate in understanding marine biodiversity, manifested in their low performance and low motivation in Biology. The general purpose was to explore the effect of using Popplet and Pixton digital resources when studying the biodiversity of the marine ecosystem, and the specific objectives were to reveal the students' initial difficulties, the use of these tools, and to evaluate their motivation, understanding, and engagement. A quasi-experimental method and mixed design were followed in this case study using a seven-item pretest and posttest survey, whose validity was obtained through expert judgment and pilot testing. The intervention lasted six weeks, and its activities were supported by Popplet (concept map creation) and Pixton (educational comic design). The findings showed that there was a substantial increase in the application of key concepts by students, such as mangrove, sand bed, and food chain, after the technological intervention by more than 90%. Finally, enthusiasm, originality, and participation increased. Popplet and Pixton were found to be suitable pedagogical tools for changing the traditional mode of learning to a more meaningful and participatory one, although the researchers acknowledged the difficulty of the sample size and the dependence on technology-based resources.