I am currently a second year student within the School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental science. I wished to become a member of the Whiteknights biodiversity app project to gain experience of how multidisciplinary academic projects operate. An insight in to the application of ecology alongside the combination of app development was sure to be a real eye opener. Coupled with an opportunity to be involved in a project that will directly aid in both teaching received by and learning of future students the project sounded enticing.
KiteSite app in action
My role on the project, as a target end user, is to help direct the application development to include features that I believe will be useful to fellow students studying within similar subject areas. This process involved discussing the project with fellow students while investigating similar existing applications. From my perspective I hope the application is successful in effectively mapping the distribution of organism, particularly plants, across the campus. As a member of a course with a focus on the interactions biotic and abiotic systems this application could be greatly beneficial.
As the project progresses I would like to think I will play an increasingly active role in testing and evaluation of the app. Luckily I have already had a chance to get hands with a version of app. Getting to know biodiversity on campus, now such a familiar place, was a great new experience. I am thoroughly looking forward to the progressing with the project and undertaking new practices such as winter twig identification during continued involvement with the project.