Using iNaturalist.org as an OER Tool for Biology Students

Zoom (Link to be posted 4/3/2023)

Any tool that can promote the engagement of students in a biology course will enhance student success. With the rising cost of many educational platforms and textbooks, a tool that is freely available for use can help foster increased accessibility and equity. The citizen science organization iNaturalist.org provides just such a tool. As their website states “iNaturalist is an online social network of people sharing biodiversity information to help each other learn about nature.” For my students it is an excellent tool to record their observations, collect the relevant locality data, help them identify their organisms and to collaborate with others in their field. In this presentation I will discuss how iNaturalist can be used in field courses and in undergraduate research.