New Perspectives in Science Education

Botanical gardens have an obvious and vital role to play in conserving plants, but conservation cannot succeed without education. Usually having specimens of old mature trees colonized with diverse fungi species and a wide range of introduced plant species attracting numerous insects, they provide convenient spaces for education and demonstration of bioluminescent and biofluorescent features of living organisms to visitors of various age. Society in Lithuania is usually aware of local glowing firefly and sometimes fungi species but has little acquaintance of full diversity of bioluminescent creatures [1]. After an introductory lecture about local and global diversity of glowing species, the causes and functions of such phenomenon, it is time for attractive part – night expedition in search of real samples (explaining how to find glowing mycelium of Armillaria mellea, tracing females of Lampyris noctiluca or representatives of Geophilus easoni and etc.) and under ultraviolet flashlights (resins of Pinus Sylvestris, sap of Chelidonium majus, wood of Rhus typhina, young shoots or flowers of Fraxinus excelsior, fruiting bodies of Pholiota squarrosa, grubs of Calliteara pudibunda and etc.). Biofluorescence and bioluminescence is a fun and exciting way to teach basic science concepts [2], as chemical, physical and biological knowledge are combined for explanation of glowing phenomenon. Due to the visual appeal of these phenomena, it is possible to discuss basic photophysical principles in undergraduate level [3]. To strengthen the final impression on the received information – a workshop of creating own bioluminescent/biofluorescent (depends on the pigments and paints used) prototypes is offered. Educational activities at Botanical Garden of Vytautas Magnus University fulfil the idea of experimental learning: participants are involved into activities, critically reflecting and analyzing them, and by received results gaining new providence for the perception change. Participants get meaningful and interesting for themselves learning as they try practical activities. As a feedback we attain requests to organize more seminars on the topic with following night expeditions and workshops for teachers and students from all around the country.

Keywords: Botanical garden, bioluminescence, biofluorescence, night expedition, workshop of Prototypes.

References:
[1] Malakauskienė, A. Reported and potential bioluminescent species in Lithuania. Biologija, v. 64(3), p. 181 – 190, 2018.
[2] Hammer, M., Andrade J. D. Bioluminescence as a classroom tool for scientist volunteers. Methods in Enzymology, v. 305, p. 660 – 672, 2000.
[3] Nery, A. L. P., Liegel, R. M. Fluorescence and Chemiluminescence: Teaching Basic Principles by Simple Demonstration Experiments. Chemical Education Journal, v. 13, p. 22, 2010.