iNaturalist is an app whereby hikers, gardeners, and researchers can work together to photograph and positively identify species of plants, insects, birds, mammals, and other organisms in a local ecosystem. It works by taking a photograph with your phone’s camera, signing into the community, and posting a question about the specimen found. Others are able to chime in and help identify it, consider its geotag, and offer advice on its significance—whether invasive, rare, or beneficial.

This is a neat combination of learning outdoors yet incorporating modern technologies and empowering learning through collaboration. No tests are necessary, but learning definitely takes place. One might consider the recursive cycles of feedback to be built-in formative assessment too.

All in all, iNaturalist is a natural space for social learning.

Reference:

California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic. (n.d.). INaturalist. iNaturalist. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://www.inaturalist.org/

(citation created using Citation Machine)