Search

Recently, the research about innovative approaches in the education of blind (non-visual--NV) students has intensified; however the use of dichotomous keys (DK) in their botanical education has not yet been examined. This research explored the contribution of two self-generated dichotomous keys (DK) for plant identification (a digital version--DDK and a printed version--DPK), to the botanical education of NV students. The research included 100 students, with an average age of 24, divided into 2 groups. Group E1 determined the plants using the DDK while in Group E2 plants were identified using the DPK. The DDK contributed more than the DPK in helping the NV participants to acquire the quality and durability knowledge they need to identify different plant groups (woody, bushy and herbaceous plants). The NV has the greatest success in the identification of woody plants, and the least success in the identification of herbaceous plants. The members of both groups (E1, E2) had positive opinion about the contribution of the applicable dichotomous key to their knowledge, the activities in it. Due to this fact, both versions of DKs are recommended as new assistive tools in the botanical education of NV students.

The aim of the research is to examine the contribution of applying author-generated dichotomous keys (digital key - DDK and print key - DPK) to the quality and durability of the knowledge of eighth grade students about the "Systematic and classifications of plants (Bryophyta, Pteridophyta, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms)", as compared to traditional teaching. The study included 180 eighth grade students from Montenegro (12-13 years old) divided into three groups: E[subscript 1] (where content was learned through DPK), E[subscript 2] (where content was learned through DDK) and K (where content was learned through the verbal-textual method). Dichotomous keys contributed to increasing the quality and durability of the knowledge acquired in comparison to traditional teaching at the cognitive levels of analysis, evaluation and synthesis. DDK contributed to the higher quality and durability of student knowledge in comparison to DPK at the cognitive levels of evaluation and synthesis.