Lionfish

To help Europe become climate-neutral by 2050, we set out to develop and test an engaging non-formal learning environment that engages teachers, students, and the community in addressing climate c...

To help Europe become climate-neutral by 2050, we set out to develop and test an engaging non-formal learning environment that engages teachers, students, and the community in addressing climate change. Our main goal was to comprehend how the Mediterranean marine ecology is being affected by climate change, with a particular emphasis on how lionfish species are spreading. The intention was to raise students' empathy and comprehension of this problem to ignite their interest in STEM education related to climate change. We gave students real-world experiences related to climate change by using VR technology. Our educational design aimed to empower youth by providing tools for constructive challenge processing and the avoidance of climate fear. We promoted creative, action-orientated methods using design thinking and STEM fields. We also worked with EdMedia at CYENS, forming organisations from European nations to promote innovation and creativity in education. One of the main goals was to create an inclusive digital experience by working with a partner from a Mediterranean island to overcome geographical obstacles. We placed a strong emphasis on sharing the project's findings widely through online meetings

We produced a VR experience about climate change in the Mediterranean Sea focussing on the spread of lionfish: titled “End of Line”. The experience transported the viewers to a climate hotspot, a coast in Cyprus, where the new region’s lionfish species were spreading out, threatening the local ecosystem and the fishermen’s craftsmanship. Students (ages 12 to 16) and their teachers were the main target audience in "Teaching and Learning Manual for Secondary Education on Battling the Invasion in the Mediterranean Sea." - a learning manual to inspire students to take initiative and cultivate an awareness of the environment. It connected the VR experience with visual thinking techniques and STEM/STEAM activities, investigating invasive lionfish species and their effects on the Mediterranean ecology. Dissemination of the learning manuals, VR experience, and test results. The last phase of the project, putting particular importance on seeing how the audience has been reacting to the project and its quality, involved presenting the results to educators in Cyprus, the Mediterranean area, the European Union, and worldwide using physical and online meetings, conferences, social media, and website activities.

Fox Media Documentaries coordinated, wrote and produced the END OF LINE, a VR experience from Cyprus about an old fisherman from Limassol-Cyprus taking his son fishing from a boat near the coast and dealing with climate challenges. (result platform) Ed Media at CYENS developed the “Teaching and Learning Manual for Secondary Education on Battling the Invasion in the Mediterranean Sea” designed for teachers and students aged 12 to 16, incorporating the 360VR experience. (result Platform) Using the VR film and selected activities from the Teaching and Learning Manual, pilot studies were conducted by EdMedia at CYENS with 6 teachers and 83 students, for evaluation purposes. (result Platform WP3 ) Part of the evaluation involved training workshops for educators of four local schools. (result Platform WP5) LIONFISH E+ was accepted as part of Scientix EU, the Community of Science Teachers in Europe! (https://www.scientix.eu/projects/project- detail?articleId=1766853 ) EdMedia held a virtual multiplier event that received positive feedback (see “WP5 Multiplier Event Evaluation"). Presentations of the project were given at international conferences, such as the Virtual AECT Convention 2024, Kansas City, MO. and through social media