Getting near insects may be a scary thought for some, and for many years, seventh-grade students in New Mexico were required to create an insect collection. Now, a team from New Mexico State University has developed a project to help calm those fears and illustrate the importance of insect science.
In 2021, Scott Bundy, entomology professor and director of the NMSU Arthropod Collection, and the NMSU Innovative Media Research and Extension team created the Virtual Insect Collection Lab for middle school students and educators. This interactive web module allows learners to practice pinning, pointing and spreading insects to preserve them for scientific study.
“Insects are the most diverse group of organisms on the planet,” Bundy said. “They impact the world and science in both positive ways and negative ways and are extremely important to us. Yet, they are understudied. And they are very cool to look at up close.”
Barbara Chamberlin, department head of Innovative Media Research and Extension, said the lab allows learners in formal and informal settings to practice accurate scientific pinning practices in a friendly virtual environment.
As a teacher in the Roy Municipal Schools in Roy, New Mexico, Becky Smith used the lab during her time in the classroom.
“My class had a very positive experience with the virtual lab,” Smith said. “It was quite intuitive and engaging for my students. They were able to navigate the lab independently and truly enjoyed interacting with the technology. After completing the virtual lab, they felt confident and eager to create their own real-world insect collection.”
Funding for the virtual lab came from the Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants program, which is part of the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau’s New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom and the Asombro Institute for Science Education also collaborated on the project.
Research shows middle school students often arrive with minimal science backgrounds from elementary school, and teachers struggle to find resources for hands-on, engaging projects that spark student enthusiasm, Chamberlin said.
“Online tools facilitate learning that can’t be done in person,” she said. “In the case of insect study, it may help learners to overcome bias, build familiarity with the topic and foster interest in insect-related activities.”
Smith added: “I think the Virtual Insect Collection Lab is a great way to allow students to explore an area they might not otherwise have the desire or opportunity to learn about. It also provided me an opportunity to differentiate lessons within my classroom of diverse learners, thanks to the easy-to-navigate interface and interesting mix of video, text and illustrations.”
The Virtual Insect Collection Lab has also earned national praise, winning two gold awards from the Association for Communication Excellence in 2021.
“We wanted to get the representation of the insects as real as possible, and we decided the best way to achieve this was with 3D,” said Pamela Martinez, a grant co-principal investigator and Innovative Media Research and Extension assistant professor. “I was really proud of the way the project turned out and how the design team was able to move forward in learning new processes.”
In a pilot study to evaluate the impact of the lab, researchers found that youth felt comfortable pinning insects in the lab and felt that using the lab helped increase their confidence in learning science. The study also found that youth enjoyed the lab experience and became curious to learn more about insects.
For information about the Virtual Insect Collection Lab, visit nmsu.link/Insect-Collection-Lab.
A version of this story was first published in the fall 2023 issue of ACES Magazine. For more stories, visit nmsu.news/aces-magazine-fall-2023.
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CUTLINE: A team at New Mexico State University developed the Virtual Insect Collection Lab in 2021. The lab is an interactive web module designed for middle school students and educators to practice pinning, pointing and spreading insects for scientific study. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)
CUTLINE: Scott Bundy, entomology professor and director of the New Mexico State University Arthropod Collection, teamed up with NMSU Innovative Media Research and Extension to create the Virtual Insect Collection Lab. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)
CUTLINE: Anastasia Hames, a senior multimedia specialist for New Mexico State University Innovative Media Research and Extension, was part of the team that designed the Virtual Insect Collection Lab. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)