Recurso didático digital no ensino de evolução: uma proposta lúdica com foco em seleção natural e deriva genética

Abstract

National curriculum guidelines indicate that Biology teaching in basic education should be coordinated with the theory of evolution. In practice, teaching biological evolution presents challenges in implementing it in the school context, often related to educators' perception of insufficient theoretical knowledge, the interference of religious beliefs, and the lack of teaching resources to address the topic. Teaching resources are valuable tools that assist teachers in presenting content and help reduce fragmented, content-based, and rote learning. Unfortunately, due to the devaluation of extra-classroom teaching activities, many educators lack the time to produce their own materials, resorting to resources available through various content-sharing platforms. Digital teaching resources differ from analog resources because they do not need to be created by educators and can be used on a wide scale. The objective of this work was to develop and make available a digital game with a formative purpose, aiming to playfully explore the evolutionary mechanisms of Natural Selection and Genetic Drift. The game uses the pixel art element of gaming culture as a technique for creating illustrations and animations. The game, called Beetle Joy, was developed in the Unity game engine (v. 6000.0.47f1) and designed in the programs "Pyxel Edit" and "Aseprite." The user interface is simple, direct, and pleasant, using visual elements and simple language to foster playfulness through humor. In the game, Natural Selection is represented by the ecological interaction of predation between a cane toad, of the species Rhinella icterica, and polymorphic beetles of the family Chrysomelidae; Genetic Drift is represented by the occurrence of three catastrophic natural phenomena: a volcanic eruption, a flood, and a forest fire. The game has educational potential, but it has a technological limitation for classroom use, as it requires good school infrastructure, which is not yet common in Brazil. Despite this, we believe this should not impede the development of new digital resources. Therefore, we hope Beetle Joy can be useful to educators and encourage the development of new resources.