Avoar Cerrado: research and development of a gamified educational application with artificial intelligence to foster the conservation of Cerrado birds through citizen science strategies

Avoar Cerrado: research and development of a gamified educational application with artificial intelligence to foster the conservation of Cerrado birds through citizen science strategies | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Avoar Cerrado: research and development of a gamified educational application with artificial intelligence to foster the conservation of Cerrado birds through citizen science strategies Bruno Santos Ferreira, Gilberto Lacerda dos Santos, José Augusto Carvalho, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7863198/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This paper presents the development of Avoar Cerrado , a mobile educational application designed to integrate artificial intelligence, computer vision, gamification, and collaborative networked learning to promote citizen science, digital inclusion, and environmental conservation in Brazil’s Cerrado biome. The project followed a Research and Development (R&D) methodology structured in iterative cycles, including design, prototyping, testing, refinement, and final implementation. The application employs convolutional neural networks for automated image and sound recognition, enabling accurate identification of bird species and the creation of a collaborative biodiversity database. Gamified features such as challenges, rankings, levels of excellence, and collectible cards were incorporated to enhance user motivation and engagement. Additionally, an integrated social network allows users to share observations, validate species identifications, and exchange knowledge collaboratively. Data collected through the platform contribute to large-scale biodiversity monitoring, supporting research and informing public policies on conservation. The results demonstrate that Avoar Cerrado democratizes access to scientific knowledge and engages diverse audiences in participatory science practices, transforming recreational birdwatching into a meaningful educational and scientific activity. By combining AI with gamified and collaborative approaches, the project expands opportunities for lifelong learning, fosters environmental awareness, and strengthens community involvement in conservation efforts. This study illustrates the potential of interdisciplinary digital solutions to bridge science, education, and society, and to support biodiversity preservation through active citizen participation. artificial intelligence citizen science environmental education gamification collaborative learning Cerrado birds Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12 Figure 13 1 INTRODUCTION Digital technologies are central elements in expanding access to knowledge and promoting environmental sustainability. Access to interactive platforms and social networks provides powerful tools for raising environmental awareness, increasingly engaging individuals in discussions and practices aimed at environmental preservation (Ministério das Comunicações, 2022). Their connectivity mechanisms play a crucial role by bringing together communities and individuals and enabling a continuous flow of real-time information, which is essential for the collective construction of knowledge – or, as defined by Lévy (2015), for collective intelligence. This exchange of information transforms the way sustainable practices and environmental preservation reach populations that previously had limited access to such technologies (Ferreira, 2022). The widespread dissemination of smartphones and the growing access to the internet, both in urban and rural areas, have facilitated the development of innovative technological solutions, especially those focused on education and digital inclusion. According to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), in 2023, 92.5% of households in Brazil had internet access, with a significant increase in rural areas, where the percentage reached 81% (IBGE, 2023). This technological advancement creates new opportunities for the development of platforms and applications that integrate education, civic participation, and environmental preservation. Within the global framework of sustainable development, the United Nations' 2030 Agenda emphasizes the critical role of education and technology in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Avoar Cerrado project directly aligns with multiple SDGs, particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), which calls for inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all; SDG 15 (Life on Land), which targets the protection and restoration of terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity; and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), which emphasizes the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships and technology sharing. By leveraging digital technologies to promote environmental literacy and citizen participation in biodiversity monitoring, initiatives like Avoar Cerrado contribute to the integrated approach necessary for achieving these interconnected global goals (United Nations, 2023). In the current educational context, UNESCO highlights that the adoption of digital technologies, such as smartphones and the internet, is transforming how knowledge is disseminated, expanding access to learning, and promoting social inclusion (UNESCO, 2022). Beyond promoting connectivity and digital inclusion, these technologies enable the creation of interactive tools that can be applied in both urban and rural areas to foster community engagement in citizen science initiatives, such as environmental data collection (Instituto Claro, 2018). Indeed, increasingly accessible mobile applications support the development of innovative tools that can drive new citizen science initiatives, such as the collection of environmental data and the observation of natural phenomena through interactive technologies. In this context, Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially through computer vision techniques, emerges as a key facilitator of these innovations, enhancing the ability to analyze and recognize visual and auditory patterns, which enables the automatic identification of animal species, as in the case of bird observation (Sullivan et al. ,2014, Norouzzadeh et al. , 2018; Kahl et al. , 2021). The Brazilian Cerrado represents 23% of Brazil's territory, and it is recognized as one of the world's biodiversity hotspots (Myers et al. , 2000). This biome harbors extraordinary species richness, with high levels of endemism across multiple taxonomic groups (Klink & Machado, 2005). The Cerrado is particularly important for avian diversity, supporting more than 830 bird species (Silva, 1995), of which approximately 30 are endemic or restricted to specific open habitats and face significant conservation challenges (Silva, 1997; Silva & Bates, 2002). Additionally, the Cerrado serves as a critical water source for major South American river systems, reinforcing its ecological and hydrological importance. Despite its immense value, the Cerrado faces severe conservation challenges: Over the past four decades, more than 50% of its original vegetation has been converted to pasture and agricultural lands, with deforestation rates historically exceeding those of the Amazon rainforest (Klink & Machado, 2005), making conservation efforts critically urgent to prevent further biodiversity loss and maintain essential ecosystem services. In this context, the dissemination and popularization of knowledge about the Cerrado biome through accessible digital tools becomes essential for fostering environmental citizenship and promoting effective conservation action (Bickford et al. , 2012; Ballard et al. , 2017). By facilitating citizen science initiatives through smartphone-based platforms, such tools not only democratize access to scientific information but also strengthen environmental awareness, foster meaningful connections between people and nature, and contribute to large-scale data collection that supports informed conservation policies and management decisions (Chandler et al. , 2017; Pocock et al. , 2017). In this sense, our project, by developing the mobile application Avoar Cerrado as a pedagogically meaningful and relevant citizen science tool, aimed to combine technologies and artificial intelligence strategies for the recognition of bird sounds and images from the Cerrado biome. The Avoar app integrates the information acquired with gamification and game design strategies (Ferreira, 2015a, 2015b; Ferreira, Gagnon, & Lacerda Santos, 2017; Ferreira & Lacerda Santos, 2018; Kapp, 2012; Salen & Zimmerman, 2004), mobile learning approaches (Petit & Lacerda Santos, 2015), and collaborative networked learning dynamics (Teles, 2015), alongside geolocation data. By articulating scientific ornithological content through bird observation and identification in the Cerrado biome - made possible through AI integration via a pre-trained computer vision mechanism that uses a deep convolutional neural network to help users automatically identify bird species from photos and sounds converted into spectrograms using the BirdNET-Analyser AI Model 1 (Kahl et al. , 2021) – the application situates users within a gamified dynamic of content production through bird photography and video recording. Once identified by the system, each species, according to its scientific classification and common name, is converted into both scientific data and digital game cards. Around this digital game, users not only empower themselves with scientific knowledge but also share their unique insights within an educational environment where a collaborative, network-based learning community is formed. Below are some images of the application’s interface, which is freely available in online stores Apple Store 2 e Google Play 3 . 2 OBJECTIVES This project aims to develop and validate Avoar Cerrado as an AI-powered mobile educational platform that engages diverse communities in citizen science practices while promoting environmental literacy and conservation of Cerrado avifauna. By integrating artificial intelligence for automated species recognition, gamification for sustained user engagement, and networked collaborative learning through an integrated social network, the application transforms recreational birdwatching into a meaningful educational and scientific activity. The platform generates georeferenced biodiversity data that supports ornithological research and informs conservation policies, while democratizing access to scientific knowledge and fostering active citizen participation in environmental preservation efforts. 3 MATERIALS AND METHODS The design and development of an educational digital application is an endeavor rooted in the field of software engineering, and it was from this perspective that the materials and methods for this study were identified and applied. Structurally, the project followed a Research and Development (R&D) methodological approach (Van der Akker, 1999), combining principles of agile software engineering (Aydin et al ., 2005; Beck et al., 2001; Lacerda Santos, 2000) with computer vision algorithms and artificial intelligence techniques (Morteza Pour Shiri et al ., 2023), while integrating pedagogical theories with applied practices to develop a viable solution to teaching and learning challenges (Lacerda Santos, 2009; McKenney & Reeves, 2012). Within this framework, the central goal was to create an educational application that facilitates the identification of bird species from the Cerrado biome while promoting citizen science practices and collaborative learning within an integrated social network environment. In educational projects, the R&D methodology – when directed towards the development of digital products such as educational applications – represents an approach focused on creating innovative solutions that meet both pedagogical and technological objectives. In this context, R&D involves a combination of theoretical research, practical experimentation, and iterative technological development to ensure that the final product is functional, accessible, efficient, and aligned not only with users’ needs (Van der Akker, 1999) but also with educational goals (Kukulska-Hulme, 2010). Accordingly, the R&D approach, when applied to the development of an educational digital application, follows several essential stages. The first stage involves identifying pedagogical needs, during which the role of the application in the teaching-learning process is defined. This stage requires a detailed analysis of both pedagogical and technical requirements (Lacerda Santos, 2000), ensuring that the application’s functionalities are aligned with educational objectives (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). Next, a prototyping phase takes place, during which an initial version of the application is created, allowing the product to be tested and refined based on feedback from users and experts (Lacerda Santos, 2000). According to Aydin et al. (2021), this iterative development process is a core characteristic of the R&D methodology, enabling the continuous incorporation of improvements. During the development of our project, agile software engineering also played a crucial role. The use of agile methodologies, such as Scrum, allowed for the incremental creation of features, prioritizing continuous feedback among team members and rapid adaptation to changing user needs, as suggested by Beck et al. (2001). This incremental approach enabled close collaboration between developers, educators, and other stakeholders, ensuring that the application met both technical expectations and pedagogical requirements. Finally, as emphasized by McKenney & Reeves (2012), testing and validation are fundamental components of the R&D methodology. In this phase, the project is tested with its target audience using different technical strategies and across diverse educational contexts to verify its pedagogical coherence, accessibility, and technical usability. The data collected during testing are then used to adjust and optimize the product prior to its final release (Lacerda Santos, 2000). In our project, this R&D process ensured that the application not only facilitated the identification of bird species from the Cerrado biome and supported citizen science practices but also promoted collaborative learning within an integrated social network, offering a meaningful and immersive educational experience. Following the perspectives of Aydin et al . (2005) and Beck et al. (2001), the following sections detail the interdependent stages of our methodological process: 3.1 Conception and Analysis of Functional, Non-Functional, and Pedagogical Requirements In the initial phase, we conducted a detailed analysis of user needs and the educational and technological objectives of the application. This phase involved: a) Conducting interviews with experts in education, biology, and educational technology to understand both technical and pedagogical requirements; b) Carrying out technical feasibility studies, including an analysis of the most suitable AI and computer vision techniques and tools for bird image and sound recognition, such as deep learning algorithms (Convolutional Neural Networks – CNNs), which have been widely applied to classify different species (Kahl et al. , 2021; Morteza Pour Shiri et al. , 2023); c) Identifying usability and accessibility requirements, with a focus on digital inclusion, ensuring that the application would be user-friendly and intuitive for a wide range of user profiles. 3.2 Prototyping and Agile Development Following the conception phase, we adopted an Agile Development model for the creation of the Avoar Cerrado application. This model allowed us to follow iterative and incremental cycles of design and implementation. From this perspective, the chosen agile methodology enabled continuous feedback integration between users and specialists involved in the process, through the following stages: a) Stage 1 – Development of a functional prototype: An initial version of the application was built using the Dart programming language and the Flutter mobile development framework, integrating AI libraries for image and sound recognition such as TensorFlow, Keras, NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, Scikit-Learn, and OpenCV. The prototype included the user interface and the basic bird classification algorithms. b) Stage 2 – Sprint cycles: Each sprint focused on different functionalities of the application, including the implementation of AI, the gamification system (scoring and challenges to engage users), and collaborative learning features, such as the creation of an integrated social network for sharing discoveries. 3.3 Testing and Validation The validation of the application was carried out in two main phases: a) Phase 1: Alpha Testing – In the first phase, referred to as alpha testing, the prototype of the application was evaluated by a small group of experts and potential users. This phase included: 1) Usability testing: Evaluation of the interface and user experience, based on user-centered design principles; 2) Validation of the AI model: The bird recognition algorithm was tested with an initial dataset of images and sounds from Cerrado bird species, assessing the accuracy and precision of species classification. b) Phase 2: Beta Testing – After adjustments were made during the alpha phase, the application was tested under real-world conditions with a larger group of users, including birdwatchers and environmental educators. The beta tests enabled: 1) Evaluation of the AI model’s performance in different environments, including locations with varying light and noise conditions, verifying the accuracy of image and sound recognition; 2) Collection of feedback on the functionality of the integrated educational social network, where users could share their observations, comment on others’ findings, contribute to discussions about data validity, and validate or appreciate species identifications, thereby improving the accuracy of the identification model and contributing to citizen science. 3.4 Data Collection and Analysis During the beta tests, various types of data were collected for subsequent analysis: a) Georeferenced data: Bird observations were recorded based on geographic location, enabling the creation of a collaborative map of Cerrado species; b) Social interaction data: User interactions within the app’s social network (comments, appreciations, identification corrections, shares, and feeder creation) were analyzed to measure levels of engagement and collaborative learning; c) App usage metrics: Metrics such as usage time, number of interactions, and participation rates in gamified activities were analyzed to assess the effectiveness of gamification in promoting sustained engagement. 3.5 Adjustments and Optimization Based on the data collected during the beta testing phase, adjustments were made to the AI algorithm to improve bird identification accuracy, along with optimizations to the user interface to enhance navigation experience. Additional adjustments were made to gamification mechanics to further motivate users to participate continuously. 3.6 Dissemination and Final Implementation After final adjustments, the Avoar Cerrado application was made publicly available through virtual stores (Google Play and Apple Store), accompanied by a support portal presenting the project and facilitating the management and monitoring of the application and its database. Moreover, the methodology included disseminating the results through scientific articles and academic events, with the goal of sharing innovations both in the application of AI for environmental education and in the design of connective and inclusive educational technologies. One of the key factors in the success of this educational technology development project was interdisciplinary collaboration. Joint work among specialists from different fields – such as education, software engineering, data science, biology, and interaction design – enabled the creation of a more complete and pedagogically appropriate educational tool, meeting both pedagogical and technological demands (Lacerda Santos, 2009). Research shows that interdisciplinary teams enrich the development process by combining diverse perspectives and specialized knowledge, contributing to innovation in education and solving complex real-world problems (Cheng & Zhang, 2018; Specht & Crowston, 2022). In our project, the team included software engineering and AI experts responsible for developing bird recognition algorithms, as well as educators, designers, and biologists to ensure that the app’s content and features aligned with collaborative learning goals and citizen science principles. This interdisciplinary collaboration was also crucial to integrating gamification elements and educational social networks, creating a connective, inclusive, and engaging learning environment. During the alpha testing phase, the project was showcased at the 19th National Week of Science and Technology, supported by funding from CNPq. The Avoar Cerrado project was presented to the public through a thematic stand where the application was made available and tested with its primary audience: students from the final years of primary and secondary education. 4 RESULTS As this study involved the conception and development of an educational technological product – specifically, a smartphone application designed to promote connectivity in support of environmental preservation and pedagogically grounded citizen science, while leveraging AI, Networked Collaborative Learning, Mobile Learning, Gamification, and Citizen Science – the primary outcomes of the research are twofold: the application itself and the results it generated. Regarding the application, the final product demonstrates the success of the endeavor, as it was fully developed, met all intended educational software engineering objectives, and was ultimately patented at the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI). Within the architecture of the Avoar Cerrado application, elements of Artificial Intelligence, collaborative and cooperative networked learning, mobile learning, and citizen science are brought together around a playful and educational framework aligned with gamification principles. Its game-based interaction design proposes a rich and multifaceted gamification system, specifically designed to engage users in the observation and documentation of bird species in the Cerrado biome through a variety of features. These include social interactions that facilitate collaboration in bird identification and monitoring, as well as challenges that test users’ knowledge about the Cerrado ecosystem. The application also incorporates performance leaderboards, an achievement journey across different levels of expertise, and a wide range of rewards such as points, badges, collectible cards, and a comprehensive bird guide. All of this is supported by an AI system for image and sound recognition. User interactions are integrated into a built-in social network where collaborative learning takes place, offering a comprehensive citizen science experience. 4.1 Bird observation mechanisms With Avoar Cerrado , users can identify bird species through photographic or audio recordings using mobile devices. In the case of photographs, the application allows users to adjust the image - such as cropping, enhancing colors, and improving lighting - before submitting it for analysis. The AI system employs Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to process the images, identifying visual patterns such as silhouette, color, and shape, and comparing them with our database of bird species native to the Cerrado biome. For sound recognition, a pre-trained AI model, BirdNET, was used (Kahl et al. , 2021) to compare captured audio with previously processed and known bird vocalizations, providing fast and accurate species identification. Source: the authors. To guide users in obtaining better observations, the application provides an educational tutorial that outlines the steps required to achieve satisfactory results in birdwatching: Source: The authors. In this way, the application provides detailed information about the species, such as its common and scientific names, size, feeding habits, habitat, and the location of the observation. Figure 7 Architecture of the bird observation and recognition flow using AI Source: The authors. 4.2 Social and individual recognition modes The application rewards both social engagement and users’ cognitive performance through an achievement system. Interactions in the social feed and on the geolocation map earn exchange coins, experience points, and badges. On the individual level, users participate in interactive quiz-based challenges, answering questions about the Cerrado biome. Their performance is recorded in leaderboards, where participants are rewarded with coins, badges, and points. Source: the authors. 4.3 Knowledge and identification challenges The application offers challenges in which users identify birds based on silhouettes, songs, or general information. These challenges encourage continuous learning and reward participants with experience points, badges, and exchange coins. Source: the authors. 4.4 Integrated social network User interaction takes place within an integrated social network, where bird observations are shared through a social feed and an interactive geolocation map. Posts with identifications, comments, and likes are recorded and rewarded. Users can also form private social networks by following and being followed by other participants. Images of the social feed will be added to illustrate these interactions. Source: the authors. 4.5 Integrated social network that fosters collaborative learning Gamification in Avoar Cerrado is directly connected to Networked Collaborative Learning. Users earn experience points and coins by contributing to the knowledge network through recording or identifying new species. These contributions are recognized with badges and additional points, promoting progress in their individual journey while fostering knowledge sharing within the community proposed by the application. Source: the authors. 4.6 Game mechanics of excellence levels The application includes a system of excellence levels in which users progress from novice to higher ranks such as curious, enthusiast, explorer, specialist, and expert. This system motivates users to continue interacting and contributing to the platform, striving to reach new levels of knowledge. Source: the authors. 4.7 Collectible cards game system Avoar Cerrado offers a system that allows users to exchange coins for collectible bird cards from the Cerrado, classified into four categories: common, unusual, challenging, and rare. Users can unlock these cards and add them to their personal collections, encouraging friendly competition and personalization. Source: the authors. Finally, these features make our application an interactive and engaging educational tool, with gamification promoting continuous user engagement through push notifications that provide constant, real-time feedback and keep users informed (Wu, 2022). In addition, the bird recognition process was designed to be user-friendly and accessible, offering an educational, enjoyable, and enriching experience. 5 DISCUSSION The development of Avoar Cerrado demonstrates how interdisciplinary collaboration can yield innovative solutions that bridge technology, education, and environmental conservation. This section examines the theoretical foundations that guided our design decisions and discusses how the integration of artificial intelligence, gamification, and networked collaborative learning addresses contemporary challenges in citizen science and environmental education. By grounding the application's architecture in established pedagogical and technological frameworks, we created a platform with the potential to democratize access to scientific knowledge while fostering meaningful engagement with Cerrado biodiversity. The following subsections explore the key theoretical pillars that informed the application's development and their implications for educational practice and conservation efforts. 5.1 About Citizen Science The concept of citizen science refers to the practice in which members of society actively participate in different stages of the scientific process, whether in problem identification, methodology design, or data collection and analysis (Finger et al. , 2023). This form of involvement serves as a bridge between formal scientific research and the community, promoting the inclusion of citizens in activities that were traditionally reserved for scientists. Citizen science not only democratizes the process of knowledge production but also expands the scale and scope of data collection, particularly in projects related to biodiversity and environmental conservation (Bonney et al. , 2009). As highlighted by Chandler et al. (2017), citizen science has the potential to provide high-quality data across temporal and spatial scales that would be unattainable for scientists working alone. Platforms focused on bird observation, such as eBird 4 and WikiAves 5 , are concrete examples of citizen science (Sullivan et al. , 2014). These platforms enable amateur observers and scientists alike to collect data on bird distribution, behavior, and migration, contributing directly to scientific knowledge production (Silvertown, 2009). Such initiatives demonstrate how citizen science can be used to generate large-scale data, facilitating the formulation of public policies and conservation strategies. In this context, the information collected not only broadens the scientific knowledge base but also fosters civic engagement, as citizens become active, connected, and included participants in the scientific process, thereby increasing their scientific literacy and environmental awareness (Dickinson et al. , 2012). In Avoar Cerrado , these principles of citizen science are operationalized through AI-assisted species identification and collaborative validation mechanisms, lowering barriers to participation while maintaining data quality. The application initially performs the automated identification of images and sounds, suggesting the most probable species based on the photo or audio recording submitted by the user. Once the identification is generated, the record is shared on the application’s integrated social network, where all users are notified of the new observation. Participants can then comment on the post, confirm the identification, or suggest corrections, creating a collaborative review process that mirrors scientific peer validation. This interactive workflow not only enhances the accuracy and credibility of the data but also promotes collective learning and user engagement, reaffirming that effective citizen science depends equally on technological accessibility and social collaboration, as highlighted by Bonney et al. (2009) and Dickinson et al. (2012). 5.2 Artificial intelligence – Computer Vision AI and computer vision have proven to be powerful tools in educational environments, promoting new ways of teaching and learning (Tan, Lee, & Lee, 2022). Computer vision, in particular, uses CNNs to recognize patterns in images, allowing software to identify objects such as animals, plants (Norouzzadeh et al. , 2018), or even text in different educational contexts (Morteza Pour Shiri et al. , 2023). In the Avoar Cerrado project, these technologies are applied to bird observation, facilitating species identification based on the images and sounds captured by users (Kahl et al. , 2021; Morteza Pour Shiri et al. , 2023). The use of AI in educational contexts enables learning to become more personalized and interactive, fostering student engagement through immersive visual and auditory experiences. As noted by Lin et al. (2024), AI allows for greater precision in the analysis of visual and auditory data, providing immediate and detailed feedback, which enhances both autonomous and collaborative learning. Beyond fostering more engaging learning experiences, our project demonstrates that computer vision and AI also play a crucial role in democratizing access to scientific knowledge. Through the Avoar Cerrado application, the use of these technologies transforms citizen science into an accessible activity, empowering users to learn about scientific taxonomy while contributing to the collection of biodiversity data. AI-based applications such as Avoar Cerrado are increasingly being used in fields like environmental education, providing an effective integration between theory and practice while promoting a deeper understanding of ecosystems and environmental conservation (Grover & Pea, 2018). Thus, AI and computer vision not only expand teaching possibilities but also engage communities in collaborative initiatives that strengthen continuous learning and education for sustainability. The integration of CNNs and BirdNET into Avoar Cerrado exemplifies how AI can serve not only as an identification tool but as an educational scaffold. By providing immediate, accurate feedback, the application enables users to progressively develop their ornithological expertise while contributing to scientific knowledge, thus transforming passive consumers of information into active participants in biodiversity research. 5.3 Gamification To ensure continuous user motivation, Avoar Cerrado incorporates gamification elements and techniques, rewarding participants for their contributions with points, badges, and level progression. These different forms of recognition constitute a pedagogically oriented reward system designed not only to make the experience enjoyable but also to promote sustained engagement – an essential aspect for the continuous monitoring of biodiversity. Furthermore, interactions within the application are structured as challenges and cooperative competitions, aimed at consolidating and retaining knowledge about the Cerrado biome. This pedagogical approach to gamification has been the subject of research in our laboratory for over a decade, culminating in several scientific publications (Ferreira, 2015a, 2015b; Gagnon, 2015; Petit, Ferreira, & Lacerda Santos, 2016; Ferreira, Gagnon, & Lacerda Santos, 2017; Ferreira & Lacerda Santos, 2018; Gagnon & Ferreira, 2018; Gagnon, Ferreira, & Santos, 2019). Additionally, by valuing users’ intellectual contributions to citizen science activities, the application encourages the active participation of individuals from diverse backgrounds, who contribute valuable data to scientific research by collecting both quantitative and qualitative information about bird species in the Cerrado. This practice of citizen science involves observing birds at feeders, transforming a recreational activity into a tool for scientific initiation. Alcantara (2022) points out that the use of feeders as spaces for scientific engagement remains underexplored despite its significant potential. Avoar Cerrado enhances this potential by creating a digital environment where bird observation becomes an accessible, enjoyable, and, above all, educational activity – allowing a broad audience to participate in the systematic recording of data that can inform scientific research and public policy development. Our application's gamification architecture was designed to sustain engagement beyond initial curiosity. This approach recognizes that long-term citizen science participation demands continuous motivation through meaningful recognition and progressive achievement systems that reward both learning and contribution. 5.4 Networked Collaborative Learning Avoar Cerrado also promotes networked collaborative learning by enabling users to share their observations, discuss bird characteristics, and form interest groups, thereby creating a community of practice focused on environmental conservation. The educational social networking feature facilitates the exchange of information and experiences, expanding the participants’ collective knowledge. According to Teles (2015), such interaction fosters continuous learning, in which mutual contributions enrich the experience of all those involved. Beyond its educational benefits, Avoar Cerrado has a direct impact on environmental conservation by creating a georeferenced database that can be used by researchers and policymakers. The ability to identify and classify species automatically, supported by AI, accelerates the process of data collection and qualification, overcoming the limitations of manual databases such as WikiAves and eBird. By facilitating the generation and use of large-scale data, Avoar Cerrado contributes to informed decision-making and the development of effective public policies aimed at biodiversity conservation. The social networking features of Avoar Cerrado transform individual bird observations into collective knowledge construction. By enabling users to comment, validate, and discuss identifications, the platform creates a community of practice where expertise is distributed and learning occurs through peer interaction, embodying the vision of Teles (2015) for networked collaborative learning in ecologically relevant contexts. 5.5 Mobile Learning and Nomadic Learning From the perspective of the educational process promoted by the application, Avoar Cerrado is grounded in the concepts of mobile learning and nomadic learning. These concepts refer to the use of mobile technologies to enable learning to occur anywhere and at any time, without the need for a fixed physical environment (Petit & Lacerda Santos, 2015). Our project leverages the flexibility offered by mobile devices, allowing users to access educational content or engage in citizen science activities while on the move or in contexts beyond traditional classroom settings. Moreover, the principles of nomadic learning are based on the theory of collective intelligence, as discussed by Pierre Lévy. This theory posits that knowledge is constructed and shared collaboratively, with learners contributing to a network of knowledge through digital interactions, often mediated by technological platforms (Lévy, 2015). By adopting the principles of mobile learning and nomadic learning, our project provides an educational tool that expands the boundaries of teaching and learning, integrating technology as a facilitator of learning in motion and redefining the educational process beyond the traditional confines of the classroom (Petit & Lacerda Santos, 2015). Finally, by integrating Artificial Intelligence and computer vision with gamification elements and educational concepts such as nomadic learning and networked collaborative learning, the project fosters digital inclusion and connectivity, enabling individuals in remote areas to actively participate in data collection about the Brazilian Cerrado biome while engaging in meaningful learning experiences. This approach not only strengthens scientific knowledge about Cerrado bird species but also creates an interactive and collaborative learning space, broadening the reach of environmental education and biodiversity conservation. To support the development of our project, the R&D methodology ensured that the application was built within the established timeframe, accessible to the widest possible audience, and aligned with the pedagogical and scientific objectives we defined. By embracing mobile and nomadic learning principles, Avoar Cerrado liberates environmental education from fixed locations and scheduled instruction. The application meets users in their contexts, enabling learning that is situated, authentic, and responsive to immediate environmental encounters. This mobility represents a pedagogical shift toward learning that occurs where biodiversity exists. 6 Conclusions The Avoar Cerrado application represents a transformative initiative that combines education, digital technology, AI, and gamification to promote meaningful accessibility and digital inclusion while overcoming historical barriers to birdwatching and public participation in citizen science. By integrating these technologies in an accessible and inclusive way, the application not only democratizes access to scientific knowledge – allowing individuals without specialized training to accurately identify bird species – but also fosters the engagement of diverse communities through interactive and educational experiences in virtual bird feeders. As presented throughout this project, artificial intelligence plays a central role by enabling the automatic identification of species from photos and sounds, expanding biodiversity data collection in remote and diverse areas of the Cerrado biome. This not only enriches scientific research with more comprehensive and systematized information but also actively involves citizens who might otherwise lack the technical means to contribute meaningfully. Furthermore, the use of gamification turns participation into a playful and rewarding experience, encouraging repetition and sustained user engagement, crucial aspects for continuous species monitoring and for building a network of collaborators committed to bird conservation in the Cerrado. As a tool for promoting digital inclusion and connectivity, Avoar Cerrado holds significant potential to dissolve geographical and social barriers by connecting individuals from isolated regions with limited access to technology. Our next step is to provide not only the tool itself but also the training necessary for communities to actively engage in environmental conservation. In doing so, the application can generate valuable data on Brazilian biodiversity and offer an opportunity for collaborative learning, raising awareness about the importance of bird conservation and their habitats. In addition to fostering social inclusion and connectivity, our project—by integrating various theories, strategies, techniques, and digital tools into a single educational application, makes significant contributions to the field of educational software engineering, an interdisciplinary domain that bridges computer science and education. Moreover, by promoting citizen science through a structured system for recording, identifying, and mapping bird species, it also contributes to the field of ornithology. A notable example, as previously mentioned, is the Brasilia tapaculo ( Scytalopus novacapitalis ), a rare and endangered species restricted to specific areas of the Cerrado, especially gallery forests. This species faces threats such as unnatural fires and the invasion of exotic species like wild boars, which degrade its habitats (Cunha et al. , 2021). According to the authors, these factors limit suitable habitats and increase the species’ vulnerability. Since its discovery in Brasília in 1958, during the construction of the capital, studies have documented a decline in population numbers (WikiAves, 2024). We hope that with the support of our application, more individuals of this species can be located, identified, and mapped, thereby contributing to the preservation of this emblematic species of our capital. Thus, Avoar Cerrado positions itself as an innovative and inclusive tool that unites technology and education in the service of developing environmental awareness. This initiative demonstrates how educational digital solutions can be used to empower individuals and communities toward a common goal: sustainability and the protection of the Cerrado’s biodiversity. This integrated approach exemplifies the potential of technology to transcend traditional limitations and engage a broad audience in the collective construction of knowledge that is essential to shaping a more sustainable future. Declarations Competing Interests The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. Funding This work was supported by the Federal District Research Support Foundation (FAPDF) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brazil (Grant numbers not applicable). The Avoar Cerrado application was developed between 2022 and 2023 and patented in 2024 with the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), under registration number BR5120240010025. Author Contribution All authors contributed to the conception, design, testing, material preparation, data collection, and analysis of the study. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Bruno Santos Ferreira, and all authors provided feedback on earlier versions. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. References Alcantara, M. C. (2022). Uso de comedouros para aves de vida livre: Avaliando sua influência nos serviços ecossistêmicos e no ecoturismo [Dissertação de mestrado, Universidade de São Paulo]. USP Teses. https://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/91/91131/tde-14092022-150154/. https://doi.org/10.11606/D.91.2022.tde-14092022-150154. Aydin, M. N., Harmsen, F., van Slooten, K., & Stagwee, R. A. (2005). On the Adaptation of an Agile Information Systems Development Method. Journal of Database Management (JDM) , 16(4), 25-40. https://doi.org/10.4018/jdm.2005100102. Ballard, H. L., Robinson, L. D., Young, A. N., Pauly, G. B., Higgins, L. M., Johnson, R. F., & Tweddle, J. C. (2017). Contributions to conservation outcomes by natural history museum-led citizen science: Examining evidence and next steps. Biological Conservation, 208 , 87–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2016.08.040. Beck, K., Beedle, M., van Bennekum, A., Cockburn, A., Cunningham, W., Fowler, M., Grenning, J., Highsmith, J., Hunt, A., Jeffries, R., Kern, J., Marick, B., Martin, R. C., Mellor, S., Schwaber, K., Sutherland, J., & Thomas, D. (2001). Manifesto for agile software development. https://agilemanifesto.org/ . Bonney, R., Cooper, C., Dickinson, J. L., Kelling, S., Phillips, T., Rosenberg, K., & Shirk, J. L. (2009). Citizen science: A developing tool for expanding science knowledge and scientific literacy. BioScience, 59 (11), 977–984. https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2009.59.11. Chandler, M., See, L., Copas, K., Bonde, A. M. Z., López, B. C., Danielsen, F., Legind, J. K., Masinde, S., Miller-Rushing, A. J., Newman, G., Rosemartin, A., & Turak, E. (2017). Contribution of citizen science towards international biodiversity monitoring. Biological Conservation, 213 (Part B), 280–294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2016.09.004. Cheng, X., & Zhang, Q. (2018). How to develop the interdisciplinary innovation teams sustainably? A simulation model from a perspective of knowledge fission and fusion. Sustainability, 10 , 3134. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10093134. Cunha, I. L. D., Reis, M. G., Fieker, C. Z., Dias, M. M. (2021). Brasília tapaculo (Scytalopus novacapitalis) seasonality and site occupancy in altitudinal riparian environments after non-natural burnings and feral pig invasion in Serra da Canastra National Park, Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Biology, 81 (2). https://doi.org/10.1590/1519-6984.223953. Dickinson, J. L., et al. (2012). The current state of citizen science as a tool for ecological research and public engagement. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 10 (6), 291–297. https://doi.org/10.1890/110236 Ferreira, B. S., & Gagnon, R., & Lacerda Santos, G. (2017). Gamificação e estilos de aprendizagem: Uma relação entre estilos de jogadores e estilos de aprendizagem. Journal of Learning Styles, 1 , 225–253. Ferreira, B. S. (2015a). O uso da gamification como estratégia para a capacitação de professores para o uso de softwares educativos complexos: O caso do GGBook [Projeto de dissertação de mestrado, Universidade de Brasília]. Ferreira, B. S. (2015b). SIGA: Um framework para a formação de professores para a utilização do GGBook. In Lette, M. M., & Lacerda Santos, G. (Orgs.) , Gamificação como estratégia educativa (pp. 7–172). Link Comunicação e Design. Ferreira, B. S., & Lacerda Santos, G. (2018). Gamificación como estrategia didáctica. Aplicación en la formación del profesor. Tendencias Pedagógicas , 31, 113-126. https://doi.org/10.15366/tp2018.31.006 Ferreira, R. A. da S. (2022). A importância da educação ambiental para a busca da sustentabilidade e construção da cidadania. Epitaya E-Books, 1 (12), 297–313. https://doi.org/10.47879/ed.ep.2022557p297 Finger, L., van den Bogaert, V., Schmidt, L., Fleischer, J., Stadtler, M., Sommer, K., & Wirth, J. (2023). The science of citizen science: A systematic literature review on educational and scientific outcomes . Frontiers in Education, 8 . https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1226529 Gagnon, R., & Ferreira, B. S. (2018). Tecnologia, educação e o conhecimento em ambiente de formação on-line. In C. Goulart & G. Lacerda Santos (Orgs.), Tecnologia e comunicação pedagógica (pp. 193–212). Viva Editora. Gagnon, R., Ferreira, B. S., & Santos, G. L. (2019). Towards complete knowledge for complex problems resolution. In EDU2019 (Vol. 1). JEICOM. https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2019.2.s1.3 Gagnon, R. (2015). Jogar com estilo para ter sentido. In G. Lacerda Santos & M. M. Létti (Orgs.), Gamificação como estratégia educativa (Vol. 1, pp. 7–172). Link Comunicação e Design. Grover, S., & Pea, R. (2018). Computational thinking in K–12: A review of the state of the field. Educational Researcher, 47 (2), 101–129. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X12463051 IBGE. (2023). 92,5% dos domicílios tinham acesso à internet no Brasil. https://educa.ibge.gov.br/jovens/materias-especiais/21581-informacoes-atualizadas-sobre-tecnologias-da-informacao-e-comunicacao.html Instituto Claro. (2018). Pesquisa aponta desigualdades no uso da tecnologia entre alunos das zonas rural e urbana. https://www.institutoclaro.org.br/educacao/nossas-novidades/reportagens/pesquisa-aponta-desigualdades-no-uso-da-tecnologia-entre-alunos-das-zonas-rural-e-urbana/ Kahl, S., Wood, C. M., Eibl, M., & Klinck, H. (2021). BirdNET: A deep learning solution for avian diversity monitoring . Ecological Informatics , 61, 101236. doi:10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101236 Kapp, K. M. (2012). The gamification of learning and instruction: Game-based methods and strategies for training and education. John Wiley & Sons. Klink, C. A., & Machado, R. B. (2005). Conservation of the Brazilian Cerrado. Conservation Biology, 19 (3), 707–713. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00702.x. Kukulska-Hulme, A. (2010). Mobile learning as a catalyst for change. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 25 (3), 181–185. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2010.511945. Lacerda Santos, G. (2000). Proposta de uma estratégia holística para a engenharia de softwares educativos. Revista Brasileira de Tecnologia Educativa, 148 , 22–26. Lacerda Santos, G. (2009). Alguns princípios para situações de engenharia de software educativos. Inter-Ação: Revista da Faculdade de Educação da UFG, 34 (1), 17–36. https://doi.org/10.5216/ia.v34i1.6540 Lacerda Santos, G. (2023). Avistar: Jogo digital em aplicativo para smartphone de apoio à observação de aves do Cerrado. Interfaces do Periódico Diálogo Científico FAPDF, 2 , 26–59. Lévy, P. (2015). Cibercultura (2ª ed.). Editora 34. McKenney, S., & Reeves, T. C. (2012). Conducting educational design research. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3185-5_11 Miller-Rushing, A., Richard P., Rick B. (2012). The history of public participation in ecological research. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 10 (6), 285–290. https://doi.org/10.1890/110278 Ministério das Comunicações. (2022, outubro 13). Inclusão digital fortalece caminho para ampliação da consciência ambiental. https://www.gov.br/mcom/pt-br/noticias/2022/maio/inclusao-digital-fortalece-caminho-para-ampliacao-da-consciencia-ambiental. Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108 (6), 1017–1054. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x Morteza Pour Shiri, F., et al. (2023). A comprehensive overview and comparative analysis on deep learning models: CNN, RNN, LSTM, GRU. arXiv preprint , arXiv:2305.17473. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2305.17473 Myers, N., Mittermeier, R. A., Mittermeier, C. G., Da Fonseca, G. A. B., & Kent, J. (2000). Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature, 403 , 853–858. Norouzzadeh, M. S., et al. (2018). Automatically identifying, counting, and describing wild animals in camera-trap images with deep learning. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115 (25), E5716–E5725. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1719367115 Petit, T., Ferreira, B. S., & Lacerda Santos, G. (2016). Transforming Brazilian contexts into immersion environments via mobile-enabled language learning. In A. Palalas & M. Ally (Eds.), The international handbook of mobile-assisted language learning (Vol. 1, pp. 339–370). China Central Radio & TV University Press Co. Petit, T., & Lacerda Santos, G. (2014). Mobile learning: An ergonomic alternative for long-awaited educational changes? In M. Kalz, Y. Bayyurt, & M. Specht (Eds.), Mobile as mainstream: Towards future challenges in mobile learning (Vol. 479, pp. 1–12). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13416-1_1 Petit, T., & Lacerda Santos, G. (2015). Aplicativo MapLango: Design de uma rede digital educacional para a aprendizagem nômade de línguas. In C. G. Spinillo et al. (Eds.), Anais do 7º Congresso Internacional de Design da Informação (pp. 1–10). Blucher. Pocock, M. J. O., Tweddle, J. C., Savage, J., Robinson, L. D., & Roy, H. E. (2017). The diversity and evolution of ecological and environmental citizen science. PLoS ONE, 12 (4), e0172579. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172579. Salen, K., & Zimmerman, E. (2004). Rules of play: Game design fundamentals. MIT Press. Silva, J. M. C. (1995). Birds of the Cerrado region, South America. Steenstrupia, 21 , 69–92. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018368809116 Silva, J. M. C. (1997). Endemic bird species and conservation in the Cerrado region, South America. Biodiversity and Conservation, 6 (3), 435–450. https://doi.org/ 10.1023/A:1018368809116 Silva, J. M. C., & Bates, J. M. (2002). Biogeographic patterns and conservation in the South American Cerrado: A tropical savanna hotspot. BioScience, 52 (3), 225–233. https://scispace.com/pdf/biogeographic-patterns-and-conservation-in-the-south-por9s143q7.pdf Silvertown, J. (2009). A new dawn for citizen science. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 24 (9), 467–471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2009.03.017 Specht, A., Crowston, K. (2022). A colaboração interdisciplinar de diversas equipes científicas pode produzir resultados significativos. PLoS ONE, 17 (11), e0278043. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278043 Sullivan, B. L., Wood, C. L., Iliff, M. J., Bonney, R. E., Fink, D., & Kelling, S. (2014). eBird: A citizen-based bird observation network in the biological sciences. Biological Conservation, 169 , 31–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.11.003 Tan, S. C., Lee, A. V. Y., & Lee, M. (2022). A systematic review of artificial intelligence techniques for collaborative learning over the past two decades. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 3 , 100097. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2022.100097 Teles, L. (2015). Aprendizagem colaborativa online: Práticas e reflexões. Novas Edições Acadêmicas. UNESCO. (2022, September 24). Educação e tecnologias digitais: Desafios e oportunidades. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000386147_por United Nations. (2015, October 13). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda Van den Akker, J. (1999). Principles and methods of development research. In Design approaches and tools in education and training (pp. 1–14). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4255-7_1 WikiAves. (2024). Tapaculo-de-Brasília (Scytalopus novacapitalis). https://www.wikiaves.com.br/wiki/tapaculo-de-brasilia Wu, H.-T. (2022). Establish a digital real-time learning system with push notifications. Frontiers in Psychology, 13 , 767389. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.767389 Footnotes BirdNET-Analyzer is a neural network-based bird sound identification system. This tool uses AI convolutional neural networks trained with millions of sound samples, allowing probabilistic recognition of species based on deep learning models. GitHub. https://github.com/birdnet-team/BirdNET-Analyzer Acessível em https://apps.apple.com/br/app/avoar-cerrado/id1643780042?l=en-GB Acessível em https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.agenciadeep.avoarcerrado&hl=nl Available at https://ebird.org/home Available at https://www.wikiaves.com.br Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7863198","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":530879384,"identity":"c6c3cab8-5de9-4842-80e3-a5766e322ac0","order_by":0,"name":"Bruno Santos Ferreira","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAx0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACAxTeBwaGBAYJorWwMTAwziBZCzMPMVrMpc+YPfjAUCdvLt98+LNt2508BuneB3i1WPblmBvOYDhsuLONLU06t+1ZMYPMcQO8WgzO8JhJ8zAcYNxwjMeMObftcGKDRBoBv0C01NkDtRh/tiRBC3MiUIuBNCMxWix72MokZxgcTt5wLC1Nsufc4WI2mWP4tZjzMG+T+FBRZ7vh8OHDH36UHc7jl27DrwXqPCQ2GzEaRsEoGAWjYBTgBwCW0j5u74aNegAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"University of Brasília","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Bruno","middleName":"Santos","lastName":"Ferreira","suffix":""},{"id":530879385,"identity":"d37dceca-ac2e-4846-9c05-376b5bcd046f","order_by":1,"name":"Gilberto Lacerda dos Santos","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Brasília","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Gilberto","middleName":"Lacerda dos","lastName":"Santos","suffix":""},{"id":530879386,"identity":"450bd325-44c9-4769-afad-558f706d0351","order_by":2,"name":"José Augusto Carvalho","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Instituto Butantan","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"José","middleName":"Augusto","lastName":"Carvalho","suffix":""},{"id":530879387,"identity":"3c7856f7-51c5-49c9-a7dd-123bfd90d9a3","order_by":3,"name":"Erika Hingst-Zaher","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Instituto Butantan","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Erika","middleName":"","lastName":"Hingst-Zaher","suffix":""},{"id":530879388,"identity":"551df7e5-fcdd-4935-8bd0-18a61403c252","order_by":4,"name":"Stephanie Coomans Brachène","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Brasília","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Stephanie","middleName":"Coomans","lastName":"Brachène","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-10-15 03:23:24","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7863198/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7863198/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":94220228,"identity":"8e05a00c-2981-48e7-aa9d-f42c70873cdc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:14:25","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":2971459,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"FerreiraetalAvoarCerradoAPPIJAIEfinal.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/9f068404512c742956d52335.docx"},{"id":94220221,"identity":"d961f006-f43d-47df-bb8a-3bab00d2319f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:14:24","extension":"json","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":6926,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"a51e7359442b4a95aed41c3557d2e3ab.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/ffb29475b6fb31dd2655b920.json"},{"id":94220223,"identity":"2dab4b0a-ba59-4abe-869e-a3e91822753a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:14:25","extension":"xml","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":91623,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"a51e7359442b4a95aed41c3557d2e3ab1enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/17a96b777fb4364c1ba470be.xml"},{"id":94219691,"identity":"0b313f9b-dd23-4129-9374-a880a23b9f50","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"png","order_by":16,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":26032,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/0b5a84e27a24e48fdb2685bc.png"},{"id":94219683,"identity":"dff21867-5109-4d2d-be3c-f640a601c0e6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"png","order_by":17,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":35308,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage10.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/339f7401b18d186f13d386d8.png"},{"id":94219694,"identity":"d31769f7-2ebf-44b8-a414-0bba41ad8e8f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"png","order_by":18,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":38745,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage11.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/5b41d199a96fc577fd185aac.png"},{"id":94220231,"identity":"df636565-d677-4419-a0c5-bcb50c81df7a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:14:25","extension":"png","order_by":19,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":33669,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage12.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/7af584b2389222bb3b96d62f.png"},{"id":94219701,"identity":"abb1ab1a-6edd-4e46-bac0-4d7b87439ddb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"png","order_by":20,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":25892,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage13.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/4c990778d97b820b0c2c7b4e.png"},{"id":94220226,"identity":"5675e2fa-c232-4972-9253-e0eb138d83fa","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:14:25","extension":"png","order_by":21,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":31646,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/a94a56d059d4a670adc41979.png"},{"id":94220447,"identity":"002e39f8-7244-4479-9027-e9c16874b462","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:22:25","extension":"png","order_by":22,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":44472,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/5dc98395df4c794ce0e60116.png"},{"id":94219688,"identity":"9ca25ea3-07a3-487a-82fa-53cfbd38efbb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"png","order_by":23,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":142486,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/3c74912cc47ddbadaa9a6dec.png"},{"id":94219690,"identity":"9b8ad7c0-1e41-4807-92fd-a39940b1d45f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"png","order_by":24,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":31724,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/52cc6378074e90d62211d561.png"},{"id":94220230,"identity":"880a80b4-88ac-4244-ac05-4913ab3bff9c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:14:25","extension":"png","order_by":25,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":37383,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/82558fdf708192c580dafb10.png"},{"id":94219697,"identity":"c36a38ce-d65d-441a-afee-eb6b19921448","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"png","order_by":26,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":55253,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage7.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/6a0cced82dbbadd345f35aea.png"},{"id":94219696,"identity":"643e32bf-1a7c-4d69-b3e0-e4422c4b2fc2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"png","order_by":27,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":37633,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage8.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/ca5dd8da0be9f7fd21080234.png"},{"id":94219698,"identity":"fe6d4b81-105f-4510-937b-66db589ff4d3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"png","order_by":28,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":21596,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage9.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/254c14c00b8d8bba91f40f23.png"},{"id":94219700,"identity":"34cfb32c-fa82-44ed-9f0d-1c834271c8b3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"xml","order_by":29,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":89412,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"a51e7359442b4a95aed41c3557d2e3ab1structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/a0a2f75961245c1fbc38c97d.xml"},{"id":94219699,"identity":"231c9e80-39e4-4151-b6d5-f9e1845ff9a8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"html","order_by":30,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":104780,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/57737b3ec4e7f651f5fd8023.html"},{"id":94219674,"identity":"654a40e4-f95f-45ee-8a7e-abe2dc449d8b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:24","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":158452,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eImages of the Avoar app interfaces\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: The author\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/fd28bb38f012a33214cedd19.png"},{"id":94219676,"identity":"d5eb3e98-d409-4d4b-828e-289e2935ea45","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":179473,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe app on Google Play\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.agenciadeep.avoarcerrado\u0026amp;hl=nl\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/4193fd5097e96e6ee2be5a00.png"},{"id":94220225,"identity":"30193c30-ca89-485c-9492-f1fb8dfe54df","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:14:25","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":281584,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe app on Apple Store\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: https://apps.apple.com/br/app/avoar-cerrado/id1643780042?l=en-GB\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/def558a8a161b17540bf9673.png"},{"id":94220222,"identity":"ba5184b7-13d9-47ac-9450-04fc15729cdb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:14:25","extension":"jpeg","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":156424,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eConceptual view of the\u003cem\u003e Avoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e app project\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: the authors.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage4.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/ac70823a82731b5d84d7a020.jpeg"},{"id":94219678,"identity":"88289da2-b5f1-4073-8c0e-32d24723cd30","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":215719,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eBird recording mechanisms\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: the authors.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/defa4ebc91e450239ef64115.png"},{"id":94219680,"identity":"7161ff56-12c8-4a05-bf22-158536f5f2d0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":314155,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eBird observation support tutorial\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: The authors.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/74e0779763b8613964affedd.png"},{"id":94219681,"identity":"4593e9e3-c2b3-4282-8cbb-d2168c2f7be8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"png","order_by":7,"title":"Figure 7","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":369367,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eArchitecture of the bird observation and recognition flow using AI\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: The authors.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage7.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/ae5b2eb1132c97442fa9b8c7.png"},{"id":94220224,"identity":"3455dedb-8367-4438-b994-cfb548afd1a0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:14:25","extension":"png","order_by":8,"title":"Figure 8","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":272501,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eApplication recognition modes\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: the authors.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage8.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/da1cf99bc70d8e4405457604.png"},{"id":94219687,"identity":"ff69d43d-2e0c-4a01-9d1a-70136b15191a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"png","order_by":9,"title":"Figure 9","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":131511,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eKnowledge challenge screens\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: the authors.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage9.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/eb7f7f5130e26e6eb76ad628.png"},{"id":94220448,"identity":"e8261d2b-f2d9-4aca-9713-1288ebf28eb2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:22:25","extension":"png","order_by":10,"title":"Figure 10","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":212660,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eNetworked collaborative learning\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: the authors.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage10.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/cad753b74297f136633012ef.png"},{"id":94219684,"identity":"19f2797b-a67b-4863-ba0b-9169530742aa","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"png","order_by":11,"title":"Figure 11","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":263992,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eMechanism supporting networked collaborative learning\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: the authors.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage11.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/55b2bc86941274e9a9875e50.png"},{"id":94219695,"identity":"a287d5a6-c391-4969-a78e-52675c06893b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"png","order_by":12,"title":"Figure 12","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":225345,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eScreens of the level achievement system\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: the authors.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage12.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/95997971495fddfe1ecda73b.png"},{"id":94219702,"identity":"8e874384-fda5-4a2f-a4f0-4b796ad56b3c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 18:06:25","extension":"png","order_by":13,"title":"Figure 13","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":174063,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eCollectible card Album screens\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: the authors.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage13.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/a6a6d8ebaee4355b913e4126.png"},{"id":104961427,"identity":"55a6f8e6-3c5f-4dba-b2e2-6cd76e3d3386","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-19 08:59:06","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":3698376,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7863198/v1/06c6cb8d-2fd5-47ab-a3aa-d5c1c4e29475.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Avoar Cerrado: research and development of a gamified educational application with artificial intelligence to foster the conservation of Cerrado birds through citizen science strategies","fulltext":[{"header":"1 INTRODUCTION","content":"\u003cp\u003eDigital technologies are central elements in expanding access to knowledge and promoting environmental sustainability. Access to interactive platforms and social networks provides powerful tools for raising environmental awareness, increasingly engaging individuals in discussions and practices aimed at environmental preservation (Minist\u0026eacute;rio das Comunica\u0026ccedil;\u0026otilde;es, 2022). Their connectivity mechanisms play a crucial role by bringing together communities and individuals and enabling a continuous flow of real-time information, which is essential for the collective construction of knowledge \u0026ndash; or, as defined by L\u0026eacute;vy (2015), for collective intelligence. This exchange of information transforms the way sustainable practices and environmental preservation reach populations that previously had limited access to such technologies (Ferreira, 2022).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe widespread dissemination of smartphones and the growing access to the internet, both in urban and rural areas, have facilitated the development of innovative technological solutions, especially those focused on education and digital inclusion. According to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), in 2023, 92.5% of households in Brazil had internet access, with a significant increase in rural areas, where the percentage reached 81% (IBGE, 2023). This technological advancement creates new opportunities for the development of platforms and applications that integrate education, civic participation, and environmental preservation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWithin the global framework of sustainable development, the United Nations' 2030 Agenda emphasizes the critical role of education and technology in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Avoar Cerrado project directly aligns with multiple SDGs, particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), which calls for inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all; SDG 15 (Life on Land), which targets the protection and restoration of terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity; and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), which emphasizes the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships and technology sharing. By leveraging digital technologies to promote environmental literacy and citizen participation in biodiversity monitoring, initiatives like \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e contribute to the integrated approach necessary for achieving these interconnected global goals (United Nations, 2023).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the current educational context, UNESCO highlights that the adoption of digital technologies, such as smartphones and the internet, is transforming how knowledge is disseminated, expanding access to learning, and promoting social inclusion (UNESCO, 2022). Beyond promoting connectivity and digital inclusion, these technologies enable the creation of interactive tools that can be applied in both urban and rural areas to foster community engagement in citizen science initiatives, such as environmental data collection (Instituto Claro, 2018).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIndeed, increasingly accessible mobile applications support the development of innovative tools that can drive new citizen science initiatives, such as the collection of environmental data and the observation of natural phenomena through interactive technologies. In this context, Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially through computer vision techniques, emerges as a key facilitator of these innovations, enhancing the ability to analyze and recognize visual and auditory patterns, which enables the automatic identification of animal species, as in the case of bird observation (Sullivan \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e,2014, Norouzzadeh \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2018; Kahl \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2021).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Brazilian Cerrado represents 23% of Brazil's territory, and it is recognized as one of the world's biodiversity hotspots (Myers \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2000). This biome harbors extraordinary species richness, with high levels of endemism across multiple taxonomic groups (Klink \u0026amp; Machado, 2005). The Cerrado is particularly important for avian diversity, supporting more than 830 bird species (Silva, 1995), of which approximately 30 are endemic or restricted to specific open habitats and face significant conservation challenges (Silva, 1997; Silva \u0026amp; Bates, 2002). Additionally, the Cerrado serves as a critical water source for major South American river systems, reinforcing its ecological and hydrological importance. Despite its immense value, the Cerrado faces severe conservation challenges: Over the past four decades, more than 50% of its original vegetation has been converted to pasture and agricultural lands, with deforestation rates historically exceeding those of the Amazon rainforest (Klink \u0026amp; Machado, 2005), making conservation efforts critically urgent to prevent further biodiversity loss and maintain essential ecosystem services. In this context, the dissemination and popularization of knowledge about the Cerrado biome through accessible digital tools becomes essential for fostering environmental citizenship and promoting effective conservation action (Bickford \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2012; Ballard \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2017). By facilitating citizen science initiatives through smartphone-based platforms, such tools not only democratize access to scientific information but also strengthen environmental awareness, foster meaningful connections between people and nature, and contribute to large-scale data collection that supports informed conservation policies and management decisions (Chandler \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2017; Pocock \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2017).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this sense, our project, by developing the mobile application \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e as a pedagogically meaningful and relevant citizen science tool, aimed to combine technologies and artificial intelligence strategies for the recognition of bird sounds and images from the Cerrado biome. The \u003cem\u003eAvoar\u003c/em\u003e app integrates the information acquired with gamification and game design strategies (Ferreira, 2015a, 2015b; Ferreira, Gagnon, \u0026amp; Lacerda Santos, 2017; Ferreira \u0026amp; Lacerda Santos, 2018; Kapp, 2012; Salen \u0026amp; Zimmerman, 2004), mobile learning approaches (Petit \u0026amp; Lacerda Santos, 2015), and collaborative networked learning dynamics (Teles, 2015), alongside geolocation data. By articulating scientific ornithological content through bird observation and identification in the Cerrado biome - made possible through AI integration via a pre-trained computer vision mechanism that uses a deep convolutional neural network to help users automatically identify bird species from photos and sounds converted into spectrograms using the BirdNET-Analyser AI Model\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e (Kahl \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2021) \u0026ndash; the application situates users within a gamified dynamic of content production through bird photography and video recording. Once identified by the system, each species, according to its scientific classification and common name, is converted into both scientific data and digital game cards. Around this digital game, users not only empower themselves with scientific knowledge but also share their unique insights within an educational environment where a collaborative, network-based learning community is formed. Below are some images of the application\u0026rsquo;s interface, which is freely available in online stores Apple Store\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e e Google Play\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2 OBJECTIVES","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis project aims to develop and validate Avoar Cerrado as an AI-powered mobile educational platform that engages diverse communities in citizen science practices while promoting environmental literacy and conservation of Cerrado avifauna. By integrating artificial intelligence for automated species recognition, gamification for sustained user engagement, and networked collaborative learning through an integrated social network, the application transforms recreational birdwatching into a meaningful educational and scientific activity. The platform generates georeferenced biodiversity data that supports ornithological research and informs conservation policies, while democratizing access to scientific knowledge and fostering active citizen participation in environmental preservation efforts.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"3 MATERIALS AND METHODS","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe design and development of an educational digital application is an endeavor rooted in the field of software engineering, and it was from this perspective that the materials and methods for this study were identified and applied. Structurally, the project followed a Research and Development (R\u0026amp;D) methodological approach (Van der Akker, 1999), combining principles of agile software engineering (Aydin \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2005; Beck et al., 2001; Lacerda Santos, 2000) with computer vision algorithms and artificial intelligence techniques (Morteza Pour Shiri \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2023), while integrating pedagogical theories with applied practices to develop a viable solution to teaching and learning challenges (Lacerda Santos, 2009; McKenney \u0026amp; Reeves, 2012). Within this framework, the central goal was to create an educational application that facilitates the identification of bird species from the Cerrado biome while promoting citizen science practices and collaborative learning within an integrated social network environment.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn educational projects, the R\u0026amp;D methodology \u0026ndash; when directed towards the development of digital products such as educational applications \u0026ndash; represents an approach focused on creating innovative solutions that meet both pedagogical and technological objectives. In this context, R\u0026amp;D involves a combination of theoretical research, practical experimentation, and iterative technological development to ensure that the final product is functional, accessible, efficient, and aligned not only with users\u0026rsquo; needs (Van der Akker, 1999) but also with educational goals (Kukulska-Hulme, 2010). Accordingly, the R\u0026amp;D approach, when applied to the development of an educational digital application, follows several essential stages.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe first stage involves identifying pedagogical needs, during which the role of the application in the teaching-learning process is defined. This stage requires a detailed analysis of both pedagogical and technical requirements (Lacerda Santos, 2000), ensuring that the application\u0026rsquo;s functionalities are aligned with educational objectives (Mishra \u0026amp; Koehler, 2006).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNext, a prototyping phase takes place, during which an initial version of the application is created, allowing the product to be tested and refined based on feedback from users and experts (Lacerda Santos, 2000). According to Aydin et al. (2021), this iterative development process is a core characteristic of the R\u0026amp;D methodology, enabling the continuous incorporation of improvements.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDuring the development of our project, agile software engineering also played a crucial role. The use of agile methodologies, such as Scrum, allowed for the incremental creation of features, prioritizing continuous feedback among team members and rapid adaptation to changing user needs, as suggested by Beck \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e (2001). This incremental approach enabled close collaboration between developers, educators, and other stakeholders, ensuring that the application met both technical expectations and pedagogical requirements.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFinally, as emphasized by McKenney \u0026amp; Reeves (2012), testing and validation are fundamental components of the R\u0026amp;D methodology. In this phase, the project is tested with its target audience using different technical strategies and across diverse educational contexts to verify its pedagogical coherence, accessibility, and technical usability. The data collected during testing are then used to adjust and optimize the product prior to its final release (Lacerda Santos, 2000). In our project, this R\u0026amp;D process ensured that the application not only facilitated the identification of bird species from the Cerrado biome and supported citizen science practices but also promoted collaborative learning within an integrated social network, offering a meaningful and immersive educational experience.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFollowing the perspectives of Aydin \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e. (2005) and Beck \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e (2001), the following sections detail the interdependent stages of our methodological process:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e\u003cb\u003e3.1 Conception and Analysis of Functional, Non-Functional, and Pedagogical Requirements\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the initial phase, we conducted a detailed analysis of user needs and the educational and technological objectives of the application. This phase involved:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ea) Conducting interviews with experts in education, biology, and educational technology to understand both technical and pedagogical requirements;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eb) Carrying out technical feasibility studies, including an analysis of the most suitable AI and computer vision techniques and tools for bird image and sound recognition, such as deep learning algorithms (Convolutional Neural Networks \u0026ndash; CNNs), which have been widely applied to classify different species (Kahl \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2021; Morteza Pour Shiri \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2023);\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ec) Identifying usability and accessibility requirements, with a focus on digital inclusion, ensuring that the application would be user-friendly and intuitive for a wide range of user profiles.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.2 Prototyping and Agile Development\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFollowing the conception phase, we adopted an Agile Development model for the creation of the \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e application. This model allowed us to follow iterative and incremental cycles of design and implementation. From this perspective, the chosen agile methodology enabled continuous feedback integration between users and specialists involved in the process, through the following stages:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ea) Stage 1 \u0026ndash; Development of a functional prototype: An initial version of the application was built using the Dart programming language and the Flutter mobile development framework, integrating AI libraries for image and sound recognition such as TensorFlow, Keras, NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, Scikit-Learn, and OpenCV. The prototype included the user interface and the basic bird classification algorithms.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eb) Stage 2 \u0026ndash; Sprint cycles: Each sprint focused on different functionalities of the application, including the implementation of AI, the gamification system (scoring and challenges to engage users), and collaborative learning features, such as the creation of an integrated social network for sharing discoveries.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.3 Testing and Validation\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe validation of the application was carried out in two main phases:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ea) Phase 1: Alpha Testing \u0026ndash; In the first phase, referred to as alpha testing, the prototype of the application was evaluated by a small group of experts and potential users. This phase included: 1) Usability testing: Evaluation of the interface and user experience, based on user-centered design principles; 2) Validation of the AI model: The bird recognition algorithm was tested with an initial dataset of images and sounds from Cerrado bird species, assessing the accuracy and precision of species classification.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eb) Phase 2: Beta Testing \u0026ndash; After adjustments were made during the alpha phase, the application was tested under real-world conditions with a larger group of users, including birdwatchers and environmental educators. The beta tests enabled: 1) Evaluation of the AI model\u0026rsquo;s performance in different environments, including locations with varying light and noise conditions, verifying the accuracy of image and sound recognition; 2) Collection of feedback on the functionality of the integrated educational social network, where users could share their observations, comment on others\u0026rsquo; findings, contribute to discussions about data validity, and validate or appreciate species identifications, thereby improving the accuracy of the identification model and contributing to citizen science.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.4 Data Collection and Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eDuring the beta tests, various types of data were collected for subsequent analysis:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ea) Georeferenced data: Bird observations were recorded based on geographic location, enabling the creation of a collaborative map of Cerrado species;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eb) Social interaction data: User interactions within the app\u0026rsquo;s social network (comments, appreciations, identification corrections, shares, and feeder creation) were analyzed to measure levels of engagement and collaborative learning;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ec) App usage metrics: Metrics such as usage time, number of interactions, and participation rates in gamified activities were analyzed to assess the effectiveness of gamification in promoting sustained engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.5 Adjustments and Optimization\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eBased on the data collected during the beta testing phase, adjustments were made to the AI algorithm to improve bird identification accuracy, along with optimizations to the user interface to enhance navigation experience. Additional adjustments were made to gamification mechanics to further motivate users to participate continuously.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.6 Dissemination and Final Implementation\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter final adjustments, the \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e application was made publicly available through virtual stores (Google Play and Apple Store), accompanied by a support portal presenting the project and facilitating the management and monitoring of the application and its database. Moreover, the methodology included disseminating the results through scientific articles and academic events, with the goal of sharing innovations both in the application of AI for environmental education and in the design of connective and inclusive educational technologies.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne of the key factors in the success of this educational technology development project was interdisciplinary collaboration. Joint work among specialists from different fields \u0026ndash; such as education, software engineering, data science, biology, and interaction design \u0026ndash; enabled the creation of a more complete and pedagogically appropriate educational tool, meeting both pedagogical and technological demands (Lacerda Santos, 2009). Research shows that interdisciplinary teams enrich the development process by combining diverse perspectives and specialized knowledge, contributing to innovation in education and solving complex real-world problems (Cheng \u0026amp; Zhang, 2018; Specht \u0026amp; Crowston, 2022). In our project, the team included software engineering and AI experts responsible for developing bird recognition algorithms, as well as educators, designers, and biologists to ensure that the app\u0026rsquo;s content and features aligned with collaborative learning goals and citizen science principles. This interdisciplinary collaboration was also crucial to integrating gamification elements and educational social networks, creating a connective, inclusive, and engaging learning environment.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDuring the alpha testing phase, the project was showcased at the 19th National Week of Science and Technology, supported by funding from CNPq. The \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e project was presented to the public through a thematic stand where the application was made available and tested with its primary audience: students from the final years of primary and secondary education.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"4 RESULTS","content":"\u003cp\u003eAs this study involved the conception and development of an educational technological product \u0026ndash; specifically, a smartphone application designed to promote connectivity in support of environmental preservation and pedagogically grounded citizen science, while leveraging AI, Networked Collaborative Learning, Mobile Learning, Gamification, and Citizen Science \u0026ndash; the primary outcomes of the research are twofold: the application itself and the results it generated.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegarding the application, the final product demonstrates the success of the endeavor, as it was fully developed, met all intended educational software engineering objectives, and was ultimately patented at the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWithin the architecture of the \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e application, elements of Artificial Intelligence, collaborative and cooperative networked learning, mobile learning, and citizen science are brought together around a playful and educational framework aligned with gamification principles. Its game-based interaction design proposes a rich and multifaceted gamification system, specifically designed to engage users in the observation and documentation of bird species in the Cerrado biome through a variety of features. These include social interactions that facilitate collaboration in bird identification and monitoring, as well as challenges that test users\u0026rsquo; knowledge about the Cerrado ecosystem.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe application also incorporates performance leaderboards, an achievement journey across different levels of expertise, and a wide range of rewards such as points, badges, collectible cards, and a comprehensive bird guide. All of this is supported by an AI system for image and sound recognition. User interactions are integrated into a built-in social network where collaborative learning takes place, offering a comprehensive citizen science experience.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.1 Bird observation mechanisms\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e, users can identify bird species through photographic or audio recordings using mobile devices. In the case of photographs, the application allows users to adjust the image - such as cropping, enhancing colors, and improving lighting - before submitting it for analysis.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe AI system employs Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to process the images, identifying visual patterns such as silhouette, color, and shape, and comparing them with our database of bird species native to the Cerrado biome. For sound recognition, a pre-trained AI model, BirdNET, was used (Kahl \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2021) to compare captured audio with previously processed and known bird vocalizations, providing fast and accurate species identification.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: the authors.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo guide users in obtaining better observations, the application provides an educational tutorial that outlines the steps required to achieve satisfactory results in birdwatching:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: The authors.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this way, the application provides detailed information about the species, such as its common and scientific names, size, feeding habits, habitat, and the location of the observation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFigure\u0026nbsp;7\u003c/b\u003e Architecture of the bird observation and recognition flow using AI\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: The authors.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.2 Social and individual recognition modes\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe application rewards both social engagement and users\u0026rsquo; cognitive performance through an achievement system. Interactions in the social feed and on the geolocation map earn exchange coins, experience points, and badges. On the individual level, users participate in interactive quiz-based challenges, answering questions about the Cerrado biome. Their performance is recorded in leaderboards, where participants are rewarded with coins, badges, and points.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: the authors.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.3 Knowledge and identification challenges\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe application offers challenges in which users identify birds based on silhouettes, songs, or general information. These challenges encourage continuous learning and reward participants with experience points, badges, and exchange coins.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: the authors.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.4 Integrated social network\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eUser interaction takes place within an integrated social network, where bird observations are shared through a social feed and an interactive geolocation map. Posts with identifications, comments, and likes are recorded and rewarded. Users can also form private social networks by following and being followed by other participants. Images of the social feed will be added to illustrate these interactions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: the authors.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e\u003cb\u003e4.5 Integrated social network that fosters collaborative learning\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eGamification in \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e is directly connected to Networked Collaborative Learning. Users earn experience points and coins by contributing to the knowledge network through recording or identifying new species. These contributions are recognized with badges and additional points, promoting progress in their individual journey while fostering knowledge sharing within the community proposed by the application.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: the authors.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.6 Game mechanics of excellence levels\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe application includes a system of excellence levels in which users progress from novice to higher ranks such as curious, enthusiast, explorer, specialist, and expert. This system motivates users to continue interacting and contributing to the platform, striving to reach new levels of knowledge.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: the authors.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.7 \u003cem\u003eCollectible cards game system\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e offers a system that allows users to exchange coins for collectible bird cards from the Cerrado, classified into four categories: common, unusual, challenging, and rare. Users can unlock these cards and add them to their personal collections, encouraging friendly competition and personalization.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: the authors.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFinally, these features make our application an interactive and engaging educational tool, with gamification promoting continuous user engagement through push notifications that provide constant, real-time feedback and keep users informed (Wu, 2022). In addition, the bird recognition process was designed to be user-friendly and accessible, offering an educational, enjoyable, and enriching experience.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"5 DISCUSSION","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe development of \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e demonstrates how interdisciplinary collaboration can yield innovative solutions that bridge technology, education, and environmental conservation. This section examines the theoretical foundations that guided our design decisions and discusses how the integration of artificial intelligence, gamification, and networked collaborative learning addresses contemporary challenges in citizen science and environmental education. By grounding the application's architecture in established pedagogical and technological frameworks, we created a platform with the potential to democratize access to scientific knowledge while fostering meaningful engagement with Cerrado biodiversity.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe following subsections explore the key theoretical pillars that informed the application's development and their implications for educational practice and conservation efforts.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec19\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e5.1 About Citizen Science\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe concept of citizen science refers to the practice in which members of society actively participate in different stages of the scientific process, whether in problem identification, methodology design, or data collection and analysis (Finger \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2023). This form of involvement serves as a bridge between formal scientific research and the community, promoting the inclusion of citizens in activities that were traditionally reserved for scientists. Citizen science not only democratizes the process of knowledge production but also expands the scale and scope of data collection, particularly in projects related to biodiversity and environmental conservation (Bonney \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2009). As highlighted by Chandler \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e (2017), citizen science has the potential to provide high-quality data across temporal and spatial scales that would be unattainable for scientists working alone.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlatforms focused on bird observation, such as eBird\u003csup\u003e4\u003c/sup\u003e and WikiAves\u003csup\u003e5\u003c/sup\u003e, are concrete examples of citizen science (Sullivan \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2014). These platforms enable amateur observers and scientists alike to collect data on bird distribution, behavior, and migration, contributing directly to scientific knowledge production (Silvertown, 2009). Such initiatives demonstrate how citizen science can be used to generate large-scale data, facilitating the formulation of public policies and conservation strategies. In this context, the information collected not only broadens the scientific knowledge base but also fosters civic engagement, as citizens become active, connected, and included participants in the scientific process, thereby increasing their scientific literacy and environmental awareness (Dickinson \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2012).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e, these principles of citizen science are operationalized through AI-assisted species identification and collaborative validation mechanisms, lowering barriers to participation while maintaining data quality. The application initially performs the automated identification of images and sounds, suggesting the most probable species based on the photo or audio recording submitted by the user. Once the identification is generated, the record is shared on the application\u0026rsquo;s integrated social network, where all users are notified of the new observation. Participants can then comment on the post, confirm the identification, or suggest corrections, creating a collaborative review process that mirrors scientific peer validation. This interactive workflow not only enhances the accuracy and credibility of the data but also promotes collective learning and user engagement, reaffirming that effective citizen science depends equally on technological accessibility and social collaboration, as highlighted by Bonney et al. (2009) and Dickinson et al. (2012).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec20\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e5.2 Artificial intelligence \u0026ndash; Computer Vision\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAI and computer vision have proven to be powerful tools in educational environments, promoting new ways of teaching and learning (Tan, Lee, \u0026amp; Lee, 2022). Computer vision, in particular, uses CNNs to recognize patterns in images, allowing software to identify objects such as animals, plants (Norouzzadeh \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2018), or even text in different educational contexts (Morteza Pour Shiri \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2023). In the \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e project, these technologies are applied to bird observation, facilitating species identification based on the images and sounds captured by users (Kahl \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2021; Morteza Pour Shiri \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2023). The use of AI in educational contexts enables learning to become more personalized and interactive, fostering student engagement through immersive visual and auditory experiences. As noted by Lin \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e (2024), AI allows for greater precision in the analysis of visual and auditory data, providing immediate and detailed feedback, which enhances both autonomous and collaborative learning.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeyond fostering more engaging learning experiences, our project demonstrates that computer vision and AI also play a crucial role in democratizing access to scientific knowledge. Through the \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e application, the use of these technologies transforms citizen science into an accessible activity, empowering users to learn about scientific taxonomy while contributing to the collection of biodiversity data. AI-based applications such as \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e are increasingly being used in fields like environmental education, providing an effective integration between theory and practice while promoting a deeper understanding of ecosystems and environmental conservation (Grover \u0026amp; Pea, 2018). Thus, AI and computer vision not only expand teaching possibilities but also engage communities in collaborative initiatives that strengthen continuous learning and education for sustainability.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe integration of CNNs and BirdNET into \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e exemplifies how AI can serve not only as an identification tool but as an educational scaffold. By providing immediate, accurate feedback, the application enables users to progressively develop their ornithological expertise while contributing to scientific knowledge, thus transforming passive consumers of information into active participants in biodiversity research.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec21\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e5.3 Gamification\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo ensure continuous user motivation, \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e incorporates gamification elements and techniques, rewarding participants for their contributions with points, badges, and level progression. These different forms of recognition constitute a pedagogically oriented reward system designed not only to make the experience enjoyable but also to promote sustained engagement \u0026ndash; an essential aspect for the continuous monitoring of biodiversity. Furthermore, interactions within the application are structured as challenges and cooperative competitions, aimed at consolidating and retaining knowledge about the Cerrado biome. This pedagogical approach to gamification has been the subject of research in our laboratory for over a decade, culminating in several scientific publications (Ferreira, 2015a, 2015b; Gagnon, 2015; Petit, Ferreira, \u0026amp; Lacerda Santos, 2016; Ferreira, Gagnon, \u0026amp; Lacerda Santos, 2017; Ferreira \u0026amp; Lacerda Santos, 2018; Gagnon \u0026amp; Ferreira, 2018; Gagnon, Ferreira, \u0026amp; Santos, 2019).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAdditionally, by valuing users\u0026rsquo; intellectual contributions to citizen science activities, the application encourages the active participation of individuals from diverse backgrounds, who contribute valuable data to scientific research by collecting both quantitative and qualitative information about bird species in the Cerrado. This practice of citizen science involves observing birds at feeders, transforming a recreational activity into a tool for scientific initiation. Alcantara (2022) points out that the use of feeders as spaces for scientific engagement remains underexplored despite its significant potential. \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e enhances this potential by creating a digital environment where bird observation becomes an accessible, enjoyable, and, above all, educational activity \u0026ndash; allowing a broad audience to participate in the systematic recording of data that can inform scientific research and public policy development.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOur application's gamification architecture was designed to sustain engagement beyond initial curiosity. This approach recognizes that long-term citizen science participation demands continuous motivation through meaningful recognition and progressive achievement systems that reward both learning and contribution.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec22\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e5.4 Networked Collaborative Learning\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e also promotes networked collaborative learning by enabling users to share their observations, discuss bird characteristics, and form interest groups, thereby creating a community of practice focused on environmental conservation. The educational social networking feature facilitates the exchange of information and experiences, expanding the participants\u0026rsquo; collective knowledge. According to Teles (2015), such interaction fosters continuous learning, in which mutual contributions enrich the experience of all those involved.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeyond its educational benefits, \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e has a direct impact on environmental conservation by creating a georeferenced database that can be used by researchers and policymakers. The ability to identify and classify species automatically, supported by AI, accelerates the process of data collection and qualification, overcoming the limitations of manual databases such as WikiAves and eBird. By facilitating the generation and use of large-scale data, \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e contributes to informed decision-making and the development of effective public policies aimed at biodiversity conservation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe social networking features of \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e transform individual bird observations into collective knowledge construction. By enabling users to comment, validate, and discuss identifications, the platform creates a community of practice where expertise is distributed and learning occurs through peer interaction, embodying the vision of Teles (2015) for networked collaborative learning in ecologically relevant contexts.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec23\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e5.5 \u003cem\u003eMobile Learning and Nomadic Learning\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom the perspective of the educational process promoted by the application, \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e is grounded in the concepts of mobile learning and nomadic learning. These concepts refer to the use of mobile technologies to enable learning to occur anywhere and at any time, without the need for a fixed physical environment (Petit \u0026amp; Lacerda Santos, 2015). Our project leverages the flexibility offered by mobile devices, allowing users to access educational content or engage in citizen science activities while on the move or in contexts beyond traditional classroom settings.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMoreover, the principles of nomadic learning are based on the theory of collective intelligence, as discussed by Pierre L\u0026eacute;vy. This theory posits that knowledge is constructed and shared collaboratively, with learners contributing to a network of knowledge through digital interactions, often mediated by technological platforms (L\u0026eacute;vy, 2015).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBy adopting the principles of mobile learning and nomadic learning, our project provides an educational tool that expands the boundaries of teaching and learning, integrating technology as a facilitator of learning in motion and redefining the educational process beyond the traditional confines of the classroom (Petit \u0026amp; Lacerda Santos, 2015).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFinally, by integrating Artificial Intelligence and computer vision with gamification elements and educational concepts such as nomadic learning and networked collaborative learning, the project fosters digital inclusion and connectivity, enabling individuals in remote areas to actively participate in data collection about the Brazilian Cerrado biome while engaging in meaningful learning experiences. This approach not only strengthens scientific knowledge about Cerrado bird species but also creates an interactive and collaborative learning space, broadening the reach of environmental education and biodiversity conservation. To support the development of our project, the R\u0026amp;D methodology ensured that the application was built within the established timeframe, accessible to the widest possible audience, and aligned with the pedagogical and scientific objectives we defined.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBy embracing mobile and nomadic learning principles, \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e liberates environmental education from fixed locations and scheduled instruction. The application meets users in their contexts, enabling learning that is situated, authentic, and responsive to immediate environmental encounters. This mobility represents a pedagogical shift toward learning that occurs where biodiversity exists.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"6 Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e application represents a transformative initiative that combines education, digital technology, AI, and gamification to promote meaningful accessibility and digital inclusion while overcoming historical barriers to birdwatching and public participation in citizen science. By integrating these technologies in an accessible and inclusive way, the application not only democratizes access to scientific knowledge \u0026ndash; allowing individuals without specialized training to accurately identify bird species \u0026ndash; but also fosters the engagement of diverse communities through interactive and educational experiences in virtual bird feeders.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs presented throughout this project, artificial intelligence plays a central role by enabling the automatic identification of species from photos and sounds, expanding biodiversity data collection in remote and diverse areas of the Cerrado biome. This not only enriches scientific research with more comprehensive and systematized information but also actively involves citizens who might otherwise lack the technical means to contribute meaningfully. Furthermore, the use of gamification turns participation into a playful and rewarding experience, encouraging repetition and sustained user engagement, crucial aspects for continuous species monitoring and for building a network of collaborators committed to bird conservation in the Cerrado.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs a tool for promoting digital inclusion and connectivity, \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e holds significant potential to dissolve geographical and social barriers by connecting individuals from isolated regions with limited access to technology. Our next step is to provide not only the tool itself but also the training necessary for communities to actively engage in environmental conservation. In doing so, the application can generate valuable data on Brazilian biodiversity and offer an opportunity for collaborative learning, raising awareness about the importance of bird conservation and their habitats.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn addition to fostering social inclusion and connectivity, our project\u0026mdash;by integrating various theories, strategies, techniques, and digital tools into a single educational application, makes significant contributions to the field of educational software engineering, an interdisciplinary domain that bridges computer science and education. Moreover, by promoting citizen science through a structured system for recording, identifying, and mapping bird species, it also contributes to the field of ornithology. A notable example, as previously mentioned, is the Brasilia tapaculo (\u003cem\u003eScytalopus novacapitalis\u003c/em\u003e), a rare and endangered species restricted to specific areas of the Cerrado, especially gallery forests. This species faces threats such as unnatural fires and the invasion of exotic species like wild boars, which degrade its habitats (Cunha \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2021). According to the authors, these factors limit suitable habitats and increase the species\u0026rsquo; vulnerability. Since its discovery in Bras\u0026iacute;lia in 1958, during the construction of the capital, studies have documented a decline in population numbers (WikiAves, 2024). We hope that with the support of our application, more individuals of this species can be located, identified, and mapped, thereby contributing to the preservation of this emblematic species of our capital.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThus, \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e positions itself as an innovative and inclusive tool that unites technology and education in the service of developing environmental awareness. This initiative demonstrates how educational digital solutions can be used to empower individuals and communities toward a common goal: sustainability and the protection of the Cerrado\u0026rsquo;s biodiversity. This integrated approach exemplifies the potential of technology to transcend traditional limitations and engage a broad audience in the collective construction of knowledge that is essential to shaping a more sustainable future.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCompeting Interests\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFunding\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis work was supported by the Federal District Research Support Foundation (FAPDF) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brazil (Grant numbers not applicable). The \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e application was developed between 2022 and 2023 and patented in 2024 with the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), under registration number BR5120240010025.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll authors contributed to the conception, design, testing, material preparation, data collection, and analysis of the study. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Bruno Santos Ferreira, and all authors provided feedback on earlier versions. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlcantara, M. C. (2022). \u003cem\u003eUso de comedouros para aves de vida livre: Avaliando sua influ\u0026ecirc;ncia nos servi\u0026ccedil;os ecossist\u0026ecirc;micos e no ecoturismo\u003c/em\u003e [Disserta\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o de mestrado, Universidade de S\u0026atilde;o Paulo]. USP Teses. https://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/91/91131/tde-14092022-150154/. https://doi.org/10.11606/D.91.2022.tde-14092022-150154.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAydin, M. N., Harmsen, F., van Slooten, K., \u0026amp; Stagwee, R. A. (2005). On the Adaptation of an Agile Information Systems Development Method. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Database Management (JDM)\u003c/em\u003e, 16(4), 25-40. https://doi.org/10.4018/jdm.2005100102.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBallard, H. L., Robinson, L. D., Young, A. N., Pauly, G. B., Higgins, L. M., Johnson, R. F., \u0026amp; Tweddle, J. C. (2017). Contributions to conservation outcomes by natural history museum-led citizen science: Examining evidence and next steps. \u003cem\u003eBiological Conservation, 208\u003c/em\u003e, 87\u0026ndash;97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2016.08.040.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBeck, K., Beedle, M., van Bennekum, A., Cockburn, A., Cunningham, W., Fowler, M., Grenning, J., Highsmith, J., Hunt, A., Jeffries, R., Kern, J., Marick, B., Martin, R. C., Mellor, S., Schwaber, K., Sutherland, J., \u0026amp; Thomas, D. (2001). \u003cem\u003eManifesto for agile software development.\u003c/em\u003e https://agilemanifesto.org/\u003cu\u003e.\u003c/u\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBonney, R., Cooper, C., Dickinson, J. L., Kelling, S., Phillips, T., Rosenberg, K., \u0026amp; Shirk, J. L. (2009). \u003cem\u003eCitizen science: A developing tool for expanding science knowledge and scientific literacy.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eBioScience, 59\u003c/em\u003e(11), 977\u0026ndash;984. https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2009.59.11.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChandler, M., See, L., Copas, K., Bonde, A. M. Z., L\u0026oacute;pez, B. C., Danielsen, F., Legind, J. K., Masinde, S., Miller-Rushing, A. J., Newman, G., Rosemartin, A., \u0026amp; Turak, E. (2017). Contribution of citizen science towards international biodiversity monitoring. \u003cem\u003eBiological Conservation, 213\u003c/em\u003e(Part B), 280\u0026ndash;294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2016.09.004.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCheng, X., \u0026amp; Zhang, Q. (2018). How to develop the interdisciplinary innovation teams sustainably? A simulation model from a perspective of knowledge fission and fusion. \u003cem\u003eSustainability, 10\u003c/em\u003e, 3134. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10093134.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCunha, I. L. D., Reis, M. G., Fieker, C. Z., Dias, M. M. (2021). Bras\u0026iacute;lia tapaculo (Scytalopus novacapitalis) seasonality and site occupancy in altitudinal riparian environments after non-natural burnings and feral pig invasion in Serra da Canastra National Park, Brazil. \u003cem\u003eBrazilian Journal of Biology, 81\u003c/em\u003e(2). https://doi.org/10.1590/1519-6984.223953.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDickinson, J. L., et al. (2012). The current state of citizen science as a tool for ecological research and public engagement. \u003cem\u003eFrontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 10\u003c/em\u003e(6), 291\u0026ndash;297. \u003cu\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1890/110236\u003c/u\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFerreira, B. S., \u0026amp; Gagnon, R., \u0026amp; Lacerda Santos, G. (2017). Gamifica\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o e estilos de aprendizagem: Uma rela\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o entre estilos de jogadores e estilos de aprendizagem. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Learning Styles, 1\u003c/em\u003e, 225\u0026ndash;253.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFerreira, B. S. (2015a). \u003cem\u003eO uso da gamification como estrat\u0026eacute;gia para a capacita\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o de professores para o uso de softwares educativos complexos: O caso do GGBook\u003c/em\u003e [Projeto de disserta\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o de mestrado, Universidade de Bras\u0026iacute;lia].\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFerreira, B. S. (2015b). SIGA: \u003cem\u003eUm framework para a forma\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o de professores para a utiliza\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o do GGBook. In Lette, M. M., \u0026amp; Lacerda Santos, G. (Orgs.)\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eGamifica\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o como estrat\u0026eacute;gia educativa\u003c/em\u003e (pp. 7\u0026ndash;172). Link Comunica\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o e Design.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFerreira, B. S., \u0026amp; Lacerda Santos, G. (2018). Gamificaci\u0026oacute;n como estrategia did\u0026aacute;ctica. Aplicaci\u0026oacute;n en la formaci\u0026oacute;n del profesor. \u003cem\u003eTendencias Pedag\u0026oacute;gicas\u003c/em\u003e, 31, 113-126. https://doi.org/10.15366/tp2018.31.006 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFerreira, R. A. da S. (2022). A import\u0026acirc;ncia da educa\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o ambiental para a busca da sustentabilidade e constru\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o da cidadania. \u003cem\u003eEpitaya E-Books, 1\u003c/em\u003e(12), 297\u0026ndash;313. https://doi.org/10.47879/ed.ep.2022557p297\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFinger, L., van den Bogaert, V., Schmidt, L., Fleischer, J., Stadtler, M., Sommer, K., \u0026amp; Wirth, J. (2023). \u003cem\u003eThe science of citizen science: A systematic literature review on educational and scientific outcomes\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003eFrontiers in Education, 8\u003c/em\u003e. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1226529 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGagnon, R., \u0026amp; Ferreira, B. S. (2018). Tecnologia, educa\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o e o conhecimento em ambiente de forma\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o on-line. In C. Goulart \u0026amp; G. Lacerda Santos (Orgs.), \u003cem\u003eTecnologia e comunica\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o pedag\u0026oacute;gica\u003c/em\u003e (pp. 193\u0026ndash;212). Viva Editora. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGagnon, R., Ferreira, B. S., \u0026amp; Santos, G. L. (2019). Towards complete knowledge for complex problems resolution. In \u003cem\u003eEDU2019\u003c/em\u003e (Vol. 1). JEICOM. https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2019.2.s1.3\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGagnon, R. (2015). Jogar com estilo para ter sentido. In G. Lacerda Santos \u0026amp; M. M. L\u0026eacute;tti (Orgs.), \u003cem\u003eGamifica\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o como estrat\u0026eacute;gia educativa\u003c/em\u003e (Vol. 1, pp. 7\u0026ndash;172). Link Comunica\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o e Design. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrover, S., \u0026amp; Pea, R. (2018). Computational thinking in K\u0026ndash;12: A review of the state of the field. \u003cem\u003eEducational Researcher, 47\u003c/em\u003e(2), 101\u0026ndash;129. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X12463051 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIBGE. (2023). \u003cem\u003e92,5% dos domic\u0026iacute;lios tinham acesso \u0026agrave; internet no Brasil.\u003c/em\u003e https://educa.ibge.gov.br/jovens/materias-especiais/21581-informacoes-atualizadas-sobre-tecnologias-da-informacao-e-comunicacao.html\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInstituto Claro. (2018). \u003cem\u003ePesquisa aponta desigualdades no uso da tecnologia entre alunos das zonas rural e urbana. \u003c/em\u003ehttps://www.institutoclaro.org.br/educacao/nossas-novidades/reportagens/pesquisa-aponta-desigualdades-no-uso-da-tecnologia-entre-alunos-das-zonas-rural-e-urbana/\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKahl, S., Wood, C. M., Eibl, M., \u0026amp; Klinck, H. (2021). \u003cem\u003eBirdNET: A deep learning solution for avian diversity monitoring\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003eEcological Informatics\u003c/em\u003e, 61, 101236. doi:10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101236\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKapp, K. M. (2012). \u003cem\u003eThe gamification of learning and instruction: Game-based methods and strategies for training and education.\u003c/em\u003e John Wiley \u0026amp; Sons.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKlink, C. A., \u0026amp; Machado, R. B. (2005). Conservation of the Brazilian Cerrado. \u003cem\u003eConservation Biology, 19\u003c/em\u003e(3), 707\u0026ndash;713. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00702.x.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKukulska-Hulme, A. (2010). Mobile learning as a catalyst for change. \u003cem\u003eOpen Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 25\u003c/em\u003e(3), 181\u0026ndash;185. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2010.511945.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLacerda Santos, G. (2000). Proposta de uma estrat\u0026eacute;gia hol\u0026iacute;stica para a engenharia de softwares educativos. \u003cem\u003eRevista Brasileira de Tecnologia Educativa, 148\u003c/em\u003e, 22\u0026ndash;26.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLacerda Santos, G. (2009). Alguns princ\u0026iacute;pios para situa\u0026ccedil;\u0026otilde;es de engenharia de software educativos. \u003cem\u003eInter-A\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o: Revista da Faculdade de Educa\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o da UFG, 34\u003c/em\u003e(1), 17\u0026ndash;36.\u003cu\u003e \u003c/u\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.5216/ia.v34i1.6540\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLacerda Santos, G. (2023). Avistar: Jogo digital em aplicativo para smartphone de apoio \u0026agrave; observa\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o de aves do Cerrado. \u003cem\u003eInterfaces do Peri\u0026oacute;dico Di\u0026aacute;logo Cient\u0026iacute;fico FAPDF, 2\u003c/em\u003e, 26\u0026ndash;59.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eL\u0026eacute;vy, P. (2015). \u003cem\u003eCibercultura\u003c/em\u003e (2\u0026ordf; ed.). Editora 34.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMcKenney, S., \u0026amp; Reeves, T. C. (2012). \u003cem\u003eConducting educational design research.\u003c/em\u003e Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3185-5_11 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMiller-Rushing, A., Richard P., Rick B. (2012). The history of public participation in ecological research. \u003cem\u003eFrontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 10\u003c/em\u003e(6), 285\u0026ndash;290. \u003cu\u003e \u003c/u\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1890/110278\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMinist\u0026eacute;rio das Comunica\u0026ccedil;\u0026otilde;es. (2022, outubro 13). \u003cem\u003eInclus\u0026atilde;o digital fortalece caminho para amplia\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o da consci\u0026ecirc;ncia ambiental. \u003c/em\u003ehttps://www.gov.br/mcom/pt-br/noticias/2022/maio/inclusao-digital-fortalece-caminho-para-ampliacao-da-consciencia-ambiental.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMishra, P., \u0026amp; Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. \u003cem\u003eTeachers College Record, 108\u003c/em\u003e(6), 1017\u0026ndash;1054. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMorteza Pour Shiri, F., et al. (2023). A comprehensive overview and comparative analysis on deep learning models: CNN, RNN, LSTM, GRU. \u003cem\u003earXiv preprint\u003c/em\u003e, arXiv:2305.17473. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2305.17473\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMyers, N., Mittermeier, R. A., Mittermeier, C. G., Da Fonseca, G. A. B., \u0026amp; Kent, J. (2000). Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. \u003cem\u003eNature, 403\u003c/em\u003e, 853\u0026ndash;858.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNorouzzadeh, M. S., et al. (2018). Automatically identifying, counting, and describing wild animals in camera-trap images with deep learning. \u003cem\u003eProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115\u003c/em\u003e(25), E5716\u0026ndash;E5725. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1719367115\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePetit, T., Ferreira, B. S., \u0026amp; Lacerda Santos, G. (2016). Transforming Brazilian contexts into immersion environments via mobile-enabled language learning. In A. Palalas \u0026amp; M. Ally (Eds.), \u003cem\u003eThe international handbook of mobile-assisted language learning\u003c/em\u003e (Vol. 1, pp. 339\u0026ndash;370). China Central Radio \u0026amp; TV University Press Co. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePetit, T., \u0026amp; Lacerda Santos, G. (2014). Mobile learning: An ergonomic alternative for long-awaited educational changes? In M. Kalz, Y. Bayyurt, \u0026amp; M. Specht (Eds.), \u003cem\u003eMobile as mainstream: Towards future challenges in mobile learning\u003c/em\u003e (Vol. 479, pp. 1\u0026ndash;12). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13416-1_1\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePetit, T., \u0026amp; Lacerda Santos, G. (2015). Aplicativo MapLango: Design de uma rede digital educacional para a aprendizagem n\u0026ocirc;made de l\u0026iacute;nguas. In C. G. Spinillo et al. (Eds.), \u003cem\u003eAnais do 7\u0026ordm; Congresso Internacional de Design da Informa\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o\u003c/em\u003e (pp. 1\u0026ndash;10). Blucher.\u003cem\u003e \u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePocock, M. J. O., Tweddle, J. C., Savage, J., Robinson, L. D., \u0026amp; Roy, H. E. (2017). The diversity and evolution of ecological and environmental citizen science. \u003cem\u003ePLoS ONE, 12\u003c/em\u003e(4), e0172579. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172579.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSalen, K., \u0026amp; Zimmerman, E. (2004). \u003cem\u003eRules of play: Game design fundamentals.\u003c/em\u003e MIT Press.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSilva, J. M. C. (1995). Birds of the Cerrado region, South America. \u003cem\u003eSteenstrupia, 21\u003c/em\u003e, 69\u0026ndash;92. \u003cu\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018368809116\u003c/u\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSilva, J. M. C. (1997). Endemic bird species and conservation in the Cerrado region, South America. \u003cem\u003eBiodiversity and Conservation, 6\u003c/em\u003e(3), 435\u0026ndash;450. https://doi.org/\u003cu\u003e10.1023/A:1018368809116\u003c/u\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSilva, J. M. C., \u0026amp; Bates, J. M. (2002). Biogeographic patterns and conservation in the South American Cerrado: A tropical savanna hotspot. \u003cem\u003eBioScience, 52\u003c/em\u003e(3), 225\u0026ndash;233. https://scispace.com/pdf/biogeographic-patterns-and-conservation-in-the-south-por9s143q7.pdf\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSilvertown, J. (2009). A new dawn for citizen science. \u003cem\u003eTrends in Ecology \u0026amp; Evolution, 24\u003c/em\u003e(9), 467\u0026ndash;471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2009.03.017\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSpecht, A., Crowston, K. (2022). A colabora\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o interdisciplinar de diversas equipes cient\u0026iacute;ficas pode produzir resultados significativos. \u003cem\u003ePLoS ONE, 17\u003c/em\u003e(11), e0278043. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278043\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSullivan, B. L., Wood, C. L., Iliff, M. J., Bonney, R. E., Fink, D., \u0026amp; Kelling, S. (2014). eBird: A citizen-based bird observation network in the biological sciences. \u003cem\u003eBiological Conservation, 169\u003c/em\u003e, 31\u0026ndash;40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.11.003\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTan, S. C., Lee, A. V. Y., \u0026amp; Lee, M. (2022). A systematic review of artificial intelligence techniques for collaborative learning over the past two decades. \u003cem\u003eComputers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 3\u003c/em\u003e, 100097. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2022.100097\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTeles, L. (2015). \u003cem\u003eAprendizagem colaborativa online: Pr\u0026aacute;ticas e reflex\u0026otilde;es.\u003c/em\u003e Novas Edi\u0026ccedil;\u0026otilde;es Acad\u0026ecirc;micas.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUNESCO. (2022, September 24). \u003cem\u003eEduca\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o e tecnologias digitais: Desafios e oportunidades. \u003c/em\u003ehttps://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000386147_por\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUnited Nations. (2015, October 13). \u003cem\u003eTransforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. \u003c/em\u003ehttps://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVan den Akker, J. (1999). Principles and methods of development research. In \u003cem\u003eDesign approaches and tools in education and training\u003c/em\u003e (pp. 1\u0026ndash;14). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4255-7_1\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWikiAves. (2024). \u003cem\u003eTapaculo-de-Bras\u0026iacute;lia (Scytalopus novacapitalis).\u003c/em\u003e https://www.wikiaves.com.br/wiki/tapaculo-de-brasilia\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWu, H.-T. (2022). Establish a digital real-time learning system with push notifications. \u003cem\u003eFrontiers in Psychology, 13\u003c/em\u003e, 767389. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.767389\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"},{"header":"Footnotes","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e BirdNET-Analyzer is a neural network-based bird sound identification system. This tool uses AI convolutional neural networks trained with millions of sound samples, allowing probabilistic recognition of species based on deep learning models. GitHub. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://github.com/birdnet-team/BirdNET-Analyzer\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://github.com/birdnet-team/BirdNET-Analyzer\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Acess\u0026iacute;vel em \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://apps.apple.com/br/app/avoar-cerrado/id1643780042?l=en-GB\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://apps.apple.com/br/app/avoar-cerrado/id1643780042?l=en-GB\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Acess\u0026iacute;vel em \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.agenciadeep.avoarcerrado\u0026amp;hl=nl\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.agenciadeep.avoarcerrado\u0026amp;hl=nl\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Available at \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://ebird.org/home\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://ebird.org/home\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Available at \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.wikiaves.com.br\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.wikiaves.com.br\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"artificial intelligence, citizen science, environmental education, gamification, collaborative learning, Cerrado birds","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7863198/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7863198/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis paper presents the development of \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e, a mobile educational application designed to integrate artificial intelligence, computer vision, gamification, and collaborative networked learning to promote citizen science, digital inclusion, and environmental conservation in Brazil\u0026rsquo;s Cerrado biome. The project followed a Research and Development (R\u0026amp;D) methodology structured in iterative cycles, including design, prototyping, testing, refinement, and final implementation. The application employs convolutional neural networks for automated image and sound recognition, enabling accurate identification of bird species and the creation of a collaborative biodiversity database. Gamified features such as challenges, rankings, levels of excellence, and collectible cards were incorporated to enhance user motivation and engagement. Additionally, an integrated social network allows users to share observations, validate species identifications, and exchange knowledge collaboratively. Data collected through the platform contribute to large-scale biodiversity monitoring, supporting research and informing public policies on conservation. The results demonstrate that \u003cem\u003eAvoar Cerrado\u003c/em\u003e democratizes access to scientific knowledge and engages diverse audiences in participatory science practices, transforming recreational birdwatching into a meaningful educational and scientific activity. By combining AI with gamified and collaborative approaches, the project expands opportunities for lifelong learning, fosters environmental awareness, and strengthens community involvement in conservation efforts. This study illustrates the potential of interdisciplinary digital solutions to bridge science, education, and society, and to support biodiversity preservation through active citizen participation.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Avoar Cerrado: research and development of a gamified educational application with artificial intelligence to foster the conservation of Cerrado birds through citizen science strategies","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-10-23 18:06:20","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7863198/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"f775365b-bc92-4dd1-8b37-62db5ac003b2","owner":[],"postedDate":"October 23rd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-19T08:57:31+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-10-23 18:06:20","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7863198","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7863198","identity":"rs-7863198","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}