In this thesis we explore how digital educational products can foster biodiversity positive attitudes in children aged 10-12. With it it aims to contribute to the broader societal transformation necessary for ecological sustainability. The project aligns the strategic goals of th
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In this thesis we explore how digital educational products can foster biodiversity positive attitudes in children aged 10-12. With it it aims to contribute to the broader societal transformation necessary for ecological sustainability. The project aligns the strategic goals of the main stakeholder, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, with a more than human design perspective. By doing so this thesis aims to contribute to the education department of Naturalis by providing meaningful insights for the development of educational products and a promising concept direction: the N=ZIEN platform. A platform and physical device meant for primary schools to learn about the ecology in the local area of the school. Through the narrative of citizen science, pupils are engaged to catalogue nonhuman encounters and identify them in a chat environment. Based on these sightings a final lesson ties all sightings together to build a web of life for the environment. On the other hand, the thesis makes a contribution to the design discourse by introducing the concept of a keystone citizen, a reframed user to fit more than human ambitions. The ideals behind the keystone citizen draw heavily from constructionist education theory and in particular a model for transformative learning (Head, Heart, Hand model). Based on the keystone citizen a design framework is presented on how to design for a biodiversity positive attitude. Finally, the conceptualisation of and reflection on the N=ZIEN platform is documented to serve as a case study on how to apply the framework in a real world context. Ultimately, this thesis advocates for the design of products, educational and other, that contribute to shaping a society that is desirable and sustainable.