Shell-E

Shell-E has been developed for ecology field teaching and provides a simple way to connect practical fieldwork with real ecological data collection. Students can join an organised practical using their student number, with no need to create a conventional username and password account. Once joined, Shell-E automatically connects them to their team, demonstrator and allocated survey area. During fieldwork, students can record snail observations, capture GPS locations, add measurements and photographs, record marking information and see observations appear on the practical map. Records can also be stored safely when connectivity is poor and synced when a connection becomes available. Shell-E supports capture–mark–recapture teaching across linked practical sessions. Students can see the observed counts required for their calculations while carrying out the analysis themselves. The app also includes: • Interactive survey maps and team areas • Live team leaderboards • Field guidance and identification support • Practical-specific student onboarding • Golden Snail challenges for field sessions • Secure demonstrator marking • Historical Shell-E records and year-by-year mapping • Independent recording outside organised practicals Teaching staff can manage practicals, allocate students to teams and survey areas, control leaderboard visibility, communicate with the class and configure demonstrator access from the Teacher Admin area. Shell-E is designed primarily for ecology teaching at the University of Exeter, while also allowing independent users to contribute suitable ecological observations.