Huckabay: Roarke Donnelly

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2000-2001 Huckabay Teaching Fellowship Proposal
by Roarke Donnelly

Huckabay Teaching Fellowship Application

Submitted by:

Fellow: Roarke Donnelly¹

Mentors: Dr. Marina Alberti², Dr. John Marzluff¹,and Dr. Craig Zumbrunnen³

¹College of Forest Resources, Division of Ecosystem Science and Conservation

²Department of Urban Design and Planning

³Program on the Environment and Department of Geography

March 30, 2001

Project Description

Rationale and Goals

As the world’s human population grows and becomes increasingly urban, so too does our need to understand Urban Ecology. The urgency of our need is reflected in the recent creation of two urban Long Term Ecological Research sites and significant developments in research methodology within the field (Alberti in press, Marzluff et al. in press). However, the incorporation of Urban Ecology into a traditional university curriculum is complicated by its interdisciplinary nature (Likens 2001); students and practitioners must be familiar with biology, chemistry, economics, geography, geology and social science. The University of Washington offers training in Urban Ecology as a capstone series (Problem Analysis, Methods, and Research in Urban Ecology) listed under ESC 491/555. While capstone courses are essential to interdisciplinary programs, they are not a panacea with regard to interdisciplinary education.

We see three main shortfalls. (1) Undergraduate students often fail to learn, transfer, and retain concepts between the first abstract lesson in large, discipline-specific introductory classes and enrollment in a capstone course (National Research Council 2000). (2) Students are rarely aware of truly interdisciplinary opportunities for independent studies before their senior year. (3) Despite the dire need for urban residents to understand Urban Ecology and become involved in civic planning, students must invest heavily in science courses to meet the prerequisites for the integrative, capstone courses and, in the case of ESC 499/555, in more than one capstone to move beyond a lecture format.

To address the aforementioned concerns, we would like to create and administer a 200-level Basic Urban Ecology course. This course would facilitate learning by balancing abstract concepts from lecture with problem-based learning projects motivated by regional issues (University of Delaware 2001, Allen 2000, National Research Council 2000), better educate students regarding interdisciplinary independent study topics through incorporation of ongoing urban ecological research into lecture and lab, and make Urban Ecology accessible to students who have completed one course in a relevant field. Furthermore, this course would allow Roarke to explore non-traditional teaching methods while formally interacting with experts in undergraduate teaching pedagogy (CIDR consultants and mentors) and interdisciplinary research and regional urban ecological issues (mentors).

Format

The course will consist of two 50-minute lectures and one 3-hr lab per week. It will be offered through the Program on the Environment, a program formed in 1997 that is predicated on interdisciplinary science education.

During lectures, Roarke will present how urban systems differ from natural systems using seven themes: land use change, biogeochemical cycles, hydrological cycles, climate, dynamics of plant and animal populations and communities, human behavior, and growth management policy. The primary purpose of the lab will be to show students how concepts from lecture relate and apply to the real world. While we have each used case studies to this effect while teaching at this university, problem-based learning is a more effective teaching method as it gives students the freedom to think about concepts at their own pace and to develop and discuss strategies of inquiry (University of Delaware 2001, Allen 2000, National Research Council 2000, Duch 1996). For the first three labs, Roarke will take students to regional field sites to discuss controversies surrounding resource management, economic development, and environmental impact with experts. At the end of each field trip, Roarke will present 2-3 handouts that each outline a succinct management problem amenable to group research and a few relevant personal contacts and references. For example, one handout might begin with the following questions:

- Why does forestry become inviable at the urban fringe?

- What are the costs and benefits of its retention in this zone and how can it be

accomplished?

The fourth lab will be used to organize groups and get them started on their projects. Roarke will divide the class into groups of four and instruct them on the evaluation of reference sources, strategies for answering project questions, group interactions, and the grading of project results. The remaining lab periods will be devoted to group meetings and presentations. To facilitate interactions within the group and the development of a solution, two mentors (Roarke and an undergraduate volunteer from ESC 491/555) will float among the groups. Facilitator contact will taper as groups progress during the quarter.

Class size will be limited to 30 students due to constraints imposed by field trip transportation, terminals in computer labs, and the number of mentors available for facilitating group projects.

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Implementation

Roarke will develop lectures and group projects during Winter 2002 and teach the class during Spring 2002. Dr. Alberti, Dr. Marzluff, and Dr. Zumbrunnen will meet with him once a week during Winter and Spring quarters. In Winter, all mentors will oversee the development of material for lectures and labs. In Spring, at least one mentor will discuss course progress with Roarke on a weekly basis and observe each of the six “group project” labs. The Program on the Environment has agreed to provide access to computer facilities for "group project" labs and to pay for field trip transportation.

Assessment

We will assess the degree to which Roarke achieves project goals for student learning and instructor training using a variety of instruments. Roarke will assess student learning over the duration of the course and their academic program. To determine the former, he will use performance on periodic problem sets, tests, and course evaluations in weeks 2 and 10. Additionally, he will require two 1-page progress essays and peer evaluations to determine individual performance on group projects (following McKeachie 1999, Domin 1997). Roarke will evaluate the impact of this course on participants’ academic program by sending an electronic questionnaire composed on WebQ to the participants and the instructors of upper-level interdisciplinary courses in which the participants may have subsequently enrolled. Finally, the mentors and a CIDR consultant will assess Roarke’s instructional performance using lecture content and format, observation of labs, and a comparison of statements of teaching philosophy composed by Roarke before and after course implementation.

Literature Cited

Alberti, M. In press. Quantifying the urban gradient: Linking urban planning and ecology. In J. M. Marzluff, R. Bowman, and R. Donnelly [EDS.], The ecology and conservation of birds in an urbanizing world. Kluwer Academic, New York, NY.

Allen, D. 2000. Problem-based learning strategies for undergraduate education. Lecture presented CIDR Quarterly Forum on Teaching and Learning.

Domin, D. S. 1997. The transition from a traditional to a problem-based laboratory curriculum. In M. Carpio [ED.], From traditional approaches toward innovation. The Society for College Science Teachers.

Duch, B. J. 1996. Problem-based learning in physics: Discovering the interplay between science and today’s world. J. College Science Teaching March/April:326-329.

Likens, G. 2001. The role of ecosystem science in the 21^st century. Walker-Ames lecture presented to the University of Washington, March 7.

Marzluff, J. M., R. Bowman, and R. Donnelly. In press. A historical perspective on urban bird research: Trends, terms, and approaches. In J. M. Marzluff, R. Bowman, and R. Donnelly [EDS.], The ecology and conservation of birds in an urbanizing world. Kluwer Academic, New York, NY.

McKeachie, W. J. 1999. McKeachie’s teaching tips. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA.

National Research Council. 2000. How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.

University of Delaware. 2001. Problem-based learning at the University of Delaware. http://www.udel.edu/pbl/articles.html.