Tuesday, August 7, 2007: 1:30 PM-5:00 PM
C1&2, San Jose McEnery Convention Center
OOS 17 - E-learning in ecology education
This session will explore e-learning in ecology education. It will present cutting-edge e-learning technologies and approaches used in ecology education, discuss how they can be used to engage students and enhance learning, and present research on effectiveness of e-learning in improving student understanding of ecology. E-learning has great potential for enhancing student learning not only because of its enabling new technologies, but also because it reflects the learning habits of today’s learners (“digital natives”) which are considerably different from those of many educators (“digital immigrants”). Many ecology educators have embraced e-learning to connect teachers and students to information and new ways of learning and communication. E-learning approaches are particularly effective in enabling inquiry-based approaches that can improve learning and deepen student understanding of ecology; they are especially important in situations where fieldwork is limited or not possible, such as large classes often taken by non-majors. Presentations will cover a range of e-learning approaches used in ecology education, including real-time remotely controlled cameras, virtual learning environments, and virtual ecological inquiries, along with innovative ways to study learning behavior. Presentations will review software packages designed to help students learn to use modeling in study of ecology and evolution, explore the utility of inquiry-oriented activities in which information used by learners is drawn from the Web, report on web-based multi-institution collaborations, and present ESA’s EcoEd.net as a digital library and clearinghouse of resources for ecology education.
Organizer:X. Ben Wu, Texas A&M University
Co-organizers:Kenneth M. Klemow, Wilkes University
Claudia Lewis, ESA
Moderator:Kenneth M. Klemow, Wilkes University
1:30 PMOOS 17-1Ecoed.net: ESA's digital library to advance teaching in ecology
Jennifer Riem, ESA, Kenneth M. Klemow, Wilkes University
1:50 PMOOS 17-2Learning through ecological inquiries using a virtual learning environment
X. Ben Wu, Texas A&M University, Chen Yue, Texas A&M University, Stephanie Knight, Texas A&M University, Chuanru Yin, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Denise Robledo, Texas A&M University, Maria Gutierrez, Texas A&M University, Jane F. Schielack, Texas A&M University, Yun Xiao, Chinese Academy of Sciences
2:10 PMOOS 17-3The use of technology to support classroom discussion and active- and group-learning in environmental science classes
Thomas M. Hinckley, University of Washington, Natalie Linnell, University of Washington, James Fridley, University of Washington, Richard Anderson, University of Washington, Valentin Razmov, University of Washington
2:30 PMOOS 17-4Authentic inquiries on spatial interactions among grizzly bears using "Bear Cam"
Denise Robledo, Texas A&M University, Ben X Wu, Texas A&M University, Cheryl Peterson, Texas A&M University, Stephanie Knight, Texas A&M University
2:50 PMOOS 17-5Avida-ED: Learning evolution through inquiry
Diane Ebert-May, Michigan State University, Everett Weber, Michigan State University
3:10 PM Break
3:20 PMOOS 17-6Making EcoBeaker models graphically using CodeBlocks: A new framework for teaching modeling to biology students
Eli Meir, SimBiotic Software, Eleanor K. Steinberg, SimBiotic Software, Eric Klopfer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3:40 PMOOS 17-7Using WebQuest to improve understanding of ecology
Kathy S. Williams, San Diego State University
4:00 PMOOS 17-8FIRST Assessment Database metadata: The course so far
Everett Weber III, Michigan State University, Diane Ebert-May, Michigan State University
4:20 PMOOS 17-9Web-based collaborative ecological teaching and research using a watershed project
Bob R. Pohlad, Ferrum College, Carolyn L. Thomas, Ferrum College
4:40 PMOOS 17-10Eco Bay: Tapping the educational potential of San Francisco Bay
Ken Finn, Exploratorium, Linda Shore, Exploratorium

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See more of The ESA/SER Joint Meeting (August 5 -- August 10, 2007)