Web-based collaborative ecological teaching and research using a watershed project

Through web-based collaboration, a group of 9 Appalachian liberal arts colleges have established a highly successful approach to watershed and water quality studies called Collaboration through Appalachian Watershed Studies (CAWS). The CAWS group has capitalized on the unique ability of small liberal arts college faculty and students living within their communities to affect outcomes on environmental health through demonstrations and sound publishable collaborative research on watersheds. This came with the establishment of small watershed study areas on or near each of their campuses. The CAWS faculty, which are spread over 5 states, have bridged the distance and communication gap between their schools by interacting through a series of web sites (www.ferrum.edu/caws) to allow easier data sharing and access to an ‘eManual' or electronic web-based lab manual containing both individualized ecological exercises and collaborative projects. Courses in ecology, environmental science, biology, chemistry and forestry, for example, at our schools, have been enhanced by the experiential hands-on learning these study sites and web-based data have allowed. The chance to do ‘real' research and present and publish these results and share them with colleagues at other institutions has better prepared our students for graduate school and professions in the environmental field. In addition, our ‘eManual' is now available online for all participants to use and is now available to other faculty and collaborative groups. Even in its early stages of development, the eManual has had over 350 visitors. Our success with collaboration has not been limited to the Appalachians region. Collaboration has been established with international sites in Malawi, Africa, Northern Ireland, and China and these locations have been added as collaborative sites to add an international aspect and provide opportunities for comparative study and even study abroad for faculty and students.