Overcoming common ecological misconceptions

Identifying ecological misconceptions is especially challenging for several reasons, including that the basis for a misconception may be rooted in misconceptions in physics or chemistry and/or reflect misunderstanding in how the multiple levels of biological organization work and the effects of scales of environmental change and, thus, the role and validity of probability in predicting outcomes. My colleagues and I have used a combination of the “power of story” and the “5E teaching cycle” approaches to structure teaching units for large enrollment lecture courses. Embedded within a unit is strategic and systematic use of concept mapping, pair-share and other proven “student-centered” methods. Each unit focuses on an ecosystem, as a case study. In this way, the units both introduce new concepts and re-enforce concepts already presented, and importantly, within an engaging framework. We have tested various aspects, and the results are quite positive.