Monday, August 4, 2008: 1:30 PM-5:00 PM
102 C, Midwest Airlines Center
SYMP 1 - Why Is Ecology Hard To Learn? K-16 Through Graduate Students
What aspects of ecology are critical for students to understand yet very hard to teach? Are there developmental stages in students’ learning that limit their comprehension of ecological ideas? What skills in synthesis and statistical analysis do today’s and tomorrow’s graduate students need, and how do we teach these? Faculty, a major textbook author, and ecology and education researchers will address these questions and draw a broad picture of special challenges for teaching and learning ecology. They will also demonstrate how they approach these questions from their different training, interests, and perspectives.
Organizer:Charlene D'Avanzo, Hampshire College
Co-organizer:Charles W. Anderson, Michigan State University
Moderator:Charlene D'Avanzo, Hampshire College
1:30 PM Introductory Remarks
1:50 PMSYMP 1-1Why do students have so much trouble tracing matter through ecological processes and systems?
Laurel M. Hartley, University of Colorado Denver, Charles W. (Andy) Anderson, Michigan State University, Brook Wilke, Michigan State University
2:10 PMSYMP 1-2The missing link between structure and function in biodiversity education
Brook Wilke, Michigan State University, Laurel M. Hartley, Michigan State University, Charles W. (Andy) Anderson, Michigan State University
2:30 PMSYMP 1-3Tacit assumptions that limit understanding of ecosystems
Tina A. Grotzer, Harvard University, Rose E. Honey, Harvard University
2:50 PM Break
3:10 PMSYMP 1-4Ecological synthesis as target and approach
Stuart G. Fisher, Arizona State University
3:30 PMSYMP 1-5What statistics do literate ecologists need to learn, and is there a best way to learn them?
Aaron M. Ellison, Harvard University, Brian Dennis, University of Idaho
3:50 PMSYMP 1-6Making ecology easier to learn: Experiences of an ecology teacher and textbook author
Manuel C. Molles, University of New Mexico
4:10 PM Discussion

See more of Symposium

See more of The 93rd ESA Annual Meeting (August 3 -- August 8, 2008)