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Making the most of university
campuses for teaching ecology
Karen L. Bacon
&
Julie Peacock
Outline	
  
Teaching	
  ecology	
  	
  
	
  
Why	
  use	
  a	
  university	
  campus?	
  
	
  
Example	
  1:	
  Urban	
  ecology	
  
	
  
Example	
  2:	
  Plant	
  evolu?on	
  &	
  palaeobotany	
  
	
  
Conclusions	
  and	
  future	
  work	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Teaching	
  ecology	
  
Teaching	
  ecology	
  –	
  a	
  mixture	
  of	
  trying	
  to	
  enthuse	
  students	
  about	
  
understanding	
  some	
  core	
  concepts	
  (e.g.	
  niche,	
  ecosystem,	
  biome,	
  
biogeography,	
  evolu?on)	
  and	
  how	
  these	
  concepts	
  relate	
  to	
  working	
  in	
  
the	
  lab	
  and	
  field.	
  
	
  
Fieldwork	
  is	
  a	
  cornerstone	
  in	
  understanding	
  and	
  enjoying	
  ecology.	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Why	
  use	
  the	
  university	
  campus?	
  
The	
  campus	
  environment	
  is	
  intrinsically	
  familiar	
  to	
  most	
  students	
  and	
  so	
  
may	
  help	
  to	
  reduce	
  “novelty	
  space”	
  when	
  teaching	
  ecological	
  concepts	
  new	
  
to	
  students.	
  
	
  
Fieldwork	
  is	
  generally	
  considered	
  a	
  posi?ve	
  experience	
  by	
  students	
  –	
  it’s	
  
nice	
  to	
  get	
  out	
  of	
  the	
  lecture	
  hall	
  –	
  and	
  it	
  is	
  extremely	
  important	
  in	
  the	
  
teaching	
  of	
  ecology	
  (and	
  many	
  other	
  subjects).	
  
	
  
Allow	
  students	
  to	
  quickly	
  link	
  theory	
  and	
  prac?ce.	
  
	
  
Provide	
  short	
  “fieldwork”	
  exercises	
  –	
  you	
  can	
  do	
  a	
  lot	
  in	
  an	
  hour	
  
	
  
Although	
  exo?c	
  fieldwork	
  is	
  oSen	
  used	
  as	
  a	
  “selling	
  point”	
  for	
  
undergraduate	
  degrees,	
  the	
  campus	
  offers	
  a	
  range	
  of	
  op?ons	
  that	
  can	
  help	
  
to	
  prepare	
  students	
  for	
  trips	
  abroad	
  and	
  longer	
  residen?al	
  trips.	
  
	
  
It’s	
  free	
  –	
  no	
  expensive	
  travel	
  required.	
  
	
  
Why	
  use	
  the	
  university	
  campus?	
  
	
  
Two	
  examples	
  of	
  using	
  the	
  campus	
  to	
  teach	
  ecology	
  	
  
	
  
•  Urban	
  ecology	
  field	
  exercise	
  as	
  a	
  means	
  of	
  linking	
  some	
  core	
  concepts	
  for	
  level	
  1	
  
(first	
  year)	
  geography	
  students	
  
	
  
•  Plant	
  evolu?on	
  and	
  palaeobotany	
  walks	
  based	
  on	
  campus	
  plants.	
  
Photo	
  taken	
  from	
  the	
  UofL	
  website	
  
Urban	
  ecology	
  
Why	
  use	
  urban	
  ecology	
  as	
  an	
  example?	
  
An	
  increasingly	
  important	
  area	
  of	
  ecological	
  research	
  –	
  the	
  term	
  has	
  been	
  used	
  
since	
  the	
  1940s	
  (or	
  earlier)	
  but	
  only	
  became	
  common	
  in	
  the	
  1970s	
  and	
  1980s	
  
and	
  research	
  in	
  this	
  area	
  has	
  increased	
  rapidly	
  since.	
  
	
  
0	
  
5000	
  
10000	
  
15000	
  
20000	
  
25000	
  
30000	
  
35000	
  
1940-­‐49	
   1950-­‐59	
   1960-­‐69	
   1970-­‐79	
   1980-­‐89	
   1990-­‐99	
   2000-­‐09	
   2010-­‐16	
  
Web	
  of	
  Science:	
  use	
  of	
  “urban	
  ecology”	
  in	
  
?tle	
  or	
  abstract	
  of	
  science	
  by	
  decade	
  
Since	
  2007	
  over	
  50%	
  of	
  people	
  live	
  in	
  urban	
  environments.	
  
Many	
  university	
  campuses	
  (including	
  the	
  UofL)	
  are	
  located	
  in	
  or	
  near	
  urban	
  
centres.	
  
Urban	
  ecology	
  
Why	
  use	
  urban	
  ecology	
  as	
  an	
  example?	
  
	
  
Urban	
  ecology	
  can	
  be	
  used	
  to	
  ?e	
  many	
  core	
  concepts	
  of	
  ecology	
  together.	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Ecosystem	
  
services	
  
Urban	
  Ecology	
  
Niches	
  
Biodiversity	
  Ecosystems	
  
Biome	
  
Human	
  influence	
  on	
  the	
  environment	
  
Posi?ve	
  Nega?ve	
  
University	
  of	
  Leeds	
  
University	
  of	
  Leeds	
  
The	
  UofL	
  is	
  a	
  very	
  
urbanised	
  campus,	
  
located	
  within	
  the	
  
north	
  of	
  Leeds	
  city.	
  
University	
  of	
  Leeds	
  Biodiversity	
  Ac?on	
  Plan	
  
Urban	
  ecology	
  
Level	
  1	
  students	
  on	
  the	
  module	
  Living	
  Planet	
  did	
  a	
  one-­‐hour	
  urban	
  ecology	
  
field	
  exercise	
  on	
  the	
  UofL	
  campus.	
  Students	
  were	
  provided	
  with	
  some	
  
reading	
  prior	
  to	
  the	
  exercise	
  on	
  the	
  module	
  VLE	
  (some	
  slides	
  and	
  
references)	
  but	
  did	
  not	
  have	
  an	
  “urban	
  ecology”	
  lecture	
  beforehand.	
  
	
  
Students	
  were	
  asked	
  to	
  put	
  themselves	
  into	
  groups	
  of	
  4	
  –	
  6	
  and	
  provided	
  
with	
  a	
  campus	
  map	
  and	
  a	
  handout	
  that	
  asked	
  them	
  to	
  address	
  the	
  
following	
  during	
  a	
  40	
  minute	
  self-­‐guided	
  walk	
  around	
  the	
  campus:	
  
	
  1)	
  Describe	
  the	
  ecology	
  of	
  the	
  campus	
  
	
  2)	
  What	
  evidence	
  for	
  human	
  influence	
  do	
  you	
  observe?	
  
	
  3)	
  What	
  makes	
  this	
  an	
  urban	
  rather	
  than	
  a	
  rural	
  or	
  natural	
  environment?	
  
	
  4)	
  What	
  ecosystems	
  are	
  present?	
  
	
  5)	
  What	
  niches	
  are	
  present?	
  
	
  6)	
  Are	
  there	
  any	
  ecosystems	
  or	
  niches	
  that	
  are	
  novel	
  to	
  this	
  environment?	
  
	
  7)	
  What	
  biome	
  is	
  the	
  campus	
  in?	
  
Urban	
  ecology	
  
Some	
  of	
  the	
  key	
  urban	
  niches	
  and	
  ecosystems	
  observed	
  by	
  the	
  students	
  
Urban	
  ecology	
  
Some	
  of	
  the	
  key	
  urban	
  niches	
  and	
  ecosystems	
  observed	
  by	
  the	
  students	
  
Urban	
  ecology	
  survey	
  
40	
  students	
  took	
  part,	
  
32	
  completed	
  surveys	
  
(22	
  female,	
  10	
  male).	
  
Did	
  you	
  look	
  	
  at	
  the	
  
informa?on	
  available	
  on	
  
the	
  VLE	
  about	
  urban	
  
ecology	
  before	
  the	
  
ac?vity?	
  
	
  
No	
   Yes	
  
47%	
   53%	
  
Those	
  who	
  did	
  not	
  look	
  at	
  the	
  informa?on	
  beforehand	
  gave	
  varia?ons	
  
on	
  “too	
  busy	
  with	
  other	
  work”	
  (8	
  students);	
  “not	
  aware	
  of	
  it”	
  (3	
  
students)	
  and	
  “read	
  other	
  material	
  about	
  the	
  topic”	
  (1	
  student).	
  
0	
  
20	
  
40	
  
60	
  
80	
  
100	
  
120	
  
Female	
   Male	
  Female	
   Male	
  
No	
  
Yes	
  
Urban	
  ecology	
  survey	
  
40	
  students	
  took	
  part,	
  
32	
  completed	
  surveys	
  
(22	
  female,	
  10	
  male).	
  
Between	
  1	
  (not	
  at	
  all)	
  
and	
  5	
  (very)	
  
	
  
How	
  useful	
  was	
  this	
  
informa?on	
  in	
  preparing	
  
you	
  for	
  the	
  ac?vity?	
  
Average	
  response:	
  3.5	
  
Minimum:	
  3	
  (14	
  students)	
  
Maximum:	
  4	
  (18	
  students)	
  
Female	
  
41%	
  
59%	
  
5	
  
3
4	
  
2	
  
50%	
  50%	
  
Male	
  
Urban	
  ecology	
  survey	
  
40	
  students	
  took	
  part,	
  
32	
  completed	
  surveys	
  
(22	
  female,	
  10	
  male).	
  
Between	
  1	
  (not	
  at	
  all)	
  
and	
  5	
  (very	
  much)	
  
	
  
Rate	
  the	
  usefulness	
  of	
  
this	
  ac?vity	
  for	
  
developing	
  your	
  
understanding	
  of	
  urban	
  
ecosystems	
  and	
  ecology	
  
Average	
  response:	
  3.6	
  
Minimum:	
  3	
  (15	
  students)	
  
	
  	
  	
  :	
  4	
  (16	
  students	
  
Maximum:	
  5	
  (1	
  students)	
  
Female	
  
36%	
  5%	
  
59%	
   Male	
  
30%	
  
70%	
  
5	
  
3
4	
  
2	
  
Male	
  
Female	
  
Urban	
  ecology	
  survey	
  
40	
  students	
  took	
  part,	
  
32	
  completed	
  surveys	
  
(22	
  female,	
  10	
  male).	
  
Between	
  1	
  (not	
  at	
  all)	
  and	
  5	
  
(very	
  much)	
  
Rate	
  the	
  usefulness	
  of	
  this	
  
ac?vity	
  for	
  your	
  
understanding	
  of	
  ecological	
  
concepts	
  (e.g.	
  ecosystems,	
  
rela?onships	
  between	
  
different	
  organisms	
  
Average	
  response:	
  3.6	
  (one	
  male	
  
student	
  did	
  not	
  respond)	
  
Minimum:	
  2	
  (3	
  students)	
  
	
  	
  	
  	
  :	
  3	
  (11	
  students)	
  
	
  	
  	
  	
  :	
  4	
  (11	
  students)	
  
Maximum:	
  5	
  (6	
  students)	
  
9%	
  
23%	
  
36%	
  
32%	
  
44%	
  
33%	
  
11%	
  
11%	
  
5	
  
3
4	
  
2	
  
Urban	
  ecology	
  survey	
  
40	
  students	
  took	
  part,	
  
32	
  completed	
  surveys	
  
(22	
  female,	
  10	
  male).	
  
Between	
  1	
  (not	
  at	
  all)	
  
and	
  5	
  (very	
  much)	
  
	
  
Rate	
  how	
  well	
  you	
  feel	
  
this	
  ac?vity	
  
complimented	
  the	
  
lecture	
  topics	
  of	
  Living	
  
Planet	
  
Average	
  response:	
  3.8	
  
Minimum:	
  2	
  (2	
  students)	
  
	
  :	
  3	
  (6	
  students)	
  
	
  :	
  4	
  (21	
  students)	
  
Maximum:	
  5	
  (3	
  students)	
  
Male	
  
Female	
  
18%	
  
59%	
  
14%	
  
9%	
  
20%	
  
80%	
  
5	
  
3
4	
  
2	
  
Urban	
  ecology	
  –	
  next	
  steps	
  
In	
  summary:	
  
The	
  exercise	
  was	
  well-­‐received	
  and	
  will	
  be	
  run	
  again	
  next	
  year.	
  
	
  
The	
  worksheet	
  needs	
  to	
  be	
  improved	
  to	
  make	
  the	
  aims	
  and	
  outcomes	
  clearer	
  to	
  
the	
  students.	
  
	
  
Some	
  more	
  work	
  needs	
  to	
  be	
  done	
  to	
  make	
  the	
  links	
  between	
  urban	
  ecology	
  and	
  
key	
  ecological	
  concepts	
  clearer	
  to	
  students.	
  
When	
  asked:	
  would	
  you	
  recommend	
  running	
  this	
  ac?vity	
  next	
  year,	
  all	
  
students	
  responded	
  yes.	
  
	
  
When	
  asked	
  for	
  further	
  comments	
  eight	
  students	
  responded	
  and	
  highlighted	
  
the	
  following:	
  	
  
Varia?ons	
  of	
  “a	
  beler	
  worksheet	
  is	
  needed”	
  (three	
  students);	
  “useful/
enjoyable	
  ac?vity”	
  (2	
  students),	
  “directed	
  walk”	
  (1	
  student),	
  “pre-­‐walk	
  lecture	
  
on	
  exact	
  topic”	
  (1	
  student),	
  “more	
  ?me”	
  (1	
  student).	
  
Plant	
  evolu?on	
  &	
  palaeobotany:	
  
evolu?on	
  trail	
  
Plant	
  evolu?on	
  and	
  palaeobotany	
  are	
  essen?al	
  components	
  of	
  ecology	
  
but	
  some	
  aspects	
  can	
  be	
  challenging	
  for	
  students	
  (e.g.	
  evolu?on	
  and	
  
“deep”	
  ?me	
  both	
  represent	
  so-­‐called	
  threshold	
  concepts	
  for	
  many	
  
students).	
  
Geological	
  ?me	
  is	
  difficult	
  to	
  visualise	
  and	
  the	
  concepts	
  
that	
  underpin	
  understanding	
  of	
  the	
  processes	
  of	
  
evolu?on	
  and	
  palaeobiology	
  can	
  be	
  difficult	
  to	
  relate	
  to	
  
students’	
  current	
  understanding.	
  
	
  
In	
  an	
  effort	
  to	
  make	
  these	
  concepts	
  more	
  accessible	
  an	
  
evolu?on	
  trail	
  and	
  virtual	
  evolu?on	
  trail	
  are	
  being	
  
developed	
  on	
  the	
  University	
  of	
  Leeds	
  campus.	
  
Plant	
  evolu?on	
  &	
  palaeobotany:	
  
evolu?on	
  trail	
  
Aims:	
  
1)	
  To	
  utalise	
  the	
  extensive	
  botanical	
  diversity	
  of	
  the	
  University	
  of	
  Leeds	
  to	
  
enhance	
  the	
  teaching	
  of	
  plant	
  evolu?on	
  and	
  palaeobotany.	
  
2)	
  To	
  engage	
  students	
  with	
  the	
  process	
  of	
  developing	
  and	
  implemen?ng	
  
an	
  evolu?on	
  trail	
  (virtual	
  and	
  actual)	
  on	
  the	
  campus.	
  
	
  
Objec?ves:	
  
1)  Development	
  of	
  a	
  physical	
  evolu?on	
  trail	
  that	
  will	
  highlight	
  key	
  
aspects	
  of	
  plant	
  evolu?on.	
  
2)  Develop	
  a	
  virtual	
  evolu?on	
  trail	
  that	
  can	
  be	
  followed	
  as	
  a	
  virtual	
  walk	
  
and	
  as	
  a	
  supplement	
  to	
  the	
  physical	
  walk.	
  
3)  Develop	
  a	
  series	
  of	
  addi?onal	
  online	
  tools	
  to	
  supplement	
  and	
  support	
  
both	
  walks;	
  for	
  example,	
  videos,	
  informa?on	
  sheets,	
  interac?ve	
  online	
  
tools	
  (quizzes,	
  explanatory	
  interac?ve	
  videos),	
  and	
  short	
  methods	
  
videos	
  (e.g.	
  how	
  to	
  dissect	
  a	
  flower,	
  how	
  to	
  make	
  a	
  stomata	
  slide,	
  how	
  
to	
  handle	
  and	
  photograph	
  fossils).	
  	
  
Plant	
  evolu?on	
  &	
  palaeobotany:	
  
evolu?on	
  trail	
  
Plant	
  evolu?on	
  &	
  palaeobotany:	
  
evolu?on	
  trail	
  
Next	
  steps:	
  
Recruit	
  student	
  partners	
  to	
  assist	
  with	
  the	
  planning	
  and	
  development	
  of	
  the	
  walk	
  
and	
  online	
  material.	
  This	
  involves	
  some	
  in	
  prepara?on	
  funding	
  applica?ons,	
  an	
  
adver?sed	
  research	
  placement	
  and	
  a	
  future	
  adver?sed	
  undergraduate	
  research	
  
scholarship.	
  
Finalise	
  selec?on	
  of	
  stops	
  and	
  species.	
  
Create	
  maps	
  and	
  QR	
  code	
  signs	
  to	
  enhance	
  the	
  actual	
  walk.	
  
	
  
Both	
  will	
  be	
  used	
  in	
  teaching	
  ecology	
  at	
  different	
  levels	
  –	
  a	
  basic	
  approach	
  to	
  the	
  
walk	
  (virtual	
  or	
  actual)	
  will	
  be	
  used	
  to	
  introduce	
  Level	
  1	
  students	
  to	
  some	
  of	
  the	
  key	
  
events	
  in	
  plant	
  evolu?on.	
  More	
  advanced	
  approach	
  will	
  use	
  the	
  walk	
  as	
  a	
  backdrop	
  
to	
  plant	
  evolu?on	
  and	
  interpre?ng	
  the	
  fossil	
  record	
  (with	
  links	
  to	
  fossils	
  and	
  
informa?on	
  to	
  Leeds	
  City	
  Museum)	
  for	
  Level	
  3	
  students.	
  
The	
  walks	
  could	
  also	
  possibly	
  be	
  used	
  for	
  outreach	
  (e.g.	
  Fes?val	
  of	
  Science/
Fascina?on	
  of	
  Plants	
  Day/local	
  school	
  visits)	
  and	
  as	
  part	
  of	
  open	
  day	
  ac?vi?es.	
  
And	
  finally…	
  campus	
  as	
  a	
  con?ngency	
  
plan!	
  
hlps://teachingfocusedgeesnetwork.wordpress.com/what-­‐works-­‐for-­‐teaching-­‐and-­‐learning-­‐in-­‐he-­‐
A	
  Level	
  2	
  (second	
  year)	
  field	
  project	
  runs	
  in	
  
Nidderdale,	
  North	
  Yorkshire	
  every	
  year.	
  
Condi?ons	
  can	
  oSen	
  be	
  challenging,	
  but	
  this	
  year…	
  
And	
  finally…	
  campus	
  as	
  a	
  con?ngency	
  
plan!	
  
hlps://teachingfocusedgeesnetwork.wordpress.com/what-­‐works-­‐for-­‐teaching-­‐and-­‐learning-­‐in-­‐he-­‐
A	
  Level	
  2	
  (second	
  year)	
  field	
  project	
  runs	
  in	
  
Nidderdale,	
  North	
  Yorkshire	
  every	
  year.	
  
Condi?ons	
  can	
  oSen	
  be	
  challenging,	
  but	
  this	
  year…	
  
And	
  finally…	
  campus	
  as	
  a	
  con?ngency	
  
plan!	
  
hlps://teachingfocusedgeesnetwork.wordpress.com/what-­‐works-­‐for-­‐teaching-­‐and-­‐learning-­‐in-­‐he-­‐
gees/	
  	
  
A	
  Level	
  2	
  (second	
  year)	
  field	
  project	
  runs	
  in	
  Nidderdale,	
  
North	
  Yorkshire	
  every	
  year.	
  
Condi?ons	
  can	
  oSen	
  be	
  challenging,	
  but	
  this	
  year…	
  
And	
  finally…	
  campus	
  as	
  a	
  con?ngency	
  
plan!	
  
hlps://teachingfocusedgeesnetwork.wordpress.com/what-­‐works-­‐for-­‐teaching-­‐and-­‐learning-­‐in-­‐he-­‐
A	
  Level	
  2	
  (second	
  year)	
  field	
  project	
  runs	
  in	
  
Nidderdale,	
  North	
  Yorkshire	
  every	
  year.	
  
Condi?ons	
  can	
  oSen	
  be	
  challenging,	
  but	
  this	
  year…	
  
Photos:	
  Julie	
  Peacock	
  
Making	
  the	
  most	
  of	
  university	
  
campuses	
  for	
  teaching	
  ecology…	
  
Some	
  of	
  the	
  poten?al	
  benefits	
  to	
  using	
  the	
  campus	
  for	
  teaching	
  ecology	
  include:	
  
	
  Reduc?on	
  of	
  elements	
  of	
  the	
  “novelty	
  effect”	
  and	
  helping	
  students	
  to	
  
focus	
  on	
  the	
  task	
  at	
  hand	
  
	
  Allowing	
  students	
  to	
  quickly	
  link	
  theory	
  to	
  prac?ce,	
  rather	
  than	
  having	
  to	
  
wait	
  for	
  a	
  future,	
  residen?al	
  field	
  course.	
  
	
  
Addi?onally,	
  campuses	
  offer	
  a	
  wealth	
  of	
  opportunity	
  for	
  enhancing	
  the	
  teaching	
  of	
  
ecology	
  –	
  short	
  “fieldwork”	
  exercises	
  and	
  self-­‐guided	
  walks	
  are	
  only	
  two	
  simple	
  
examples.	
  
	
  
Lots	
  more	
  can	
  be	
  done	
  outside	
  of	
  ecology	
  –	
  use	
  of	
  space,	
  surveying,	
  and	
  much	
  
more.	
  
	
  
Using	
  the	
  campus	
  as	
  a	
  teaching	
  tool	
  offers	
  a	
  cost-­‐effec?ve	
  (free!)	
  means	
  of	
  
enhancing	
  various	
  elements	
  of	
  the	
  curriculum	
  and	
  can	
  help	
  students	
  to	
  see	
  the	
  
relevance	
  of	
  some?mes	
  obscure	
  topics	
  to	
  their	
  daily	
  lives.	
  
Thank	
  you	
  

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Making the most of university campuses for teaching ecology

  • 1. Making the most of university campuses for teaching ecology Karen L. Bacon & Julie Peacock
  • 2. Outline   Teaching  ecology       Why  use  a  university  campus?     Example  1:  Urban  ecology     Example  2:  Plant  evolu?on  &  palaeobotany     Conclusions  and  future  work        
  • 3. Teaching  ecology   Teaching  ecology  –  a  mixture  of  trying  to  enthuse  students  about   understanding  some  core  concepts  (e.g.  niche,  ecosystem,  biome,   biogeography,  evolu?on)  and  how  these  concepts  relate  to  working  in   the  lab  and  field.     Fieldwork  is  a  cornerstone  in  understanding  and  enjoying  ecology.        
  • 4. Why  use  the  university  campus?   The  campus  environment  is  intrinsically  familiar  to  most  students  and  so   may  help  to  reduce  “novelty  space”  when  teaching  ecological  concepts  new   to  students.     Fieldwork  is  generally  considered  a  posi?ve  experience  by  students  –  it’s   nice  to  get  out  of  the  lecture  hall  –  and  it  is  extremely  important  in  the   teaching  of  ecology  (and  many  other  subjects).     Allow  students  to  quickly  link  theory  and  prac?ce.     Provide  short  “fieldwork”  exercises  –  you  can  do  a  lot  in  an  hour     Although  exo?c  fieldwork  is  oSen  used  as  a  “selling  point”  for   undergraduate  degrees,  the  campus  offers  a  range  of  op?ons  that  can  help   to  prepare  students  for  trips  abroad  and  longer  residen?al  trips.     It’s  free  –  no  expensive  travel  required.    
  • 5. Why  use  the  university  campus?     Two  examples  of  using  the  campus  to  teach  ecology       •  Urban  ecology  field  exercise  as  a  means  of  linking  some  core  concepts  for  level  1   (first  year)  geography  students     •  Plant  evolu?on  and  palaeobotany  walks  based  on  campus  plants.   Photo  taken  from  the  UofL  website  
  • 6. Urban  ecology   Why  use  urban  ecology  as  an  example?   An  increasingly  important  area  of  ecological  research  –  the  term  has  been  used   since  the  1940s  (or  earlier)  but  only  became  common  in  the  1970s  and  1980s   and  research  in  this  area  has  increased  rapidly  since.     0   5000   10000   15000   20000   25000   30000   35000   1940-­‐49   1950-­‐59   1960-­‐69   1970-­‐79   1980-­‐89   1990-­‐99   2000-­‐09   2010-­‐16   Web  of  Science:  use  of  “urban  ecology”  in   ?tle  or  abstract  of  science  by  decade   Since  2007  over  50%  of  people  live  in  urban  environments.   Many  university  campuses  (including  the  UofL)  are  located  in  or  near  urban   centres.  
  • 7. Urban  ecology   Why  use  urban  ecology  as  an  example?     Urban  ecology  can  be  used  to  ?e  many  core  concepts  of  ecology  together.         Ecosystem   services   Urban  Ecology   Niches   Biodiversity  Ecosystems   Biome   Human  influence  on  the  environment   Posi?ve  Nega?ve  
  • 9. University  of  Leeds   The  UofL  is  a  very   urbanised  campus,   located  within  the   north  of  Leeds  city.   University  of  Leeds  Biodiversity  Ac?on  Plan  
  • 10. Urban  ecology   Level  1  students  on  the  module  Living  Planet  did  a  one-­‐hour  urban  ecology   field  exercise  on  the  UofL  campus.  Students  were  provided  with  some   reading  prior  to  the  exercise  on  the  module  VLE  (some  slides  and   references)  but  did  not  have  an  “urban  ecology”  lecture  beforehand.     Students  were  asked  to  put  themselves  into  groups  of  4  –  6  and  provided   with  a  campus  map  and  a  handout  that  asked  them  to  address  the   following  during  a  40  minute  self-­‐guided  walk  around  the  campus:    1)  Describe  the  ecology  of  the  campus    2)  What  evidence  for  human  influence  do  you  observe?    3)  What  makes  this  an  urban  rather  than  a  rural  or  natural  environment?    4)  What  ecosystems  are  present?    5)  What  niches  are  present?    6)  Are  there  any  ecosystems  or  niches  that  are  novel  to  this  environment?    7)  What  biome  is  the  campus  in?  
  • 11. Urban  ecology   Some  of  the  key  urban  niches  and  ecosystems  observed  by  the  students  
  • 12. Urban  ecology   Some  of  the  key  urban  niches  and  ecosystems  observed  by  the  students  
  • 13. Urban  ecology  survey   40  students  took  part,   32  completed  surveys   (22  female,  10  male).   Did  you  look    at  the   informa?on  available  on   the  VLE  about  urban   ecology  before  the   ac?vity?     No   Yes   47%   53%   Those  who  did  not  look  at  the  informa?on  beforehand  gave  varia?ons   on  “too  busy  with  other  work”  (8  students);  “not  aware  of  it”  (3   students)  and  “read  other  material  about  the  topic”  (1  student).   0   20   40   60   80   100   120   Female   Male  Female   Male   No   Yes  
  • 14. Urban  ecology  survey   40  students  took  part,   32  completed  surveys   (22  female,  10  male).   Between  1  (not  at  all)   and  5  (very)     How  useful  was  this   informa?on  in  preparing   you  for  the  ac?vity?   Average  response:  3.5   Minimum:  3  (14  students)   Maximum:  4  (18  students)   Female   41%   59%   5   3 4   2   50%  50%   Male  
  • 15. Urban  ecology  survey   40  students  took  part,   32  completed  surveys   (22  female,  10  male).   Between  1  (not  at  all)   and  5  (very  much)     Rate  the  usefulness  of   this  ac?vity  for   developing  your   understanding  of  urban   ecosystems  and  ecology   Average  response:  3.6   Minimum:  3  (15  students)        :  4  (16  students   Maximum:  5  (1  students)   Female   36%  5%   59%   Male   30%   70%   5   3 4   2  
  • 16. Male   Female   Urban  ecology  survey   40  students  took  part,   32  completed  surveys   (22  female,  10  male).   Between  1  (not  at  all)  and  5   (very  much)   Rate  the  usefulness  of  this   ac?vity  for  your   understanding  of  ecological   concepts  (e.g.  ecosystems,   rela?onships  between   different  organisms   Average  response:  3.6  (one  male   student  did  not  respond)   Minimum:  2  (3  students)          :  3  (11  students)          :  4  (11  students)   Maximum:  5  (6  students)   9%   23%   36%   32%   44%   33%   11%   11%   5   3 4   2  
  • 17. Urban  ecology  survey   40  students  took  part,   32  completed  surveys   (22  female,  10  male).   Between  1  (not  at  all)   and  5  (very  much)     Rate  how  well  you  feel   this  ac?vity   complimented  the   lecture  topics  of  Living   Planet   Average  response:  3.8   Minimum:  2  (2  students)    :  3  (6  students)    :  4  (21  students)   Maximum:  5  (3  students)   Male   Female   18%   59%   14%   9%   20%   80%   5   3 4   2  
  • 18. Urban  ecology  –  next  steps   In  summary:   The  exercise  was  well-­‐received  and  will  be  run  again  next  year.     The  worksheet  needs  to  be  improved  to  make  the  aims  and  outcomes  clearer  to   the  students.     Some  more  work  needs  to  be  done  to  make  the  links  between  urban  ecology  and   key  ecological  concepts  clearer  to  students.   When  asked:  would  you  recommend  running  this  ac?vity  next  year,  all   students  responded  yes.     When  asked  for  further  comments  eight  students  responded  and  highlighted   the  following:     Varia?ons  of  “a  beler  worksheet  is  needed”  (three  students);  “useful/ enjoyable  ac?vity”  (2  students),  “directed  walk”  (1  student),  “pre-­‐walk  lecture   on  exact  topic”  (1  student),  “more  ?me”  (1  student).  
  • 19. Plant  evolu?on  &  palaeobotany:   evolu?on  trail   Plant  evolu?on  and  palaeobotany  are  essen?al  components  of  ecology   but  some  aspects  can  be  challenging  for  students  (e.g.  evolu?on  and   “deep”  ?me  both  represent  so-­‐called  threshold  concepts  for  many   students).   Geological  ?me  is  difficult  to  visualise  and  the  concepts   that  underpin  understanding  of  the  processes  of   evolu?on  and  palaeobiology  can  be  difficult  to  relate  to   students’  current  understanding.     In  an  effort  to  make  these  concepts  more  accessible  an   evolu?on  trail  and  virtual  evolu?on  trail  are  being   developed  on  the  University  of  Leeds  campus.  
  • 20. Plant  evolu?on  &  palaeobotany:   evolu?on  trail   Aims:   1)  To  utalise  the  extensive  botanical  diversity  of  the  University  of  Leeds  to   enhance  the  teaching  of  plant  evolu?on  and  palaeobotany.   2)  To  engage  students  with  the  process  of  developing  and  implemen?ng   an  evolu?on  trail  (virtual  and  actual)  on  the  campus.     Objec?ves:   1)  Development  of  a  physical  evolu?on  trail  that  will  highlight  key   aspects  of  plant  evolu?on.   2)  Develop  a  virtual  evolu?on  trail  that  can  be  followed  as  a  virtual  walk   and  as  a  supplement  to  the  physical  walk.   3)  Develop  a  series  of  addi?onal  online  tools  to  supplement  and  support   both  walks;  for  example,  videos,  informa?on  sheets,  interac?ve  online   tools  (quizzes,  explanatory  interac?ve  videos),  and  short  methods   videos  (e.g.  how  to  dissect  a  flower,  how  to  make  a  stomata  slide,  how   to  handle  and  photograph  fossils).    
  • 21. Plant  evolu?on  &  palaeobotany:   evolu?on  trail  
  • 22. Plant  evolu?on  &  palaeobotany:   evolu?on  trail   Next  steps:   Recruit  student  partners  to  assist  with  the  planning  and  development  of  the  walk   and  online  material.  This  involves  some  in  prepara?on  funding  applica?ons,  an   adver?sed  research  placement  and  a  future  adver?sed  undergraduate  research   scholarship.   Finalise  selec?on  of  stops  and  species.   Create  maps  and  QR  code  signs  to  enhance  the  actual  walk.     Both  will  be  used  in  teaching  ecology  at  different  levels  –  a  basic  approach  to  the   walk  (virtual  or  actual)  will  be  used  to  introduce  Level  1  students  to  some  of  the  key   events  in  plant  evolu?on.  More  advanced  approach  will  use  the  walk  as  a  backdrop   to  plant  evolu?on  and  interpre?ng  the  fossil  record  (with  links  to  fossils  and   informa?on  to  Leeds  City  Museum)  for  Level  3  students.   The  walks  could  also  possibly  be  used  for  outreach  (e.g.  Fes?val  of  Science/ Fascina?on  of  Plants  Day/local  school  visits)  and  as  part  of  open  day  ac?vi?es.  
  • 23. And  finally…  campus  as  a  con?ngency   plan!   hlps://teachingfocusedgeesnetwork.wordpress.com/what-­‐works-­‐for-­‐teaching-­‐and-­‐learning-­‐in-­‐he-­‐ A  Level  2  (second  year)  field  project  runs  in   Nidderdale,  North  Yorkshire  every  year.   Condi?ons  can  oSen  be  challenging,  but  this  year…  
  • 24. And  finally…  campus  as  a  con?ngency   plan!   hlps://teachingfocusedgeesnetwork.wordpress.com/what-­‐works-­‐for-­‐teaching-­‐and-­‐learning-­‐in-­‐he-­‐ A  Level  2  (second  year)  field  project  runs  in   Nidderdale,  North  Yorkshire  every  year.   Condi?ons  can  oSen  be  challenging,  but  this  year…  
  • 25. And  finally…  campus  as  a  con?ngency   plan!   hlps://teachingfocusedgeesnetwork.wordpress.com/what-­‐works-­‐for-­‐teaching-­‐and-­‐learning-­‐in-­‐he-­‐ gees/     A  Level  2  (second  year)  field  project  runs  in  Nidderdale,   North  Yorkshire  every  year.   Condi?ons  can  oSen  be  challenging,  but  this  year…  
  • 26. And  finally…  campus  as  a  con?ngency   plan!   hlps://teachingfocusedgeesnetwork.wordpress.com/what-­‐works-­‐for-­‐teaching-­‐and-­‐learning-­‐in-­‐he-­‐ A  Level  2  (second  year)  field  project  runs  in   Nidderdale,  North  Yorkshire  every  year.   Condi?ons  can  oSen  be  challenging,  but  this  year…   Photos:  Julie  Peacock  
  • 27. Making  the  most  of  university   campuses  for  teaching  ecology…   Some  of  the  poten?al  benefits  to  using  the  campus  for  teaching  ecology  include:    Reduc?on  of  elements  of  the  “novelty  effect”  and  helping  students  to   focus  on  the  task  at  hand    Allowing  students  to  quickly  link  theory  to  prac?ce,  rather  than  having  to   wait  for  a  future,  residen?al  field  course.     Addi?onally,  campuses  offer  a  wealth  of  opportunity  for  enhancing  the  teaching  of   ecology  –  short  “fieldwork”  exercises  and  self-­‐guided  walks  are  only  two  simple   examples.     Lots  more  can  be  done  outside  of  ecology  –  use  of  space,  surveying,  and  much   more.     Using  the  campus  as  a  teaching  tool  offers  a  cost-­‐effec?ve  (free!)  means  of   enhancing  various  elements  of  the  curriculum  and  can  help  students  to  see  the   relevance  of  some?mes  obscure  topics  to  their  daily  lives.