Education for sustainability in higher education: a multiple-case study of three courses

Education for sustainability (EfS) in higher education is an emerging specialisation within the general field of EfS. EfS encompasses cognitive, affective and behavioural aspects, and aims at enhancing a variety of learning outcomes in these domains and reaching students from all programmes. One of the main challenges for higher education educators is to design courses in a way that will effectively promote the various learning outcomes of EfS. A central question is how sustainability should be integrated into the curriculum; which topics should be taught and which pedagogies ought to be applied to improve students’ knowledge, skills and motivation to promote sustainable living. The present study aimed to contribute to the knowledge about students’ learning outcomes yielded by different designs of EfS courses. This multiple-case study of three courses used a mixed-methods design. For each course, we identified its characteristics and analysed students’ self-reported learning outcomes. We found that: (1) a course with a higher degree of participatory learning, employing a system approach, promoted the highest and most varied learning outcomes; (2) the lecture-based course yielded the fewest learning outcomes; and (3) field trips promoted learning outcomes only when accompanied by more advanced pedagogies.     

A Study of the Food Chain

Field trips provide students with a unique opportunity to experience science in an informal and natural setting. While being exposed to engaging learning environments, students can use their prior knowledge and experience. At the same time, they are applying newly acquired skills and knowledge. In this article, the authors outline a field trip action plan that can be used in most natural habitat settings, parks, outdoor recreation parks, and other informal learning environments.     

Self‐guided field trips take invertebrate zoology students away from their screens and into the environment for hands‐on learning

There is a great importance for undergraduate biology students to study organisms in their natural context. Safety concerns surrounding the global COVID‐19 pandemic prevented Marine Invertebrate Zoology students at the University of Tampa from participating in traditional faculty‐led field trips during the Fall of 2020. Instead, students were assigned to conduct a diversity‐focused field trip on their own and report their findings. Here we describe considerations and methods for creating a safe and valuable self‐guided field trip assignment for upper‐level invertebrate zoology students. These methods are adaptable for a variety of different habitat types and can be conducted with little to no special equipment or training. Students were successful in completing this assignment and found it highly enriching.     

Urban commuting: crowdedness and catecholamine excretion.

Male passengers regularly commuting by train on the Stockholm-Nyn?shamn line were investigated on two morning trips to Stockholm. These trips were made under different levels of crowding, before (Trip 1) and after (Trip 2) a period of gas rationing during the oil crisis in 1974. However, seats were available for almost everyone during both trips. One group of subjects boarded the train at its first stop (Nyn?shamn), the other midway on its route (V?sterhaninge). Physiological reactions were assessed from the rate of catecholamine excretion in urine and subjective experiences were measured by self-ratings. The results showed that feelings of discomfort grew more intense as the train approached Stockholm and the number of passengers increased. Perceived crowdedness increased as the square of the number of passengers. During both trips the subjects from Nyn?shamn (longer trip) had a lower rate of adrenaline and noradrenaline excretion on the train than those from V?sterhaninge. Furthermore, it was found that the rate of adrenaline excretion was higher for both groups during Trip 2, when the train was more crowded. The results support previous findings indicating that the stress involved in travelling by train varies more with the social and ecological conditions of the trip than with its length or duration.     

Spatial and temporal variation in the provisioning behaviour of female rockhopper penguins Eudyptes chrysocome filholi

As seabirds are central place foragers during breeding, their provisioning behaviour and their ability to face variable energy demand from the chicks is expected to vary with environmental conditions. The provisioning behaviour of female rockhopper penguins Eudyptes chrysocome filholi was recorded over the chick‐rearing period at Kerguelen (KER) and Crozet (CRO) archipelagoes (two very distinct marine environments), using time‐depth recorders, or VHF transmitters coupled with an automatic recording station. No influences of the method have been found on the average foraging trip durations. Some previously undescribed short and multiple trips within a day were recorded using the automatic recording system. These multiple trips (6.8 h) were mostly performed with <5 days old chicks, a period during which feeding rates were the highest (1.1 meals per day), at both sites. During the brooding period, both KER and CRO females mainly performed daily trips of increasing duration (2 h longer at CRO) and at decreasing frequency. During the crèche compared to the brooding period, females from KER performed slightly fewer daily trips (0.6 per day) and more (<3 days) overnight trips, while females from CRO performed very few daily trips (0.1 per day) and more overnight trips, some of them being long trips lasting 5 to 29 days, mostly initiated during the transition between the brooding and the crèche periods. The result fit the hypothesis that long trips permit females to restore and/or maintain their body condition at more distant foraging places. It seemed that chick developement during the brooding period and environmental factors during the crèche period conditioned trip duration of females. Due to more long trips at CRO, the female feeding frequency was twice as high at KER than at CRO during the crèche period, while males participated in the feeding duties. Based on differences in female behaviour, we hypothesize that the male's contribution is likely to differ strongly from one site to another, and may buffer the possible decrease in female feeding frequency by feeding the chicks if food is less abundant.     

The Earth's Magnetic Field: A Simple Measurement of its Strength

Although most teachers agree that a field trip is an important educational experience for their students, many struggle with finding a way to make it connect with their classroom curriculum. Creating an effective field trip involves creating an effective lesson plan and using the resources of the museum, zoo, or aquarium to foster inquiry and learning. By incorporating the learning cycle into their field trip, students are able to use their explorations with animal-based exhibits to develop basic life science concepts.     

Utilizing Saccharomyces in the classroom: a versatile organism for teaching and learning

In the world of higher education, one of the struggles instructors face in the classroom is engaging students in the material. A second discussion in higher education pedagogy is how to weigh content versus activity in the science classroom. How should college teaching be set up when students now have every fact ever found at their fingertips on a device no larger than a half sandwich? What is the correct balance in the classroom between content/ knowledge and activity? As instructors grapple with these questions, a new type of learning experience called the Course Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) has been developed, whereby students engage in an authentic research question in a classroom and laboratory setting. CUREs have been shown to be effective learning experiences for students but can be difficult to implement. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a versatile and easy to use organism in the classroom that can be used for a wide variety of classroom activities. Described herein are a number of ways an instructor can use yeast in the classroom for authentic research experiences, especially focused towards a CURE.     

Greek Students Research the Effects of Fire on the Soil System through Project-based Learning

This study is focused on the development, implementation and evaluation of an environmental education programme for secondary education students. The programme was entitled ‘Τhe effects of fire on the soil system’ and it was implemented during the school period of 2008. Twenty-four (24) students (aged from 15 to 20) coming from Lidoriki Secondary School (Central Greece) participated in the programme, which was based on Project Method. The programme consisted of one theoretical part (achievement of cognitive and affective goals) and one experimental part (achievement of cognitive and psychomotor goals). Initial, formative and summative assessments were implemented during the course of the programme, by means of questionnaires, observation of students’ teamwork and examination of their work sheets. The questionnaire analysis highlighted students’ misconceptions regarding the subject, revealed positive changes in students’ attitudes as a result of their participation in the programme, as well as satisfactory results concerning the acquired knowledge and skills. The experimental results were of significant scientific and educational value.     

A resource for understanding and evaluating outcomes of undergraduate field experiences

Undergraduate field experiences (UFEs) are a prominent element of science education across many disciplines; however, empirical data regarding the outcomes are often limited. UFEs are unique in that they typically take place in a field setting, are often interdisciplinary, and include diverse students. UFEs range from courses, to field trips, to residential research experiences, and thereby have the potential to yield a plethora of outcomes for undergraduate participants. The UFE community has expressed interest in better understanding how to assess the outcomes of UFEs. In response, we developed a guide for practitioners to use when assessing their UFE that promotes an evidence‐based, systematic, iterative approach. This essay guides practitioners through the steps of: identifying intended UFE outcomes, considering contextual factors, determining an assessment approach, and using the information gained to inform next steps. We provide a table of common learning outcomes with aligned assessment tools, and vignettes to illustrate using the assessment guide. We aim to support comprehensive, informed assessment of UFEs, thus leading to more inclusive and reflective UFE design, and ultimately improved student outcomes. We urge practitioners to move toward evidence‐based advocacy for continued support of UFEs.     

Foraging trip decisions by the streaked shearwater Calonectris leucomelas depend on both parental and chick state

Parents of albatross and shearwater species employ a dual foraging strategy, feeding their chicks quickly in repeated short trips and then restoring their own fuel reserves during longer trips. A decline in parental body condition is believed to trigger longer trips, but chick body condition and age may also play a role. To investigate these factors in the little-studied streaked shearwater Calonectris leucomelas, we monitored the nest attendance of 17 pairs on Mikura Island in 2005 using an automated identification system. We also monitored body mass changes and meal masses of 5 of the 17 pairs using an automated weighing system. Although the birds did not show a clear dual foraging pattern, trip duration varied widely from 1 to 15 days. On average, the birds fed chicks 67.6 g during nighttime meals at 2.74-day intervals. Since meal mass did not depend on trip duration, feeding efficiency (meal mass delivered per unit trip duration) decreased as trip duration increased. Parents accumulated more energy reserves when they took longer trips. Parents appeared likely to initiate longer trips when their body condition declined or chick body condition recovered.     

Foraging and provisioning in Antarctic fur seals: interannual variability in time-energy budgets

This study examined three competing hypotheses to explain howlactating Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) respondto changes in the level of resource availability. Antarcticfur seals have episodic bouts of suckling (1-3 days), alternatingwith foraging trips (3-10 days). Foraging time budgets variedsignificantly (p <.001) among 8 consecutive years at BirdIsland, South Georgia. Foraging trip duration increased during periodsof relative food shortage. Time spent ashore was more consistentamong years than foraging trip duration but declined duringa year of particularly low food availability. In 4 of the 8years, there was a significant positive correlation betweentime spent ashore and foraging trip duration. In the other years,the relationship was close to statistical significance. Energydelivery to pups during suckling bouts followed an asymptoticpower function. Energy gain during foraging trips was estimatedfrom diving behavior, which suggested that the energy gain functionwas linear. Distance traveled during foraging trips was correlatedwith foraging trip duration, and long foraging trips were associatedwith reduced foraging intensity. There was support for the hypothesisthat lactating Antarctic fur seals compensate for reduced resources byincreasing the foraging trip duration rather than working harderand increasing their energy expenditure. However, there wasmost support for the hypothesis that lactating Antarctic furseals adjust time spent ashore as well as foraging trip duration,possibly to maximize the delivery of food to their offspring.Lactation appears to impose constraints on provisioning of offspringthat differ from those of seabirds foraging in the same environment andoften on the same prey.     

Environmental education in Tobago's primary schools: a case study of coral reef education

Environmental education is a relatively new area on the primary school curriculum of Trinidad and Tobago. Because of the close relationship between human activities and the degradation of the natural environment in Tobago, environmental education will become increasingly important to the preservation and conservation of the island's fragile natural resources. Current teaching methods rely heavily on text books and utilise a lecture style that does not promote student interaction. Unfortunately, these methods are not very conducive to environmental education. As such, this paper examines a pilot program in which staff from the Buccoo Reef Trust taught students from 15 primary schools about coral reefs using interactive tools and hands-on methods as described in People & Corals: an Education Package for Primary Schools (People & Corals). The pilot program ran over an eight week period with prepared lessons being taught every two weeks and student evaluations taking place once before the first lesson and once after the last lesson. The lessons were supplemented with a field trip to a coral reef ecosystem. Despite several challenges that were faced in the implementation process, the overall outcome of the pilot program was successful. Teachers and students reacted positively to the information that was being shared, thereby reinforcing the effectiveness of using a dynamic, active method of teaching to advance environmental education.     

Design and implementation of a genomics field trip program aimed at secondary school students

With the rapid pace of advancements in biological research brought about by the application of computer science and information technology, we believe the time is right for introducing genomics and bioinformatics tools and concepts to secondary school students. Our approach has been to offer a full-day field trip in our research facility where secondary school students carry out experiments at the laboratory bench and on a laptop computer. This experience offers benefits for students, teachers, and field trip instructors. In delivering a wide variety of science outreach and education programs, we have learned that a number of factors contribute to designing a successful experience for secondary school students. First, it is important to engage students with authentic and fun activities that are linked to real-world applications and/or research questions. Second, connecting with a local high school teacher to pilot programs and linking to curricula taught in secondary schools will enrich the field trip experience. Whether or not programs are linked directly to local teachers, it is important to be flexible and build in mechanisms for collecting feedback in field trip programs. Finally, graduate students can be very powerful mentors for students and should be encouraged to share their enthusiasm for science and to talk about career paths. Our experiences suggest a real need for effective science outreach programs at the secondary school level and that genomics and bioinformatics are ideal areas to explore.     

The impacts of invasive ecosystem engineers in freshwaters: A review

1. Invasive species are a key stressor in freshwater ecosystems. When these species are also ecosystem engineers, their impacts are exacerbated because they modulate resource availability for a wide range of other species. The aim of this review is to synthesise existing knowledge of the impacts of invasive ecosystem engineers in freshwaters and identify knowledge gaps requiring further research.
2. The four questions explored in this review are: (1) What are the trends in research into invasive ecosystem engineers? (2) What are common negative effects of invasive ecosystem engineers in freshwater? (3) Do all impacts of invasive ecosystem engineers have negative consequences for biodiversity? (4) What happens when multiple ecosystem engineers interact? Four literature searches in Web of Science have been used to identify articles for the review and to estimate relative research effort between terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems.
3. The number of research articles focusing on ecosystem engineers across all ecosystem types is increasing. Despite well-known examples of ecosystem engineer species in freshwaters (e.g. beaver), more research has focussed on terrestrial environments and invasive species.
4. The effects of invasive ecosystem engineers in freshwater systems are varied and often context dependent. Their effects on biodiversity or native ecosystem engineers are often shown to be negative; however, not all effects associated with these species are deleterious to native species. For instance, some invasive ecosystem engineers support native species through the provision of food or refuges.
5. Although freshwater ecosystems are often influenced by multiple species of ecosystem engineers (including native, invasive or both), little is known about interactions between these species or the combined effects of multiple ecosystem engineers. More research is also needed that relates the results of laboratory experiments to the field and develops methods for measuring factors that govern the impact of engineers on ecosystems. Understanding the spatial variability of the impacts of invasive ecosystem engineers as well as their interaction with anthropogenic stressors (e.g. hydrologic modification) is also necessary.
6. The lag in research surrounding invasive ecosystem engineers in freshwater compared to other biomes is concerning, as freshwater ecosystems support biodiversity disproportionate to the area they occupy. Creating predictive models of the impacts of freshwater ecosystem engineers would help anticipate the effects of invasive ecosystem engineers in freshwater and add to the broader understanding of their effects in other biomes.

     

Impact of Layover Length on Sleep,Subjective Fatigue Levels,and Sustained Attention of Long-Haul Airline Pilots

Long-haul airline pilots often experience elevated levels of fatigue due to extended work hours and circadian misalignment of sleep and wake periods. During long-haul trips, pilots are typically given 1–3 d off between flights (i.e., layover) to recover from, and prepare for, duty. Anecdotally, some pilots prefer long layovers because it maximizes the time available for recovery and preparation, but others prefer short layovers because it minimizes both the length of the trip, and the degree to which the body clock changes from “home time” to the layover time zone. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of layover length on the sleep, subjective fatigue levels, and capacity to sustain attention of long-haul pilots. Participants were 19 male pilots (10 Captains, 9 First Officers) working for an international airline. Data were collected during an 11- or 12-d international trip. The trips involved (i) 4 d at home prior to the trip; (ii) an eastward flight of 13.5?h across seven time zones; (iii) a layover of either 39?h (i.e., short, n?=?9) or 62?h (i.e., long, n?=?10); (iv) a return westward flight of 14.3?h across seven time zones; and (v) 4 d off at home after the trip. Sleep was recorded using a self-report sleep diary and wrist activity monitor; subjective fatigue level was measured using the Samn-Perelli Fatigue Checklist; and sustained attention was assessed using the psychomotor vigilance task for a personal digital assistant (PalmPVT). Mixed-model regression analyses were used to determine the effects of layover length (short, long) on the amount of sleep that pilots obtained during the trip, and on the pilots' subjective fatigue levels and capacity to sustain attention. There was no main effect of layover length on ground-based sleep or in-flight sleep, but pilots who had a short layover at the midpoint of their trip had higher subjective fatigue levels and poorer sustained attention than pilots who had a long layover. The results of this study indicate that a short layover during a long-haul trip does not substantially disrupt pilots' sleep, but it may result in elevated levels of fatigue during and after the trip. If short layovers are used, pilots should have a minimum of 4 d off to recover prior to their next long-haul trip. (Author correspondence: greg.roach@cqu.edu.au)     

Fledging success of little auks in the high Arctic: do provisioning rates and the quality of foraging grounds matter?

Long-lived birds often face a dilemma between self-maintenance and reproduction. In order to maximize fitness, some seabird parents alternate short trips to collect food for offspring with long trips for self-feeding (bimodal foraging strategy). In this study, we examined whether temporal and spatial variation in the quality of foraging grounds affect provisioning and fledging success of a long-lived, bimodal forager, the little auk (Alle alle), the most abundant seabird species in the Arctic ecosystem. We predicted that an increase in sea surface temperature (SST), with an associated decrease in the preferred Arctic zooplankton prey, would increase foraging trip durations, decrease chick provisioning rates and decrease chick fledging success. Chick provisioning and survival were observed during three consecutive years (2008–2010) at two colonies with variable foraging conditions in Spitsbergen: Isfjorden and Magdalenefjorden. We found that a change in SST (range 1.6–5.4 °C) did not influence trip durations or provisioning rates. SST was, however, negatively correlated with the number of prey items delivered to a chick. Furthermore, provisioning rates did not influence chick’s probability to fledge; instead, SST was also negatively correlated with fledging probability. This was likely related to the prey availability and quality in the little auk’s foraging grounds. Our findings suggest that predicted warmer climate in the Arctic will negatively influence the ability of parents to provide their chicks, and consequently, the fledging prospects of little auk chicks.     

The Integrative Learning Value of Field Courses

The integrative learning ethos pervades modern higher education. Broadly speaking, this aims to produce well-rounded, adaptable graduates suited to a range of working environments. In a more narrow sense it should produce students that are able to make connections across learning experiences and achieve learning at the highest cognitive level. Our study made use of field courses, which are uniquely placed to offer students integrative learning experiences. Although cognitive gains for students on field courses have been demonstrated previously, this study investigated whether students appreciate the integrative learning gains that students may achieve and applied these findings to the design of a new field course. This course specifically targeted integrative learning outcomes that we subsequently assessed. We found undergraduate students surveyed across three departments at the University of Nottingham recognised that field courses facilitated integrative learning in both the narrow and broad sense. Importantly, students themselves realised the integrative learning gains associated with attending a field course. We found this was also true for the newly designed field course. Overall, we found that field courses offer valuable integrative learning gains, and that these are recognised and appreciated by students. These findings provide strong support for continued offering and increased provision of field course modules in the sciences.     

Inter-annual variation in provisioning behaviour of Southern Rockhopper Penguins Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome at Staten Island, Argentina

Understanding the relationship between reproductive performance and food availability requires knowledge about many different variables, including such factors as the length of incubation shifts, provisioning rates and patterns, as well as how variability in these factors affects reproductive output. To examine some of the most important aspects of parental investment, we studied the provisioning behaviour and patterns of adult Southern Rockhopper Penguins Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome breeding at Staten Island, Argentina. We investigated foraging trip duration, provisioning rates and chick survival using adult foraging patterns. Our results show that Rockhopper Penguins had clear sex-specific differences in their provisioning behaviour. Females provision chicks throughout chick rearing. By contrast, males provision chicks only during the crèche stage and at a slightly lower rate than females during this period. Foraging trips increased in length as the breeding season progressed. Rockhopper Penguins from Staten Island performed longer trips throughout the breeding season than do other species of Eudyptes at several other locations. Our results also show differences in parental investment between years that were related to differences in chick survival. We suggest that this was most likely to be related to female rather than male foraging behaviour as only females showed inter-annual differences in their provisioning rates.     

Noble Cows and Hybrid Zebras: Essays on Animals and History Harriet Ritvo

ABSTRACT

Ants may serve as powerful model organisms for uncovering principles of insect biology and social behavior. The aim of this study was to provide a quantitative analysis of secondary-school students' perceptions and knowledge of ants. It was part of a longitudinal project based on the concept of “ant research” in classrooms. The outcomes were to be used to implement studies of ants into a progressive curriculum for all secondary-school students. In order to design modules for science education, it was necessary to identify the perceptions and knowledge that students in different grades had of ants. Three hundred and twenty-one students from 14 classes in the 6th, 7th, 9th, and 12th grades participated in the study. A questionnaire was used and included closed- and open-ended questions, as well as a drawing task. The results indicated that students had little classroom experience with ants and lacked basic knowledge of ants. There were no significant differences in the knowledge scores of 7th, 9th, and 12th graders. However, the perceptions of ants differed between lower and upper secondary school students. While younger students tended to describe ants in terms of morphological characteristics, older students predominantly referred to ants using behavioral terms. Students exhibited few affective responses to ants. The findings indicate that students were more influenced by media portrayals of ants than by personal encounters with these animals. Therefore, school-curriculum developers should encourage direct contact with ant species.     

Female and male Leach's Storm Petrels (Hydrobates leucorhous) pursue different foraging strategies during the incubation period

Reproduction in procellariiform birds is characterized by a single egg clutch, slow development, a long breeding season and obligate biparental care. Female Leach's Storm Petrels Hydrobates leucorhous, nearly monomorphic members of this order, produce eggs that are between 20 and 25% of adult bodyweight. We tested whether female foraging behaviour differs from male foraging behaviour during the ~ 44-day incubation period across seven breeding colonies in the Northwest Atlantic. Over six breeding seasons, we used a combination of Global Positioning System and Global Location Sensor devices to measure characteristics of individual foraging trips during the incubation period. Females travelled significantly greater distances and went farther from the breeding colony than did males on individual foraging trips. For both sexes, the longer the foraging trip, the greater the distance. Independent of trip duration, females travelled farther, and spent a greater proportion of their foraging trips prospecting widely, as defined by behavioural categories derived from a hidden Markov Model. For both sexes, trip duration decreased with date. Sex differences in these foraging metrics were apparently not a consequence of morphological differences or spatial segregation. Our data are consistent with the idea that female foraging strategies differed from male foraging strategies during incubation in ways that would be expected if females were still compensating for egg formation.