Podcasting as a tool to take conservation education online

Traditional forms of higher learning include teaching in the classroom on college campuses and in‐person adult‐focused public outreach events for non‐students. Online college degree programs and public outreach platforms have been steadily emerging, and the COVID‐19 pandemic has, at least temporarily, forced all related ecology and evolutionary biology programs to move to online delivery. Podcasting is a form of online mass communication that is rapidly gaining popularity and has the flexibility to be incorporated into the pedagogical toolbox for the online classroom and remote public outreach programming. Podcasting is also becoming more popular in the ecology and evolutionary biology field. Here, we describe the great potential of podcasting to transform the learning experience, present a case study of success from the United States, provide a table of podcast recommended by ecologist responding to a listserv, and provide a road map for adoption and utilization of podcasting for the future.     

Perspective: Teaching evolution in higher education

Abstract.— In the past decade, the academic community has increased considerably its activity concerning the teaching and learning of evolution. Despite such beneficial activity, the state of public understanding of evolution is considered woefully lacking by most researchers and educators. This lack of understanding affects evolution/science literacy, research, and academia in general. Not only does the general public lack an understanding of evolution but so does a considerable proportion of college graduates. However, it is not just evolutionary concepts that students do not retain. In general, college students retain little of what they supposedly have learned. Worse yet, it is not just students who have avoided science and math who fail to retain fundamental science concepts. Students who have had extensive secondary-level and college courses in science have similar deficits. We examine these issues and explore what distinguishes effective pedagogy from ineffective pedagogy in higher education in general and evolution education in particular. The fundamental problem of students' prior conceptions is considered and why prior conceptions often underpin students' misunderstanding of the evolutionary concepts being taught. These conceptions can often be discovered and addressed. We also attend to concerns about coverage of course content and the influence of religious beliefs, and provide helpful strategies to improve college-level teaching of evolution.     

Next‐generation field courses: Integrating Open Science and online learning

As Open Science practices become more commonplace, there is a need for the next generation of scientists to be well versed in these aspects of scientific research. Yet, many training opportunities for early career researchers (ECRs) could better emphasize or integrate Open Science elements. Field courses provide opportunities for ECRs to apply theoretical knowledge, practice new methodological approaches, and gain an appreciation for the challenges of real‐life research, and could provide an excellent platform for integrating training in Open Science practices. Our recent experience, as primarily ECRs engaged in a field course interrupted by COVID‐19, led us to reflect on the potential to enhance learning outcomes in field courses by integrating Open Science practices and online learning components. Specifically, we highlight the opportunity for field courses to align teaching activities with the recent developments and trends in how we conduct research, including training in: publishing registered reports, collecting data using standardized methods, adopting high‐quality data documentation, managing data through reproducible workflows, and sharing and publishing data through appropriate channels. We also discuss how field courses can use online tools to optimize time in the field, develop open access resources, and cultivate collaborations. By integrating these elements, we suggest that the next generation of field courses will offer excellent arenas for participants to adopt Open Science practices.     

Postsecondary Education in Industrial Ecology Across the World

In recent years, industrial ecology (IE) has become increasingly integrated into formal education as a distinct body of work. The aim of this article is to describe the state of IE in postsecondary education across the world by providing an inventory of programs and courses offered from a search conducted during the summer of 2012. Although some interpretation of the results is conducted, the aim of this article is to provide a snapshot of the state of IE in higher education in 2012 and serve as a starting point for future work. Data were collected on IE courses and programs across the world by Internet search in order to determine the prevalence of IE in postsecondary curricula. Subsequently, 190 universities and colleges from 46 countries were identified as offering courses and/or programs in IE. From this research, a total of 409 courses and 78 programs were inventoried and course content was analyzed (where available). The results indicate that IE is mainly studied at the graduate level within engineering and environmental disciplines, although undergraduate‐level curricula are emerging. In terms of disciplinary departments offering said curricula, IE is presented as a topic of instruction in varied fields of study, such as business and administration, and the arts. From the course syllabi analyzed, the main subjects being taught within IE education are introductory principles and general tools. Advanced or specialized aspects of the field are also covered, however, less frequently.     

Addressing racial inequalities in higher education: equity,inclusion and social justice

Inequalities in higher education continue to exist in access to certain types of universities and in degree attainment. Despite significant changes in policy making and the student body such inequalities remain pervasive. In this essay, I explore how inequalities in access to elite universities continue to exist for those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, in both the UK and the USA. I suggest that gaining a place at an elite university is related to access to social and cultural capital. In order to address these inequalities, we must question and challenge a system that values class and status which continues to serve the needs of the few rather than the many.     

Development of Transdisciplinarity Among Students Placed with a Sustainability for Health Research Project

Transdisciplinary education on sustainability for health has been primarily developed in high-income countries, yet the need in countries with limited research and human resource investments remains urgent. Little empiric documentation of the facilitators and barriers to transdisciplinary learning in such countries has been described. We assessed transdisciplinary learning among students of different disciplines collaborating with an Ecuadorian sustainability for health research project. Six undergraduate students from four different disciplinary backgrounds were incorporated through work–study agreements with provincial university academic supervisors. Learning was fostered and monitored through participant observations by a field supervisor. Students’ learning was evaluated through subsequent in-depth interviews and visualization methods. Academic supervisor key informant and co-investigator observations aided triangulation. Qualitative data were analyzed using indicators of transdisciplinary thinking. Principal factors facilitating transdisciplinary learning were interaction with social actors, the integration of work with other disciplines, the use of alternative research techniques and methods, and the constant support of the field supervisor. Inhibiting factors included the existence of rigid academic rules, lack of training of the academic supervisors in diverse research methods, and social pressures to implement unidisciplinary foci. At the end of their link with the project, students had developed both cognitive outcomes and attitudinal values relevant to sustainable development for health. In countries with limited investments in research and human resources development, transdisciplinary approaches with social actors and engaged researchers can sensitize new professionals training in traditional academic contexts to the ecological–social–health problems faced by poor majorities and encourage their subsequent work on sustainability for human health.     

A sensitivity analysis to methodological variation in indicator-based urban sustainability assessment: a Quebec case study

Methodological factors are often acknowledged for their impact on the urban sustainability assessment outcomes. The significance of this impact, however, divides those who assign it great importance; to the point of compromising any attempt at sustainability benchmarking using indicators, from those who regard it as having a relatively limited role. In this paper, we aim to contribute to this debate by assessing how methodological choices could influence the variation in the outcomes of indicator-based urban sustainability benchmarking. The paper starts with a literature review outlining the evolution of the approaches adopted since the pioneering experiences in the ‘90s to show a convergence in indicators and data over time. Subsequently, by using the data of the 25 most populous cities in Quebec, we empirically analyse the sensitivity of the cities’ sustainability scores to 18 combinations of estimation techniques, and observe consistency within the outcomes while maintaining general patterns regardless of the approach used. The results suggest that methodological choices play a limited role in the urban sustainability assessment outcomes. Thus, other determinants beyond the evaluation methods are most likely involved and therefore should be a major focus in future research agendas.     

Optimal Foraging Theory and the Racecar Driver: The Impact of Student-Centered Learning on Anthropological Pedagogy

This article contributes to the field of anthropological pedagogy, adding to recent articles regarding needed change in anthropology teaching methods. All have in common the practice of anthropology in the classroom. The author used the theory of optimal foraging to encourage students to operationalize human behavior. The economic benefit that students reaped warrants discussion. Students rapidly and measurably improved several areas of their lifestyle including health, finance, and home. Pursuing an anthropology degree thus becomes a personal journey.     

Increasing access for biochemistry research in undergraduate education: The malate dehydrogenase CURE community

Integrating research into the classroom environment is an influential pedagogical tool to support student learning, increase retention of STEM students, and help students identify as scientists. The evolution of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) has grown from individual faculty incorporating their research in the teaching laboratory into well-supported systems to sustain faculty engagement in CUREs. To support the growth of protein-centric biochemistry-related CUREs, we cultivated a community of enthusiastic faculty to develop and adopt malate dehydrogenase (MDH) as a CURE focal point. The MDH CURE Community has grown into a vibrant and exciting group of over 28 faculty from various institutions, including community colleges, minority-serving institutions, undergraduate institutions, and research-intensive institutions in just 4 years. This collective has also addressed important pedagogical questions on the impact of CURE collaboration and the length of the CURE experience in community colleges, undergraduate institutions, and research-intensive institutions. This work provided evidence that modular or partial-semester CUREs also support student outcomes, especially the positive impact it had on underrepresented students. We are currently focused on expanding the MDH CURE Community network by generating more teaching and research materials, creating regional hubs for local interaction and increasing mentoring capacity, and offering mentoring and professional development opportunities for new faculty adopters.     

Imagined futures: why business studies dominate the higher education choices of second-generation Turks in the Netherlands

Relying on in-depth interviews with higher education students and young graduates the study investigates the factors underpinning the participation patterns of second-generation Turks in the Dutch higher education system. The paper highlights how ethnic minority students accommodate the constraints faced by the Dutch educational system by rationalizing economics at professional colleges as a suitable alternative to studying medicine at university, an alternative that will meet both their aspirations for a more successful and secure life than their parents’ while maintaining the traditional family ties in line with the work-life balance offered by a ‘nine-to-five job’.     

国家公园旅游可持续性管理评估指标体系——以西藏色林错-普若岗日冰川国家公园潜在建设区为例

当前,国内外对于国家公园旅游可持续性的定义及其评估指标尚未形成共识,已有的部分指标存在可操作性较弱、管理成本较高等问题,无法直接应用于中国国家公园旅游可持续性的管理与评估。从三条路径构建国家公园旅游可持续性管理评估指标体系：以实际需求为导向,分析国家公园所在区域对旅游可持续性管理评估指标的需求;以国际共识为导向,检验《全球可持续旅游目的地标准》在国家公园的适用性;以实践为导向,梳理世界主要国家及地区国家公园旅游可持续性的管理重点。以色林错-普若岗日冰川国家公园（简称"色-普国家公园"）潜在建设区为例,建立国家公园旅游可持续性管理评估指标体系。从经济、社会、文化、生态环境等方面明确了色-普国家公园潜在建设区对管理评估指标体系的需求。经过适用性判定,识别在色-普国家公园潜在建设区具有较强适用性的可持续旅游目的地评估指标。通过频次统计,从经济、社会、文化、生态环境、制度建设等方面遴选世界主要国家及地区国家公园旅游可持续性的重点管理指标。所建立的色-普国家公园潜在建设区旅游可持续性管理评估指标体系包括5个一级指标,15个二级指标,36个三级指标。在此基础上,建议逐步建立健全监测与统计体系,为管理评估指标体系的应用提供支撑。     

基于能值的绿洲种植业系统可持续性及敏感性评价——以新疆渭干河流域为例

利用能值理论与方法对2000～2006年新疆渭干河流域种植业系统的可持续性与敏感性进行分析,研究结果表明:(1)种植业系统的能值总投入逐年上升,不可更新工业辅助能与可更新自然资源能是种植业系统主要的能值投入类型,地均能值投入在上、中、下游呈递增趋势;(2)种植业系统的能值总产出呈现逐年上升趋势,地均能值产出在上、中、下游依次增加,棉花是中游与下游重要的能值产出作物,玉米、小麦是上游主要的能值产出作物;(3)中游种植业系统的可持续发展指数较高,近年来基本处于稳定状态;上游与下游可持续发展能力偏低,并且表现为连续下降的趋势,形成上、下游可持续发展指数偏低的本质原因差别较大;(4)种植业系统对可更新自然资源能的变化响应较弱,对不可更新工业辅助能变化的响应最为明显;下游种植业系统在环境改善或恶化的情景下响应最为敏感,上游种植业系统对环境变化的响应较弱.     

Threats to sustainability in African agriculture: Searching for appropriate paradigms

This paper attempts to identify the main threats to and sources of sustainability in African agricultural systems by examining cases of unsustainability and resilience at various levels. Current concepts of sustainable agriculture are based mainly on the experiences and norms of western industrial nations and may not be appropriate to sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions. The things we want to sustain comprise a hierarchy of attributes, components, and systems at increasing scales, and it is important to examine the dynamics of sustainability at each significant level as well as the impacts of events at one level on others. Cases of crop declines and of collapses of larger systems indicate that extreme perturbations, both biophysical and social, are more important as causes of unsustainability than suggested in the literature, while the significance of resource degradation or of overuse of technological inputs have been overemphasized. Survey data from Kenya and Nigeria show that the main causes of crop disappearances have been major disease or pest outbreaks, followed by changes in crop preferences. Fertility and land use stresses have been only a tertiary factor. Sources of resilience that have buffered households and larger systems from the impacts of these range from farmers' strategies of crop and income diversification and searches for resistant cultivars to interventions by national and international bodies. Numerous population and large-scale system collapses have also occurred over the past century in Africa, almost all caused by extreme social and/or biophysical perturbations. There is no evidence that land degradation or land use pressure has played a significant role in these. Increased land use pressure has led to the disappearance or alteration of many prior practices, though farmers have generally adapted to these. Resource management systems have also declined due to outmigration as regions undergo a transition from remote and relatively closed systems to more open systems. These may call for a greater rather than lower use of modern technology to enhance the income earning potential of agricultural production.     

人类福祉研究进展——基于可持续科学视角

人类福祉的研究兴起于20世纪50年代。在过去的十几年中,人类福祉与生态系统服务一并成为可持续科学的核心概念,发展迅速。不同学科背景的研究者逐渐认识到仅仅依靠经济指标无法恰当地评估人类福祉,经济发展只是实现可持续发展目标的手段,而提高人类福祉才是其核心所在。人类福祉研究为评估个人福祉和国家社会的群体福祉提供概念框架和测量方法,服务于政府决策。自2005年联合国组织的《千年生态系统评估》报告明确提出生态系统服务与人类福祉的关系以来,人类福祉的研究进入了快速发展的新阶段。近年来,国内外越来越多的学者从可持续科学的视角对人类福祉开展研究。与国际同行的工作相比,我国人类福祉研究集中于可持续科学视角下对福祉的定量化评估,而各学科之间,尤其是自然科学和人文与社会科学之间的交流合作相对较少。回顾了人类福祉研究的历史发展,及其在可持续科学视角下的新进展,具体包括:客观福祉,主观福祉,生态系统服务与人类福祉关系。最后,讨论了人类福祉研究的主要议题,以及我国人类福祉研究未来的发展方向。     

我国高职教材建设的思考

从高职教材编写的特征和编写的基本要求入手,结合高职教材建设应体现时代发展的要求和符合对高等技术应用型人才培养的需求,阐述了高职教材编写必须以"重能力、求创新"为思路,提出了高职教材建设的具体措施及对策。     

Application of west java water sustainability index to three water catchments in west java,Indonesia

This study presents a comparative application of the West Java Water Sustainability Index to Citarum, Ciliwung and Citanduy catchments in West Java, Indonesia. A two-fold comparison is presented, firstly, that of the overall condition of water resources using the final index value and secondly, that of specific water sustainability issues using the comparison of the sub-index values of the indicators. The overall comparison ranks the condition of water resources of Citanduy catchment is slightly better, whereas sub-index values of Education, Health Impact, Water Demand, and Poverty show important differences among catchments. Based on the performance of the catchments identified in this study, priority of actions has been recommended to the authorities.     

高职医学微生物学检验课程教学改革与实践

针对当前高职医学检验专业文理兼招、学生基础薄弱的实际情况,在微生物学检验课程教学中,以微生物检验岗位工作任务为引领,以强化技能训练为主导,课程设计了基础知识、基本技能、技术应用及单元实训四大模块,将微生物学理论知识融合于技能训练项目之中,构建"串行体系"结构的课程体系,部分实验内容采用学生自主设计,并且教学方法多措并举,考核方式多元化。结果表明:通过课程改革与实践,激发了学生学习兴趣,培养了学生的创新能力和实践动手能力,教学效果明显。