"Faculty workshops in field
ecology at Archbold:
an opportunity to enrich the
teaching of ecology for your
undergraduate students"

Interview schedule for ABS/FIRST
Combined Interview Information for FIRST Faculty Participants

The following statements (in italic) reflect the responses of FIRST faculty participants concerning the ABS/FIRST project. In-person and phone interviews were conducted with seven FIRST faculty in February, 2000.

1. These first questions have to do with changes that you've made or intend to make in your approach to teaching as a result of participating in the FIRST workshops at Archbold.

A. Have you included "knowledge about scrub ecosystems" you learned at the Archbold workshops into your teaching?

A few weeks ago I took an undergraduate class to Archbold. The students came back with interesting research projects. Several of my students will continue to work on projects at ABS. This is a result of exposure to Archbold through the FIRST initiative. It would not be happening (field trip) if we hadn't gone to workshops.

I was teaching Intro to Botany (undergraduate class) last semester - it was hard to reorganize lecture topics and integrate scrub ecosystems into the existing framework. But it is something I want to do. Also the problem is the local availability of scrub...we mentioned it on a local field trip. Some students were from Lake Placid so we had a discussion about adaptation to scrub and the differences between Morningside and Archbold.

I will be taking my Advanced Ecology class to ABS this semester. The focus is how to do ecological field research. We will be adopting some of methods we tried at ABS/FIRST workshops.

No, I haven't really changed anything because I was already teaching about scrub ecosystems in my class. There's an entire section in my Introductory Ecology course where I talk about the Lake Wales Ridge and what a unique ecosystem it is. Students do a research paper on some aspect of ABS, and an annotated bibliography.

B. Have you included new or different "inquiry-based teaching" approaches into your teaching program?

I recently used an inquiry-based approach with a group of students at ABS to introduce the location and natural history of the area. I took them on a How and Why Walk.

I have not included inquiry-based into undergrad Ecology Labs largely because it would be a major paradigm shift in the way the labs are taught. We need to get graduate students trained in inquiry-based teaching - that's the place to start. In the next iteration I plan to incorporate inquiry methods into a couple of new labs with inquiry as the focus.

Yes, but it's not what the graduate students were used to - they got a lot out of it. But one student thought it was a wasted exercise.

In lecture - no I didn't - it takes time to reorganize your style. I was trying different techniques to incorporate but the inconsistencies in the lecture formats - students didn't like. This semester has been difficult for me - to some extent engaging students of many levels. Some of the students were journalist majors - diverse - challenging so difficult when you try to teach students without science background.

We lecture then go out in field and have a question/answer session about the ecology of the area. It depends on the students we get - varies from year to year. I've been thinking about how to include some of the workshop information - and this year I'm going to ask students to take pictures at each of the field outings - like a How and Why Walk with pictures. We talked about it in one of the workshops - I thought it was a great idea. It will serve as a travel log and memory of what they've learned - now they don't have to write a paper at the end, they think about ecosystems throughout the entire trip.

I will try this semester. You haven't given us a enough time - one semester is not enough. Adaptation to environmental stresses - I prefer this over the gall one. First day I'm going to do How Why Walk (or similar) and do the project. That evening we'll wrap up and discuss - then students will design a project and do something in morning - in evening analysis data and give presentations. By time we get there in March they will have some project experience.

In my grad course I do less of the talking now and the students do more. I have my students lead discussions - it teaches them how to teach.

If not, what barriers do you feel keep you from implementing inquiry-based methods?

There are some labs - standard labs which need to stay as is - for example, human demography and I'm reticent to remove or change the way it's being taught (cookbook style).

Lack of time in classroom. This takes time. Changes will be small. Students did not like the inconsistencies format of inquiry and traditional teaching styles.

I mostly have a research appointment - I'm not the best choice for this kind of stuff but I have been thinking about how I could use some of this, even in my limited capacity.

No, haven't had an opportunity - appropriate course.

Uncertain as to how inquiry would be used in a large lecture. That was not made clear in the FIRST workshops. Easy to do in labs - we do already but in lectures - I'm not convinced.

The teaching assistants are resistant to change - you never know what to expect and the TA's aren't comfortable with that - it's hard to think on your feet.

C. Have you included "cooperative learning groups" into your teaching program?

Labs are already set up in cooperative learning groups. What they don't do is get teaching assistants to use inquiry based methods to focus on solving problems. I think teaching/grad assistants should take the 2nd half of the (FIRST) program. My initial response to ABS/FIRST is that I think it's essential to bring teaching assistants.

Yes, I have used before. But I think this semester is really the time to test these ideas and techniques with my graduate classes. Groups of 3 student trying from time to time.

I've been doing this ...but the one group that mentioned photos..great idea. I'm going to use this idea in a group setting.

I've modified what I was doing already, I think it's more effective. Giving them roles within the groups, make sure everyone is working.

If not, what barriers do you feel keep you from using cooperative learning groups?

I feel a little hesitant in the role taking in CL groups - too arbitrary rather than a natural or free idea generation. Seems restrictive to me.

I end up giving less factual information.

D. Have you included new or different "assessment techniques" like the background knowledge probe, minute paper, and concept maps as evaluative measures?

I've developed my own assessment technique - web-based quizzes used for Intro Ecology course. Gives a weekly web-quiz which forces the students to be prepared for class. I've found them to be successful - students are ready to come an listen and think about what I'm saying about content and concepts rather than write everything I say.

Tried minute papers in undergrad class - 3 lectures - but they were not successful. Reason was because I need that time for teaching. Time in lecture is so precious, I need even those 5 minutes for lecture. More a matter of logistics.

Minute papers were new technique. Socratic interaction is how I get to know students, how they think and put facts together and that is a form of assessment. Similar to minute paper, but quicker.

Not used in large class. More for graduate level.

I haven't done anything with those. One of the problems with the assessments is that I don't have time for all the techniques and I have to scrap what I'm doing in order to do others...but I do look at presentations more as assessment techniques now.

E. Have the workshops enhanced your overall ability to convey complex concepts in field biology to undergraduate or graduate classes?

Not really sure - hard to gauge. I think the benefit is that students think on their own and it prepares them for real world. The real strength of the techniques.

It's to early to tell.

F. Are there teaching approaches learned at Archbold that you've decided not to implement because you disagree with them?

Inquiry does not work for large groups. Level (undergraduate or graduate) does not matter as much...size dictates. More than 20 students then questioning does not work as well. Small groups students tend to participate more.

No, the biggest problem is looking forward with great trepidation in changing the way I do things now. It was pointed out that it would take a few years to get things running smoothly. I suppose if I was a newer professor then it would be easier to implement. But research is important here ...if I have to figure out how to spend the next hour, collecting research or rearranging my teaching...then I'm going to do research.

It's relative - you have to assess where your students are at and how comfortable they are with these techniques. This is a continuum from lecture to inquiry and you have to figure out where on the continuum your students learn best.

2. This next set of questions has to do with how you've shared the information you learned at Archbold with colleagues at your own and other institutions.

A. Since participating in the Archbold workshops has your working relationships with other FIRST faculty members at UF institution changed? How was the information shared?

I haven't really discuss these techniques. But I had a discussion with the statistics department faculty and shared information on what we thought graduate students should know for science field like research design. Statistical needs for graduate students were lacking - more medical based. This is something we discussed at Archbold. Three FIRST faculty participated in the discussion. Although this is an aside from the workshop, it came about because we were there networking.

It's helped us make some connections.

Not formally, there's no time and we teach different topics.

My students take his classes and his students take my class - we exchange students. He's also convinced me to use this software program.

We're putting a new course together on Florida plant communities that will be totally inquiry-based.

B. Since coming to the Archbold workshops have you worked with other FIRST faculty participants from other institutions? How was the information shared?

I've heard a lot about these people but didn't know any of them until ABS.

The workshops promoted communication. Brad came to UF to give a seminar, we made a point of going. In the FIRST workshop we don't talk about our own research but we get together later and talk about what we are doing. I've gotten one of my students working with him because of a conversation we had on the side. This is the fun part, getting to know about colleagues in other areas.

Now, I appreciate what they do more - I saw a recent article from them and I thought "ok interesting" maybe I can use for my teaching - get to know others outside of my narrow area.

We sent one of our graduate students over to work with them.

I've had more contact with Stetson group. They are hiring a limnologist and wanted our input. That contact wouldn't have happened without the networking we did at ABS.

Yeah, I see them at meetings - it's nice to know who your colleagues are and that you have something in common.

I think this is one of the most valuable things that came out of the workshops. Having a network of people who are in related disciplines sharing their thoughts.

C. Since coming to the Archbold workshops have your working relationships with departmental colleagues at your institution changed? How was the information shared?

I've shared a lot of what we did at ABS with my graduate assistants.

Yes, the senior faculty member is extremely creative and a master of this inquiry based teaching. He's already doing it and I appreciate his technique better. ABS has shown me a greater variety of techniques.

For the most part - the people who could use these techniques are the lab people and most of the time - that's the TA . The rationale for bringing other colleagues is that it makes them aware of the station. I've done that with people I meet - it's under exploited. There are several colleagues that I've told about ABS.

No, we don't have a forum to talk about this kind of stuff. But I did talk to some of my colleagues that I know personally about what we were doing. But we are putting together a course that going to be an inquiry-based course - Field Geology of Florida. So we'll talk about this kind of stuff when we get together.

D. Have you considered hosting a brown bag lunch or seminar to discuss the FIRST workshops with colleagues at your institution?

Where would we do that? No, we haven't considered that. Botany is not the right venue, but the College of Education might be right.

The department has ecologists but they are scattered all over campus in different disciplines. Communication is not efficient. The College of Natural Resources and the Environment who offers a disciplinary degree should do this (seminar). I don't feel I know enough if others are doing same thing I don't want to say I'm the expert.

3. Finally - Do you have any suggestions about what we might do to wrap up the FIRST workshops?

Invite teaching and graduate assistants to next workshop.

Bring a colleague - depends on what you want the outcome of the workshop. If it's to make more people aware of ABS then we need to bring colleagues. This may be HS goal. A lot more (research) could be done.

For final workshop - I'm curious of how other people have tried and what they are doing. I will have fresh experience but am curious how other people have done this. Time constraints are involved in doing new things

Listening to what other people do. You learn from watching what works for other people - their style. I think we need to figure out how we do this using technology.

It would be useful to go through an exercise of how to incorporate in a large lecture course. Three of us teach large courses. Even though I thought about it - I couldn't come up with it. It's not how we learned so we've propagated this way of teaching. It's hard to change when you weren't taught this way.

Share ideas of what worked and didn't work. I think we need to be convinced - we need proof this works. We also need a 'how to do this' approach. We talk about it, but I'd like to see exactly how to go about incorporating inquiry-based - especially in large classes.

You need to show how this is done in a large classroom. Most of us teach this way in lab already - if you are trying to convince faculty to change their teaching style you need to show them how to go about it. There are a lot of people doing this type of teaching improvement on campuses throughout the country and there are several videos of it working in classes.

Other comments -

My major criticism - if you want to teach this style than you need to start with teaching assistants and even high school teachers. What troubles me the most is that when we get these students who lack basic skills (reading, writing, thinking). The problem is the students - long before we even see them... secondary school teachers need to be trained.

Workshops are probably more appropriate for community colleges. It is more important to target a lower grade level and more appropriate for teachers teaching younger students.

One of the real advantages of the workshop is that it brings together people who might work together. We are creating a network of individuals - I've meet them before but never really got to know them.

Put the field exercises on the web so we can use share them. Half the problem is taking time to develop field exercises using inquiry - when you could keep a web site that had exercises in it for several disciplines.