To Promote Inquiry-based learning at field stations
Archbold Biological Station is one of five field stations in the USA that have partnered with The FIRST project, funded by the National Science Foundation's Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement Program, a professional development program for faculty from universities, four-year and community colleges. The FIRST project involves five teams that are centered at field stations throughout the United States. These teams are developing regional communities of faculty (institutional teams) centered at field stations.

Archbold solicited responses to attend these workshops from many potential universities and community colleges near (5-6 hours) from the Station. Archbold selected teams and faculty based on institutional type and degree of commitment to the project, and geographical distribution . We retained files of participant's answers for future evaluation. The five participating institutions and their faculty teams were

Edison Community College

Florida International University

Stetson University

University of Florida

University of South Florida

During 1999 we held two workshops in February and May at Archbold to further our goals for the FIRST project. Throughout the workshops we used many ideas and concepts about inquiry-based learning and cooperative learning with the participating faculty (as modeling exercises for future use with classes). Much of the material developed at these workshops will be of interest and relevance to other faculty and students that visit Archbold Biological Station.

This project is supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation.
Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation.