UMEB: Integrating Independent Research and Group Learning in Environmental Biology

0080754 Diffendorfer圣地亚哥州立大学-环境生物学本科生导师项目整合了个人的研究经验，一对一的指导，和基于小组的合作学习，以帮助培养学生在追求研究生学位和环境生物学职业生涯中表现出色。该计划将支持三组九名学生，并广泛关注“人类对生物多样性的影响”。学生将前往阿拉斯加或英格兰，和墨西哥在他们的经验。九名学生组成一个综合研究小组（IRG），其中包括三个学习小组。一个学习小组包括三名学生，一名研究生助理和一名教师导师。每个学习小组的重点与其导师的研究计划一致：栖息地碎片化，生物多样性或全球气候变化。IRG的进步，学习小组分享他们的发现和综合知识的研究重点。UMEB项目将帮助学生从代表性不足的群体成为环境生物学，目前缺乏这种代表性的领域广泛训练和高度积极的专业人士。研究重点是一个及时的主题将教学生如何科学可以帮助解决社会问题，从而鼓励他们获得和应用一系列的科学技能。此外，该方案的教学方法和组织为学生培训设定了高标准，并将向其他教育工作者传播。

0080754DiffendorferThe San Diego State University - Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology project integrates individual research experiences, one-on-one mentoring, and group-based cooperative learning to help develop students that excel in their pursuit of graduate degrees and careers in Environmental Biology. The program will support three cohorts of nine students and focuses broadly on "Human Impacts on Biodiversity". Students will travel to Alaska or England, and Mexico during their experience. The nine students form an Integrated Research Group (IRG), which consists of three learning groups. A learning group includes three students, a graduate assistant and a faculty mentor. Each learning group's focus coincides with the research program of its mentor: Habitat Fragmentation, Biodiversity or Global Climate Change. The IRG advances as learning groups share their findings and synthesize knowledge across the research foci.The UMEB project will help students from under-represented groups become broadly-trained and highly motivated professionals in Environmental Biology, a field currently lacking this representation. The research focus on a timely topic will teach students how science can help solve societal problems, thus encouraging them to acquire and apply a range of scientific skills. In addition, the teaching methodologies and organization of the program set a high standard in student training and will be disseminated to other educators.