Teaching Biodiversity Conservation: The Network of Conservation Educators and Practitioners

为了解决缺乏资源来捕捉生物多样性保护作为跨学科、探究式学习基地的问题，保护教育者和从业者网络(NCEP-US)是美国自然历史博物馆生物多样性和保护中心、纽约州立大学环境科学与林业学院和缅因州大学之间的合作伙伴关系，将教师、研究生和本科生与从事保护工作的专业人员联系起来，正在制作一套经过课堂测试的探究式学习材料，以增加根据CCLI之前的一项拨款目前正在准备的46份材料，到期金额为0127506英镑。目前的项目通过以下方式继续和扩大这种合作：(1)与不同的教职员工和学生合作，开发和实地测试另外25个模块。(2)开发“案例研究”的新模块组成部分，纳入主动学习研究的最新发展；(3)通过在与保护和生态有关的专业协会会议上举办讲习班，促进课堂使用模块以及主动学习和教学技术；以及(4)扩大目前以教师为中心的评估战略，将学生学习成果评估(SALG)纳入其中。材料正在车间环境中开发。智力优势：生物多样性保护是一个全球重大问题，人类活动带来的动植物物种加速丧失，增加了对训练有素的环境专业人员的需求。该项目通过提供最新的、灵活的资源，通过实验室、野外或课堂使用的探究式练习来改善生物多样性保护的教学，从而满足了这一需求。更广泛的影响：虽然这个项目主要针对本科教师和学生，但作为该项目的一部分开发的材料对不同的受众很有用，包括中学教师和学生，以及从事生物多样性问题的专业人员和管理人员。目前正在努力吸纳相当数量的少数族裔服务机构的教员。

To address the problem of a lack of resources that capture the potential of Biodiversity conservation to serve as a base for interdisciplinary, inquiry-based learning, The Network of Conservation Educators and Practitioners (NCEP-US), a partnership among the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation at the American Museum of Natural History, the State University of New York's College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and the University of Maine linking faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates with practicing conservation professionals, is generating a set of classroom-tested, inquiry-based learning materials to add to the 46 currently in preparation under a previous CCLI grant, DUE-0127506. The current project continues and expands this collaboration by: (1) developing and field-testing 25 additional modules in cooperation with a diverse group of faculty and students. (2) developing a new module component of "case studies," incorporating recent developments in research on active learning; (3) promoting classroom use of the modules, along with active learning and teaching techniques, through workshops at the meetings of professional societies associated with conservation and ecology; and (4) expanding current teacher-centered evaluation strategy to include student assessment of learning gains (SALG). Materials are being developed in a workshop setting. Intellectual merit: Biodiversity conservation is a globally significant issue, and the accelerated loss of plant and animal species brought on by human activities has heightened the need for well-trained environmental professionals. This project addresses this need by providing up-to-date, flexible resources for improving teaching in biodiversity conservation through inquiry-based exercises for laboratory, field, or classroom use. Broader impacts: While this project is directed primarily toward undergraduate faculty and students, the material developed as part of this project is useful to diverse audiences, including secondary school faculty and students, and professionals and managers working with biodiversity issues. Efforts are being made to include a significant number of faculty from minority-serving institutions.