Inspire Session
Hybrid Session
Loren Byrne
Professor of Biology and Environmental Science
Roger Williams University
Bristol, RI, United States
Emily Rauschert
Associate Professor
Cleveland State University
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
The 2023 meeting theme “For all ecologists” recognizes that ecologists can be found working in many types of careers. It is also true that ecologists can enter the field from many different backgrounds, and that ecology is for everyone, including non-scientists. Indeed, in our times of enormous ecological changes, we need more people to appreciate ecology, use ecological science for personal and professional decision making, and pursue ecological studies. Therefore, our Inspire session focuses on developing ecological education that engages all students–not just those already interested in ecology–in learning about ecology through inclusive and interdisciplinary concepts and methods. The goal of the session is to provide inspiration for attendees to teach in ways that will “hook” more students, from across majors, backgrounds, races, and other personal attributes, to appreciate and understand ecological science. With a focus on undergraduate education, speakers will discuss approaches for helping make ecology more accessible to a wider range of students using best practices in effective STEM pedagogy, including synthesizing topics across disciplines.
A helpful entry point for developing more accessible, interdisciplinary ecology teaching is the ESA-endorsed 4-Dimensional Ecology Education framework, which will serve as a contextual theme for the session. In particular, one of its dimensions is “human-environment interactions” which includes topics that are relevant to engaging diverse students to think about everyday, personal connections to the three other dimensions. Several speakers will address these interdisciplinary links through the lens of social sciences, urban systems, and social-environmental justice. Such topics are especially relevant to teaching ecology to non-science majors, as many ecologists do as part of general education, sustainability and other programs. Some ecologists, including one of our speakers, hold positions at institutions that do not have biology or environmental science programs, and thus only teach students in an interdisciplinary framing. Thus, this session will also help teachers think more critically about what effective ecology education means when ecology is not students’ primary interest nor focus of their career paths. This includes helping students see ecology as relevant to their personal lives and communities through pedagogies that emphasize personal relevance and civic engagement. To broaden the inclusivity and accessibility of ecology, more ecologists should embrace opportunities to help students outside the biological sciences connect to ecological concepts and skills through many interdisciplinary and sociocultural paths. Speakers will help provide inspiration and guidance for this important societal and educational goal.
Presenting Author: Emily Rauschert – Cleveland State University
Co-author: Loren B. Byrne – Roger Williams University
Presenting Author: Bryan Dewsbury – Florida International University
Presenting Author: Louise M. Weber, PhD – University of Saint Francis
Presenting Author: Vikki L. Rodgers, Ph.D. – Babson College
Presenting Author: Mitchell Pavao-Zuckerman – University of Maryland
Presenting Author: Gillian Bowser – Colorado State University
Presenting Author: Aramati Casper – Colorado State University
Presenting Author: Heather D. Vance-Chalcraft – East Carolina University
Presenting Author: Nia Morales – University of Florida
Co-author: Ben Lowe – University of Florida
Co-author: Keara Clancy – University of Florida