PS 1-14 - The Virtual Field to the rescue

Background/Question/Methods

Environmental Science at Barnard College is a large lecture course coordinated with seven sections of weekly labs. Field ecology and biodiversity comprise part of the curriculum. Students visit campus area green spaces to observe plants, birds and record data using the Grinnell Method for field journaling, in addition to making measurements of trees and soils. Fall 2021 featured in-person teaching and learning, including field experiences, except for the last week of classes when we were asked to go remote and offer remaining course content and the final exams online. For the remote end to the semester, The Virtual Field Ecosystem Exploration Series (EES) came to the rescue and offered an interesting alternative. The Virtual Field was created in response to the academic shutdowns in early 2020. It was started by the Organization of Biological Field Stations in an effort to create and distribute virtual field experiences and learning resources. A core team of scientists and educators was awarded a RAPID grant from the NSF to support the creation of a web portal for collaborators, thus The Virtual Field. Could this group of students have a meaningful and reflective learning experience using this option at the end of an in-person semester?

Results/Conclusions

For the remote final exam, students were asked to engage with the Virtual Field EES using the video called Ecology and Formative Processes in a Chestnut Oak Forest in New York’s Black Rock Forest (https://thevirtualfield.org/video/black-rock-forest-chestnut-oak-forest/), which is one of several short (5 minute), un-narrated videos created. In this video, landscape and close-up views from the forest floor to the canopy are presented through an experienced ecologist’s eyes. After viewing the short video, students are presented with four modules with habitat-specific questions that guide the exploration through the video again. Modules are: observe/gather evidence, describe/compare ecosystems, draw what you see, formulate questions. Students were also asked to comment on their learning experience after each of the four modules using a rating scale of 1-5 for each section with (1) indicating “not at all effective” to (5) indicating “extremely effective”. The average ratings for each of the modules was 3.2; n = 97. Overall, students found the activity effective and learned from engagement with The Virtual Field EES.