biological sciences HONOURs 2014 - The University of Sydney

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URBAN ECOLOGY
AND BIODIVERSITY
EDUCATION
Research Interests
My research focuses on an integration of urban ecology,
scientific literacy and biodiversity education. My students work
across a wide range of topics, from the ecology of urban birds
(parrots, mynas and noisy miners) to the ecological literacy of
kindergarten children.
We are currently exploring the extent to which resources, such
as food, determine the distribution and abundance of birds.
Studies range from tracking spatial and temporal movements of
cockatoos, investigating the role of noisy miners and common
mynas in urban areas, and measuring flowering and seeding
phenology of trees in streets, gardens and national parks.
Current projects in biology education use models within the
learning sciences and thresholds concepts to investigate how
students, schoolchildren, and the general public understand
difficult biological concepts. We measure learning in schools as
children design experiments in virtual 3D environments and in
university as students carry out research projects in biology.
We also analyse communication in social media to quantify the
public understanding of biological knowledge.
Dr Charlotte
Taylor
Room 313, Heydon-
Laurence Building A08
T: (02) 9351 5788
E: charlotte.taylor@
sydney.edu.au
Honours projects
1. Urban biodiversity and resource availability. We are currently interested in aggressive
interactions amongst bird populations in urban areas, in particular those involving Noisy miners,
Common mynas and various parrot species. We are also investigating the impact of limitations in
resources for bird populations, with a focus on nectar and seed sources.
2. Learning difficult concepts and Biology literacy. We continue to use the Thresholds
Concepts paradigm to explore the ways in which undergraduate students, school children and
members of the general public understand or misunderstand key biological concepts. Projects
may focus on concepts associated with understanding the complexity of processes such as
climate change and human impact on the environment, as well as the concepts underpinning the
processes of hypothesis testing and experimentation.