Wetter, Wilder and Deeper: An Update on Linked ... - SENCER

<strong>Wetter</strong>, <strong>Wilder</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Deeper</strong>: <strong>An</strong><strong>Update</strong> on LinkedInterdisciplinary Linked CoursesPearl Ramola Fern<strong>and</strong>esMary Ellen BellancaMichael R. BaconJohn LogueUniversity of South Carolina Sumter

ObjectivesDevelop a learning community composedof ENGL 102 where the students studyliterature pertaining to natural history<strong>and</strong> wetl<strong>and</strong>s, <strong>and</strong> ENVR 101 with aspecial focus on southeastern wetl<strong>and</strong>sissues

Make information based on quantitativeanalysis <strong>and</strong> mathematical modelingless intimidating for students who mayhave limited math <strong>and</strong> sciencebackgrounds

Develop Develop coordinated delivery strategiesfor interdisciplinary learning <strong>and</strong> civicengagement

Assess Assess learning in our linked courses

Why Choose Wetl<strong>and</strong>s?Sumter Sumter <strong>and</strong> surrounding counties formpart of the Coastal Plain PhysiographicProvince of South Carolina

Environmental issues such aswetl<strong>and</strong>s delineation, use, <strong>and</strong>protection have direct impact onstudents <strong>and</strong> the communities ofour immediate service areas.

Proximity Proximity of the water table toground surface is a primarydeterminant for a large number ofecological community types withinthis area. Thus wetl<strong>and</strong>s are aconspicuous element of thel<strong>and</strong>scape.

TeamInterdisciplinaryEnglish English <strong>and</strong> Biology- to connectliterature to natural environmentMathematics- to analyze <strong>and</strong> interpretdata in biology

Interdisciplinary ApproachUtilize Utilize an interdisciplinary approach toteach undergraduates about thenature <strong>and</strong> importance of wetl<strong>and</strong>s

English 102 <strong>and</strong> Environment 102 wereoffered as coupled courses in Fall 2005<strong>and</strong> Spring 2007. Students wereencouraged to enroll in both courses tomaximize their learning experience <strong>and</strong>minimize some of the work that mightotherwise be required to complete thetwo courses independently.

The Faculty

ENGLISH 102 Brochure“Gators <strong>and</strong> turtles <strong>and</strong> swamps—oh,my!”Register for a special section ofENGL 102, Composition <strong>and</strong> LiteraturecalledWET AND WILD: LITERATURE ANDNATURE OF THE SOUTHEAST

Themes <strong>and</strong> Readings

Nature in <strong>An</strong>cient NarrativesAesop’s s fablesJonah <strong>and</strong> the great fish (OldTestament)African-American American folktaleNative American creation stories

Water, Destruction, <strong>and</strong>Renewal T.C. Boyle, “Greasy Lake” Flannery O’Connor,O“The River”

<strong>An</strong>imal Encounters Sarah Orne Jewett, “A A White Heron” Zora Neale Hurston, “Sweat”

<strong>An</strong>imal EncountersSnakes <strong>and</strong> Cultural AttitudesAesop, “The Woodman <strong>and</strong> the Serpent”Snake = treachery, evilDiscuss: Imagine the snake’s s point ofviewWhy this animal for this moral?

Snakes in Literature: variousmessages– Native American Myths– Hurston, “Sweat”– Whitman, “Castoff Skin”– Lawrence, “Snake”

Showcase of SENCER Activity Natural Reflections-Fall 2005 Special exhibit on early editions ofnature literature- Spring 2007

ENVIRONMENT 101

Objectives Promote betterunderst<strong>and</strong>ing of thenatural world Increase awareness ofproblems resulting fromhuman interaction with theenvironment Stress the interdisciplinarynature of the issues Encourage scientificproblem solving Encourage an active rolein environmental issues

Course Requirements 3 Examinations – 300 pts 10 Eco-Footprints/Quizzes– 100 pts Written Assignment – 25 pts Letter to Public Official – 25 pts Final Examination – 200 pts

Written Assignment Wetl<strong>and</strong>s from the perspective of ENGL 102assigned readings Wetl<strong>and</strong>s-ecologyformationphysiographyhistoryeconomicslegislation

Examples of papersCarolina bays—what we know <strong>and</strong> don’t t knowabout this mysteryMercury <strong>and</strong> other toxins in SC’s s ponds <strong>and</strong>streamsThe reappearance of the “Lord God bird,” theivory-billed woodpecker, feared extinct fordecadesThe controversial “Clyburn connector,” a bridge<strong>and</strong> highway over the Congaree Swamp proposedby Congressman Jim Clyburn

Civic Engagement Letter to public official on a localenvironmental issue Site visits to local l<strong>and</strong>fill, recyclingcenters, <strong>and</strong> waste water treatmentfacilities Interaction with local officials Field trips to local wetl<strong>and</strong> areas <strong>and</strong>to sites of wetl<strong>and</strong> alteration <strong>and</strong>destruction

Ecological Footprints On each lecture topic, students wererequired either to complete an ecologicalimpact (footprint) exercise or to completea 10-15 15 question pre-lecture quiz

Examples of In-Class Films Arctic Meltdown Rising Seas- How does thisdestabilize northern native <strong>and</strong> wildlife Arctic Quest: Search for Truth- Oil drilling in theAlaskan national wilderness Sustainable Futures- Restoration of watersheds,ecotourism <strong>and</strong> natural resource management inMexico, preserve spawning ground for salmon inthe north west Renewable Power- Fuel cells

Environmental Research Presentations by department facultyconducting research on “Water QualityIssues” in Pocotaligo Swamp near thelocal wastewater treatment facility

Wetl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> Wetl<strong>and</strong>Destruction

Sparkleberry Swamp-Cypress

Fresh Water Marsh- Cattails

Carolina Bays– Low AltitudePhoto

Carolina Bays– AgriculturalAlteration

Carolina Bay near USC Sumter <strong>and</strong>its development

ExamplesLaboratory SamplingStrategies <strong>and</strong> <strong>An</strong>alysis Non-Grass Species in Campus Lawn Population Size Estimate <strong>and</strong>Parameters Sample Collection of Data from ThreePopulations of Live Oaks on Campus. Compilation <strong>and</strong> <strong>An</strong>alysis of Data bya Mathematician

Math Component The purpose of the math component is tointroduce the student to the various thevarious ways mathematical concepts areused in biology. The main problem I encountered inintroducing mathematics was to limit howmuch mathematics to introduce. It was decided to introduce the student totwo topics based upon their ownparticipation in the course labs.

Topics Basics of reporting <strong>and</strong> computing values inscientific studies. Basic Descriptive Statistics These topics were chosen based on an analysisof the data collected by the students in labs.– Data collection on a sample of sea shells– Data collection on live oaks of approximately thesame age living in close proximity, but in threedifferent environments around campus.

Basics of reporting <strong>and</strong> computingvalues in scientific studies.– Types of numbers in science Exact vs. Approximate– Precision <strong>and</strong> Accuracy– Accuracy refers to how closely a measured value agrees withthe correct value. One Odetermines the accuracy of aninstrument by calibration, e.g. , measuring a knowndistance, known volume, or known mass.– Precision refers to how closely individual measurements agreewith each other.– Reporting Data Significant Figures or Digits (only deals with precision) Computations with Significant Figures.– Multiplication, Division, Root Extraction, i.e., complexmathematical operations– Addition <strong>and</strong> Subtraction

<strong>An</strong>alysis of Student DataDataIsolated in Lot Edge of Lot Not Boardered by LotOak DBH HT CROWN DBH HT CROWN DBH HT CROWN43.1 7 11.36 74.4 11 16.14 65.4 15 14.3247.8 6 11.86 85.1 15 15.34 64.7 15 14.655.8 11 11.38 67.9 13 15.86 60.4 11 13.246.7 8 12.36 58.2 12 15.36 62.8 14 15.8537 7 8 86.2 15 17.1 57.3 13 14.8354.5 10 13.7 73 16 15.94 61.9 16 15.6738.3 10 10.86 64.7 13 13.73 51 11 14.9343.3 8 9.72 65 12 13.24 70.3 15 14.634.5 8 7.56 57.2 12 13.23 50.3 10 12.1428.2 7 7.18 59.4 13 12.9 73.5 16 17.6Average 42.9 8 10.40 69.1 13 14.88 61.8 14 14.77Median 43.2 8 11.1 66.5 13 15.35 62.4 14.5 14.72Sometimes the above is violated due todefinition.Your reported values should reflect the precision of themeasurement.Your reported computations should not be more precise thanyour measurements.

Descriptive StatisticsMeasures of Central TendencyMeasures Location– Mean (average)– Median– ModeMeasures of Variance– Min, Max, <strong>and</strong> Range– Sample vs. Entire Population– Variance <strong>and</strong> St<strong>and</strong>ard Deviation

1496.Sample1: X =401511.Sample 2: X =401499.Sample 3: X =401606.Sample 4: X =401445.Sample 5: X =401502.Sample 6: X =40≈ 37.40≈ 37.78≈ 37.48≈ 40.15≈ 36.13≈ 37.55Sample 1 Sample2 Sample 3 Sample 4 Sample 5 Sample 6i X i X i X i X i X i X i1 22 26 25 19 20 242 24 26 25 20 20 27Solution3 24 27 29 25 20 294 25 28 29 28 25 295 25 28 30 34 25 306 26 31 30 35 30 307 27 32 30 35 30 318 27 32 30 36 30 319 28 33 31 36 30 3110 29 34 31 37 30 3111 29 34 32 37 30 3212 30 34 32 38 30 3213 31 35 32 38 30 3314 32 35 33 38 30 3315 33 36 34 38 30 3516 33 36 35 38 30 3617 34 37 36 39 30 3618 35 37 37 40 35 3719 37 37 37 40 35 3720 37 38 37 40 35 3821 38 38 37 40 35 3822 38 38 38 41 35 3823 38 39 38 41 35 3924 40 39 38 41 35 3925 40 40 38 42 35 4026 41 40 40 42 35 4027 42 40 40 44 40 4028 43 41 41 44 40 4129 44 42 42 45 40 4130 44 42 42 45 45 4231 44 42 43 45 45 4232 44 43 43 45 45 4333 46 43 44 47 45 4334 49 44 44 47 45 4435 50 44 45 48 45 4436 52 45 46 48 50 4537 52 46 47 50 50 4538 52 48 50 50 50 4639 55 50 51 55 60 5240 56 51 57 55 60 58

4 511111123413423423414576123123123555555514001111111111111111111373875747574757572757275757575757575757575ExampleThe Good; the Bad; <strong>and</strong> the UglyPopulation 1 Population 2 Population 3 Population 4 Population 5Average 37.4 37.775 37.475 37.925 37.775Median 37.5 38 37 3 37.5SD 9.46 6.2229 7.1554 218.11 35.864Two fictitious populations to illustrate why a combination ofstatistics are used in data analysis

Assessment- ENGL 102

Assessment- ENVR 101

Pre <strong>and</strong> Post Assessment Tests Part A (1-14)14) - General Knowledge –Science <strong>and</strong> Ecology Part B – (15-17) 17) Civic Engagement Part C – (18, 19) Culture, Philosophy <strong>and</strong>Literature

Pre- Test Part A – Average score of 5 out of 14,36% Part B – #15. Average of 5.79 correct#16. 14 of 19 students did not know oneof the indicated officials. #17. Two of 19students had communicated with a publicofficial. Part C – #19. Two of 19 responded. Onelisted two sources

Post -Test Part A – Average score of 9/14,64.3% Part B - #15, Average of 7.8 out of10 #16, 12 of 19 knew at leastone official, but only one knew 4.#17, 15 of 19 had written a publicofficial. Part C - #19, 8 students reported aliterary source infused withreferences to nature. Four of thosestudents were in Dr. Bellanca’s s class.

Environment 101Lab –Ecological Footprint Score Pre – Assessment vs. Post-Assessment Score range from 0 (best) – 300(worst) Pre Assessment Av = 167.7, Post =123.0 All scores improved within a range of11 to 88 pts.

ConclusionBy the end of the semester studentshad developed some appreciation ofwetl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> were able to betterunderst<strong>and</strong> the interdependencebetween society <strong>and</strong> theenvironment, <strong>and</strong> how economicdecisions made by humans impactedthe environment.

Problems <strong>and</strong> Successes Few concurrent students Laboratory is not a required part ofENVR 101 Problems with SENCER-SALGSALG Based on written responses <strong>and</strong>improvement in their eco-footprintscores, students seemed more awareof their impact on the environment

Recommendations?