Representative syllabi
Ecology & Evolution of the Jersey Shore (first-year seminar)
Dr Lockwood and I developed this course as part of a first-year seminar program at Rutgers University. We were expected to introduce incoming freshman to our discipline through a combination of lectures and experiential learning. We structured the class anticipating no prior scientific experience, and focused on two primary goals. First, we wanted to introduce the students to fundamental concepts in ecology and evolution. Second, we wanted them to go beyond passive observation, identify interesting questions about the phenomenon they were observing, and be able to develop testable hypotheses. We used a combination of in-class lectures, in-the-field discussions and hands-on activities across a variety of coastal ecosystems to reach these goals. Lectures on ecology & evolution, and physical processes responsible for coastal ecosystems, were used to provide a baseline level of information to bring each student up to speed. Most learning, though, occurred in the field, where students came face-to-face with natural and anthropogenic processes affecting coastal ecosystems.
Students spent time seining, dip-netting, and identifying myriad benthic organisms, watching birds forage, and noting how vegetation changed with the slightest change in topography. Students were required to identify a phenomenon of interest, develop a testable hypothesis about the phenomenon, and produce a research abstract including their methods and anticipated results. Students turned in their assignment on two successive dates, so we could provide detailed feedback before the last class. During our second-to-last meeting we broke the class into groups and assigned each a position on a controversial topic, such as beach re-nourishment, or the moratorium on Horseshoe Crab harvest in Delaware Bay. Groups were required to independently research their topic and debate their position in the final class period. By the end of the course all of our students successfully demonstrated their ability to formulate testable hypotheses, having grounded them in sound ecological and evolutionary theory.
Our student evaluations indicate that most students viewed this seminar as valuable to their education and introduction to Rutgers University. Several students indicated that they might pursue ecological research during their academic career. This experience has made me a strong proponent of early-term experiential seminars. As a scientist who teaches upper-level courses, having students already skilled in critical thought and hypothesis testing allows me to develop their understanding of the subject matter on a much deeper and more meaningful level.
Field Ornithology (lecture & lab)
I have been teaching the lab and part of the lecture for ornithology since 2007. The course is a combination of in-class lectures and field-based labs with a heavy emphasis on identification, ecology, physiology, and conservation. I developed an eCompanion site for this course which provided an interactive platform where students took weekly quizzes, I disseminated digital notes and handouts, students asked each other questions on ID and reported birds seen outside of class, and groups collaborated on research. Student progress was evaluated using a combination of in-class and online quizzes, a mid-term and final exam based on the reading and lecture material, a mid-term and final field ID exam, and a final project to be completed in pre-assigned groups.