Know your insects! New approaches to teaching insect morphology and systematics

Luca Franzini

Andrew R. Deans and István MikóFrost Entomological Museum

Only 5 dedicated insect morphology courses*

*source: http://bit.ly/InsectMorphology

Snodgrass (1910)

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Know your insect (ENT 530)

○ 7 students○ each gets two weeks○ CLSM○ bibliography○ dissemination

Frederickson

1. Mini-lecture on the anatomical entity of interest2. Mini-lecture on research question/methods3. Dissections to examine that structure4. Instructors facilitate question-driven exploration: What?

How? Where?|

student trains in advanced microscopy|

classmates break for one week to find relevant papers↓

5. Literature discussion6. Synthesis and publication

1. Mini-lecture on the anatomical entity of interest2. Mini-lecture on research question/methods3. Dissections to examine that structure4. Instructors facilitate question-driven exploration: What?

How? Where?|

student trains in advanced microscopy|

classmates break for one week to find relevant papers↓

5. Literature discussion6. Synthesis and publication

student-driven

Results:

80+ reference bibliography

7 great blog posts

dozens of research quality images

100% student satisfaction

1st Annual Penn State Morphology Jamboree

Can we teach insect systematics this way?

Old style lab

○ examine specimens for diagnostic characters○ mindlessly commit to memory○ get quizzed

Old style collection

○ collect hundreds of insects, mindlessly

rote → active/experiential

Stanislav Sedov

Interested in collaboration?

Future ESA symposium?

adeans@psu.edu

Acknowledgments

Carolyn Trietsch, Maridel Fredericksen, Kyle Burks, Keith Bayless, Matt Bertone, and all the students who have taken ENT 502 and ENT 432

Acknowledgments

Carolyn Trietsch, Maridel Fredericksen, Kyle Burks, Keith Bayless, Matt Bertone, and all the students who have taken ENT 502 and ENT 432

http://bit.ly/Deans2015ESA