Teaching in the field by N. Sivasothi, ver Feb 2009

MSc Science Communciation Programme

Teaching in the field

N. Sivasothi a.k.a OttermanNUS Biological Sciences

Friday, 13th February 2009

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Why are you

here?2

Your role?

• Plan an entire course, manage others?• Teach a group independently? • Act as a facilitator? eg. Familiarisation

trips. – Enhance information conveyed – Promote a discussion– Use your greater experience

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Student’s role

• Learn?• Forced to be there?• Trying to pass the CA?• Be entertained - learn by accident

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1. Introduction

• Why have field trips? • Types• The importance of an objectives

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1. Introduction

Why have field trips?

Can we not simulate?

✤ Visualise the subject, phenomenon or situation.

✤ Learn techniques under ‘real life’ conditions.✤ Understand and deal with the realistic

scenarios imposed by field conditions.

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Chek Jawa Transect

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Chek Jawa Transect

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Mt Imbia Swiflets

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Mudflats west of causeway, Western Straits of Johor

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Mandai mangroves

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Johor

Sungei Mandai Besar16

Mandai mudflats

Sungei Buloh Causeway Customs

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Types of field trips andgeneral objectives

• (1) Recognition/Familiarisation• See examples from theory. E. g. visit to a mangrove

ecosystem, an orchid farm or the zoo.

• (2) Techniques• Use specific techniques and procedures subject to field

conditions, E. g. Comparison of environmental parameters between a gap and the forest canopy.

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(3) Experiential

learning

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Types of field trips andgeneral objectives

• Year 1 - Biodiversity Module (LSM1103)• Year 3 - Ecology• Year 3 - Evolution• Year 3 - Life form and functions

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• E.g. Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve

• Introduction to mangrove ecosystem - walk the park to observe flora and fauna.

• Study management methods - how former prawn ponds are managed to encourage migratory bird foraging and the significance of Mandai mangroves.

• Conservation - difference between a reserve and a nature park.

Importance of an objective

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• Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

• Introduction to a rainforest ecosystem.

• Ecological mechanisms of a tropcal rainforest.

• Management - overuse by public, feeding of monkeys.

• Conservation - conflicting land use, buffer zones

Importance of an objective

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Climbing or

learning?

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Ponds or birds?25

Ponds or birds?26

Watching monkey or watching people?

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2. Preparation before the class - the lesson plan.

• Meet at least two weeks before scheduled date.

• Limiting factors

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An achievable objective

• Scale the content down to realistically fit

• allocated time, space and

• student’s attention span

• students capability

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Recognise your student

• C = Do the minimum• B = + Wants more• A = ++ Analyses

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Recognise your student

• An important challenge• The D student - resists learning• Trick into learning

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A common, minimum objective

• All TAs convey a compulsory minimum course content - fair for CAs.

• Anything else is a bonus/luck of the draw!

• Convey this to the student - briefing/handout.

• E.g. Suffer or enjoy there are > 60 species of mangrove, but students only introduced to 4-5 common genera during introductory trips.

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3. Preparation before the class

The recce trip

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3. Preparation before the class- The recce trip

• 3.1 Recce Trip

• Conditions at a site may vary considerably, so a recce trip is required. E.g. DBS drain, Labrador/SBWR.

• Consult tide-tables for coastal and marine field trips - http://tides.sivasothi.com

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• Tides

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Sea shoresVarious systems of vertical zonation of the sea shore.

Example:

• Supralittoral (=splash zone)

• Zone: > HHWST

• Always exposed, i. e. Never covered even by the highest tides.

• Littoral (= intertidal)

• zone: HHWST < Littoral > LLWST

• Daily exposure (air) and immersion (seawater), 1-2x/day.

• Sublittoral

• Below LLWST mark

• Always covered by water even during lowest tides.

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Molles, M. C. Jr., 2007. Ecology: concepts and applications, 4th edition. McGraw-Hill

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Sea shores

• Waves and tides affect distribution and abundance of intertidal organisms.

• Semidiurnal tides: Two periods of low and high tides daily.

• Diurnal tides: Single low and high tide each day.

• Intertidal zone organisms adapted to amphibious existence.

• Differential tolerances to periodicity of air exposure leads to zonation of species.

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What time to do the coastal cleanup briefing?

• Coastal cleanup = Sat 20 Sep 2008: 9am

• Must do briefing on 13 Sep 2008

• 45 mins shift per day = 6 x 45 - > 5 hour difference

• I.e. do briefing in afternoon, 2pm

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0.3m

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Field trip yesterday

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Coastal Cleanup 2008:Is the date suitable?

Swim?

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• Changes to site (disappearing habitat)

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Lim Chu Kang68


• 3.2 Plan the route• Limited time so smooth running. Avoid bottlenecks.

Cleaning up. TAs must cooperate. Eg. RMBR Phylogenetic tour.

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• 3.3 Pace the content• Amount and sequence of information.

• 3.4 Delivery method

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• 3.5 Transport and route• If buses don’t turn up, who do you call?• You lose the convoy, bus driver turns around and asks

where?• Teaching point for students - drainage, link to lesson

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...help undergraduatesdevelop intellectual and

cognitive skills.

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4. During the field trip

Introduce yourself!

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4.1 Flexibility is the key.

• Adapt, and coordinate with the other TAs.• Transport & Environment• Students not responding because tired

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4.1 Flexibility is the key.

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Horseshoe crab rescue, Mandai Kechil,13 Mar 2005

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4.2 Emphasise the objective - even to yourself!

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diversity or form?

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4.3 Give way to exciting scenes

• If a rare or exciting event does take place, don't fight it!

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4.4 Keeping time

• Enlist help.

• Cut down content, and leave time for a few questions and examples. Better to say less.

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4.4 Keeping time

Share resources if possible

– Share uncommon finds– go down earlier to catch or collect and pool

resources into stations.

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4.5 Always admit when you don't know.

• Any fool can ask a question a wise man cannot answer!• Illustrate the difference between

• fact, • hypothesis, • an educated guess and• speculation

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4.5 Always admit when you don't know.

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4.6 Helping students understand: practise and

dialogue

• Have a beginning and an end - Explain objectives, at the end, make the connection.

• Repetition to help learn new concepts or names.

• Let them tell you

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4.7 Do students understand?

Nodding heads mean nothing!

• Ask questions. • Allow written responses (hand out rough paper)• Make deliberate but obvious errors (lay traps).• Pop quiz• Provide a focus for qualitative field trips - eg.

Coastal assessment of Singapore, a bus journey?.• Tests are the best motivator.

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5. After the field trip

• Mailing lists– What you could not answer, the pool

does– Clarification to other groups– students began posting answers!

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6. SAFETY PREPARATIONS

• 6.1 - Recce the site• 6.2 - Be prepared• 6.3 - Declaration• 6.4 - Observation

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Why are you

here?105

Enjoy yourselves!

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Addendum

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Singapore, c.1990

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Singapore, c.1990Exposed shore

Sheltered shore

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Singapore, c.1990Beach

Mangrove

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Teaching in the field by N. Sivasothi, ver Feb 2009

Education

Transcript of Teaching in the field by N. Sivasothi, ver Feb 2009