Biogeographical practice and fieldwork under epidemic restrictions: limitations and advantages

Abstract

Introduction. The article summarizes the experience of the teachers of the Department of Biogeography of Lomonosov Moscow State University, accumulated during remote teaching and organizing field practices for students under restrictive measures during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21. The sudden introduction of remote learning required an urgent adaptation of academic programmes, the modification of existing teaching technologies to the new format, and a rapid restructuring of the educational process. Materials and Methods. The use of a new textbook with presentations and video materials, archival materials, educational and methodological and scientific publications, video recordings describing characteristics of individual plant and animal species, the structure and composition of particular phytocenoses, issues of their protection and anthropogenic transformation. Published materials on the biological and landscape diversity of Moscow City and the Moscow Region and on the specifics of anthropogenic transformation in this territory and ongoing conservation measures are used. Results. Determination of the methodological basis and development of principles for organizing and conducting classes and field practices in the context of anti-COVID-19 restrictions and analysis of the experience gained in order to determine the possibility of its application in similar circumstances. Discussion and Conclusions. In the context of distance learning, approaches to the demonstration of visual materials during classes were changed, the presentations that replaced the explanations of teachers in the exposition of the Museum of Geography of Moscow State University (the main training ground for practical work on the course "Ecology with the basics of biogeography") were created. Field practices were reduced, moved to new locations and reformatted in terms of approaches to the study of flora, geobotanical profiling and writing a report. The experience gained was positive and the work results received high marks in the surveys of students and teachers. The developed approaches can be used in case of new restrictions, as well as when working with people with disabilities.