Birdwatching: A field-based unit or short course

Donald Winslow
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Abstract

I taught Birdwatching for the Indiana Academy’s 2023 May Term. The latitude and flexibility of a standalone course provided opportunities for creative student expression. The focus was on recreational observation of birds with a modest introduction to the science of ornithology. Students gained skills in bird identification, interpretation of behavioral observations, and ecological study design. The only textbook was a field guide. Students were instructed to install and use the free mobile app Merlin. We met each morning for a total of 10 class sessions, each 3-4 hours long. Topics included binocular use, bird identification by sight and sound, the eBird project, avian physiology, notetaking, bird behavior, study design, North American birds, distribution ranges, bird nests, habitat, and subspecies. We took field excursions every morning, usually on foot but with two trips by van to nearby birding hotspots. Students demonstrated their identification skills every morning in field quizzes. Each student kept a journal of field observations. Students worked in pairs to design a study on behavior and one on ecology. The instructor developed a list of questions of interest, and students collected data to answer them by observing birds in the field. Each student wrote two research reports presenting the results of these investigations. On the last day, students completed a final examination. Scores on these assessments indicated that the student learning outcomes were achieved by most students. This course could be adapted as a unit at the end of a spring semester course in biology or zoology.
观鸟:实地单元或短期课程
我为印第安纳学院 2023 年 5 月学期开设了 "观鸟 "课程。独立课程的自由度和灵活性为学生的创造性表达提供了机会。课程的重点是对鸟类进行娱乐性观察,并适度介绍鸟类学的科学知识。学生可获得鸟类识别、行为观察解释和生态研究设计方面的技能。唯一的教科书是一本野外指南。我们指导学生安装并使用免费手机应用程序 Merlin。我们每天上午共上 10 节课,每节课 3-4 个小时。主题包括双筒望远镜的使用、通过视觉和听觉识别鸟类、eBird 项目、鸟类生理学、记笔记、鸟类行为、研究设计、北美鸟类、分布范围、鸟巢、栖息地和亚种。我们每天早上都进行实地考察,通常是步行,但也有两次乘坐面包车前往附近的观鸟热点地区。学生们在每天早上的野外测验中展示他们的识别技能。每个学生都写了野外观察日记。学生们两人一组,设计一项行为学研究和一项生态学研究。指导老师制定了一份感兴趣的问题清单,学生通过实地观察鸟类收集数据来回答这些问题。每个学生都撰写了两份研究报告,介绍这些调查的结果。最后一天,学生们完成了期末考试。这些评估结果表明,大多数学生都达到了学习目标。本课程可作为春季学期生物或动物学课程结束时的一个单元。
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