Leveraging public data to offer online inquiry opportunities

Area of Science:

• Ecology and Evolution Education
• Environmental Science Pedagogy

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid shift to remote instruction, challenging the implementation of inquiry-based learning in ecology courses.
• There is a growing need for flexible pedagogical resources that support student-centered inquiry in both online and in-person learning environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate data-driven inquiry activities as a flexible pedagogical tool for ecology and evolution courses.
• To provide practical insights for instructors seeking to integrate authentic research experiences into distance learning formats.

Main Methods:

• Leveraged publicly available datasets for a two-semester course-based research experience in global change ecology.
• Designed inquiry activities focused on building career-relevant skills and understanding fundamental ecological concepts.

Main Results:

• Data-driven inquiry activities proved effective in engaging students in scientific research.
• Successfully adapted student-centered learning for a distance education format, fostering ecological understanding.

Conclusions:

• Data-driven inquiry activities represent a versatile and effective strategy for modern ecology and evolution education.
• These activities equip students with essential scientific skills and ecological knowledge, adaptable to various teaching modalities.