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Wikipedia:Ambassadors/Courses/Spring 2011/Conservation Biology (Bill Platt)

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Course description

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This course deals with the scientific principles relevant to conservation, biodiversity, and sustainability in a human-dominated world. Topics include concepts of biodiversity, threats to, and conservation of biodiversity, and complex issues related to the preservation of biodiversity and the environment in a human-dominated world. Recent predictions of the extent and consequences of global climate change and its effects will be emphasized as part of this course.

The topics in BIOL/ENTM 4015 are designed for undergraduate science majors. The primary goal is the development of critical knowledge and evaluation skills needed as an educated citizen in a complex and rapidly deteriorating world. We are well into the sixth known mass extinction of life on Earth. Estimates are that as many as 60,000 species now go extinct annually, and massive changes in natural environments resulting from human actions will have long-lasting consequences for all life forms that survive. Ongoing population growth worldwide and accelerating changes in global climate will likely hasten the mass extinction and threaten life as we know it within your lifetime.

Conservation is an interdisciplinary field, drawing from biological disciplines (ecology, evolution, genetics, biogeography, systematics, forestry, wildlife biology, agronomy, and marine sciences), as well as physical sciences, like soils, water chemistry, geography and geology. These scientific disciplines are combined with social sciences, such as sociology, political science, economics, and anthropology. All these disciplines produce information that is evaluated in the context of ethics and philosophy. Practitioners include people in a wide variety of fields of science and humanities, both in public and private organizations and businesses, and the general public (in short, all humans, in one way or another). Critical evaluation of ideas and information is needed by all educated citizens to evaluate and handle controversial issues, because ignorance and apathy are courses of action with important consequences. Sound conservation ethics and the ability to process and use scientific

Assignment overview

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Conservation students will search currently developed topics in Wikipedia and expand on the information, focusing on conservation issues. The purpose of the assignment is two-fold. First, this is a pilot study to explore the ease of implementing Wikipedia as a learning tool in the classroom. We initially will evaluate how information can be incorporated into existing articles and subsequently explore creating new articles on conservation related topics. Student input will be used to evaluate the process. Second, Wikipedia will be used as a platform for students to communicate effectively scientific processes involving conservation to the global community. Distilling science in a manner that is understandable at all levels is essential to promote conservation of the environment. Students will evaluate existing information, determine if it is unbiased, along with including recent information as new research develops, and work to communicate the information effectively.

Assignment timeline

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Students will present their work on Wikipedia topics during their Hot Topic presentations, scheduled for April 7th. These presentations will be given to the entire class.

Students

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Quick Resources for Students

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Campus Ambassador

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The campus ambassador for this course is Becky Carmichael.

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