Source: SUNY Empire State College submitted to NRP
AN UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE: USING TECHNOLOGY TO MONITOR JAPANESE BEETLES, RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE, ACROSS NEW YORK STATE
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0225923
Grant No.
2011-38411-30601
Cumulative Award Amt.
$95,068.00
Proposal No.
2011-01854
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Aug 15, 2011
Project End Date
Aug 14, 2015
Grant Year
2011
Program Code
[ER]- Higher Ed Challenge
Recipient Organization
SUNY Empire State College
Central New York Center
East Syracuse,NY 13057
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
In the fall of 2010, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology prepared a report which re-emphasized the concern that the recent number of students entering and graduating from STEM disciplines falls alarmingly short of the nation's requirement for maintaining global competitiveness in science and technology fields. As a result, educators have emphasized the need to design curricula which actively engage all students in the sciences early in their educational careers. Incorporating field and laboratory experiences which relate to specific environmental challenges facing regions, communities, and individuals, and which introduce students to monitoring and data analysis technologies, can be effective ways of increasing student interest, participation, and retention in science disciplines. In this project, students will develop a visual, virtual map of the life stages and population density of Japanese beetles across the state of New York. Students will make observations and record data regarding the insect life cycle, vegetation, soil properties and types, and atmospheric conditions. They will analyze the data using GIS to discern spatial and temporal patterns of beetle life stages across New York, phenological correlations, and climate trends. Participation in the project will enable students to better understand the ways climate change impacts local ecosystems and biodiversity and non-native species. The audience for this project is both STEM and non-STEM students. Outcome 1: With an innovative curriculum design, the use of technology and the incorporation of place based, community science into the learning module, this project will capture the interest of a wide diversity of students to increase interest and enrollment in STEM: studies, programs, and majors. Outcome 2: STEM students will be better prepared with the competencies needed in a working environment facing rapid change. Students will learn how to work as a team and communicate within an online open learning environment. Students will also learn how to adapt technology and the scientific theory to solve new problems. Outcome 3: Students will develop an understanding of how climate change impacts regional ecosystems and biodiversity. Outcome 4: Increase faculty resources for developing new and innovative studies in environmental and agricultural studies.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90360993020100%
Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
In this project, students will develop a visual, virtual map of the life stages and population density of Japanese beetles across the state of New York. Students will make observations and record data regarding the insect life cycle, vegetation associations, soil properties and types, and atmospheric conditions. They will analyze the data using GIS to discern spatial and temporal patterns of beetle life stages across New York, phenological correlations, and climate trends. Participation in the project will enable students to better understand the ways climate change impacts local ecosystems and biodiversity and the particular impacts climate change can have on a non-native species. The audience for this project is both STEM and non-STEM students. Outcome 1: With an innovative curriculum design, the use of technology and the incorporation of place based, community science into the learning module, this project will capture the interest of a wide diversity of students in order to increase interest and enrollment in STEM studies, programs, and majors. After completing this learning module, at least 15 students over 3 years of this project will design a degree plan related to environmental or agricultural science.. Outcome 2: STEM students will develop competencies needed in a working environment which faces rapid change, by . learning how to apply and adapt technology to solve new problems. Students will demonstrate an ability to correctly use the technology included in the learning module, and the wider applications of such technology. At least 12 students over the 3 years of this project will go into a job in the field of environmental or agricultural science. Outcome 3: Students will develop an understanding of how climate change impacts regional ecosystems and biodiversity. At least 70% of students that use this learning module in full will learn how to make observations, collect, and analyze data that allows them to study the local effects of climate change. They will learn how climate change impacts biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics.. Outcome 4: At least 15 Empire State College faculty members and 5 faculty from other institutions will incorporate some, or all, of the learning module into a course curriculum. This will include courses aimed at STEM and non-STEM students. Outcome 5: Students who complete the learning module will demonstrate an increase in positive attitudes towards science, and careers in the fields of agricultural and the environment. Students will be provided with a survey which assesses their perceptions of and attitudes towards science and science oriented careers prior to and following their participation in the learning module.
Project Methods
There are five steps to the development and implementation of this project: (1) development of the experimental design and data collection activities, including instructions, (2) development of the GIS and accompanying user platform, (3) development of at least one course specifically incorporating the learning module and guidelines for incorporation into other courses, (4) project evaluation of outcomes (5) dissemination of the learning module to faculty members at Empire State College and beyond. The experimental design and data collection activities, including instructions, (referred to collectively as the protocol) will be developed as a collaborative effort including all members of the project team. The project team will rely on resources that have already been developed. Where adequate instructions are not already available, interesting and easy to follow, resources will be developed by the project team. The GIS platform developed for this project will be based on existing software developed by SUNY Empire State College technicians. The platform will support online mapping integrated with climate and phenological observations. The user platform is based on the Drupal open-source content management system. The system will be available with the configuration scripts needed to allow other research groups to install and make use of the system. The curriculum will include learning activities that guide students in developing the connection between climate and insect development. This learning module has the potential to add an interactive component to a variety of interdisciplinary courses. A pilot project with a small number of students will be conducted before the curriculum is complete. This pilot will help the project team understand how the learning module can be improved. Feedback from the students and faculty involved in the pilot project will be incorporated into the learning module. Once completed, the project team will present the module to fellow faculty members and encourage them to get involved by sharing ideas with the project team and incorporating the module into their courses. After one year of SUNY Empire State faculty using the learning module for their courses, the first year of student evaluation will begin. This project will use an external evaluator to measure whether the project has led to an increase in enrollment in STEM programs and prepared students for the rapidly changing workforce. In collaboration with the external evaluator the faculty members working with students will play a key role in assessing the learning objectives. This assessment will be completed as part of the curriculum and assignments. Information gained through the experience of developing and implementing this learning module and evaluating its impacts will be presented at national conferences by all project team members. Team members will encourage faculty from other educational institutions to adopt the learning module into their own course curriculum.

Progress 08/15/11 to 08/14/15

Outputs
Target Audience:The target student audiences of this project were (1) non-traditional students who do not have a strong academic or professional interest in science, who would be participating in the project as part of a course which has been designed to fulfill the SUNY general education natural sciences guidelines and (2) non-traditional students who have an interest in the environmental sciences, who are considering entering a field related to environmental science, and who require field experience as part of their degree. To reach these target audiences, the Beetle Project was initially incorporated into the following courses: Environmental Science, Principles of Environmental Sustainability, Soil Science, and Meteorology. It was also offered as a field experience at the annual Adirondack Environmental Studies Residency 2012-2015. By nature, many of the students participating in this project do not typically participate in experiential learning assignments due to the fact that they are learning in a non-traditional setting. The Beetle Project had an impact on students that participated in it by giving them the opportunity to personally experience scientific inquiry and gain experience using specialized equipment in the field. This experience was particularly helpful for environmental science majors, as these students were able to highlight their new skills in job searches or graduate school applications, showing the impact of this project on students goes beyond the course itself. Non-science majors benefited from the hands on experience as it helped them let go of some of the intimidation of a science course, particularly those that were studying face to face as opposed to at a distance. It was in this setting that the project really helped them overcome their anxieties about science and increased the confidence of students who already had some science background. In addition to student target audiences, professional target audiences were faculty members at SUNY/Empire State College (ESC) and SUNY-wide who offer courses in which the Beetle Project could be included thematically (e.g. citizen science, climate change, invasive species, and soil science) or applicably (e.g. field methods, research methods, and analytical methods). The Beetle Project has given the Science, Mathematics, and Technology area of study (department) at ESC an experiential learning tool to utilize with their students majoring in science or to offer students that are hesitant to study science. In addition, the project gave department members an opportunity to explore citizen science and consider other courses where it can be integrated. Project members hosted the first SUNY conference focused on Citizen Science in the spring of 2013. Presentations related to the Beetle Project at this conference resulted in invitations to offer a plenary session and workshop at the Association for Program Administrators of CSTEP and STEP, Inc. (APACS) annual conference in 2013 and a presentation at a session on Citizen Science at the 2015 Northeastern Natural History Conference, which was organized by an attendee of the SUNY Citizen Science conference. The presentations at the APACS annual conference resulted in an expansion of the target audience of the Beetle Project to middle school-age students, as the project members were invited to participate in Union College's CSTEP summer program 2013--2015. This project has helped ESC reach the goals set forth by SUNY to increase applied learning at each SUNY institution. This new initiative states that At SUNY, we believe in the power of learning by doing. That's why we are working to ensure that every SUNY student will have access to an applied learning opportunity, even those attending online, including opportunities from clinical placements and cooperative education to service learning, volunteerism, student research, international opportunities, and field study. The Beetle project is contributing to ESC's ability to meet that goal. Changes/Problems:As discussed in our request for a project extension, we encountered 2 significant challenges during the project period: (1) the web technology specialist on the grant left the college, and we had to orient an alternate, which delayed full development of the website on the timeline we had planned; and, (2) we experienced a hacking event that required us to change our hosting platform. Additionally, during the project period, an updated, more flexible version of the platform we were using became available, and we made the decision to convert to the newer version to increase the longevity of the project and web access to the project. An additional challenge emerged during our analysis of the impact the project had on students and project participants for this final report. Limited participation in post surveys has limited our ability to quantitatively assess the impact we have had on participants. Although we have now had almost 200 students participate in the project and have qualitative, informal communication from many participants about their experiences in the project (both in terms of beneficial field experience the project provided and in terms of revisions we could make to the protocols to make the project stronger), greater participation in the post project surveys would have enabled us to draw statistically meaningful conclusions on the outcomes related to student participation in the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The primary training activities were related to the work that the project members completed with students during courses. We offered the project experience to close to 200 students in a variety of courses including Environmental Science, Principles of Environmental Sustainability, Soil Science, and Meteorology. The project was part of independent research studies and online study groups. It was part of an interdisciplinary study group offering titled "In Our Gardens: Gardens through Science and Literature" which was team taught by a poet and a geologist and it was offered as a field experience at the Adirondack Environmental Studies Residency. Students had the opportunity to learn about their local environment--characteristics of climate, soils, and ecology--in a systematic way. They learned about project design and management and data collection, analysis, and presentation. In addition to courses and residency field experiences, as described above, project members presented the Beetle Project at the Annual Association for Program Administrators of CSTEP and STEP, Inc. (2013) and offered a workshop focused on creating citizen science projects for engaging their students in environmental science. Participants were asked to come up with topics which would relate to the students they work with at locations across New York State. Then, using the Beetle Project as a model, participants began designing project activities and outcomes. The activities described here could also be viewed as professional development opportunities. While participants in the activities learned techniques related to field methods or the development of citizen science projects, the scope of the courses, workshops, and plenary sessions were broader that a "field exercise" and the project was discussed within the larger context of the science profession. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In addition to bringing together faculty and professionals with and interest in citizen science at the SUNY Citizen Science Conference (see above), in 2015, the Beetle Project team was invited to give a presentation at the 19th Annual Joint Technical Conference of the Central New York Chapters of the Air and Waste Management Association and American Industrial Hygiene Association. The audience included a group of professionals who prior to the presentation had no awareness of the contributions that citizen science projects can make to the advancement of knowledge about the environment. As mentioned above, project members were able to connect to a local community when they were given the opportunity to offer the Beetle Project during the CSTEP summer programs offered at Union College (2013 & 2015). During this field experience, we were able to connect local middle-schoolers to their local environment, mentoring them in the environmental science. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology has emphasized a need to increase the number of students graduating from STEM disciplines. Further, students need to graduate prepared to meet the demands of a changing; this includes understanding how climate change impacts their regional ecosystems and having skills in the use of certain technologies. Educators acknowledge that the incorporation of place based, experiential learning activities into curriculum increases student interest, participation, and retention in science disciplines. This grant project developed, piloted, revised, and disseminated The Beetle Project, a place based, experiential learning tool with curriculum resources that can be used in non-traditional or traditional learning environments. The Beetle Project was modeled after traditional citizen science projects and involves use of an online mapping tool. It includes a field experience and scientific inquiry and introduces students to environmental monitoring, data analysis, and science writing. At their home location, students collect data and report observations related to climate, soil, vegetation, and the nonnative Japanese beetle. The Beetle Project enabled students to see benefits in studying science and technology. Participants showed a significant increase in their comfort level with course related software and performing online research. They significantly increased their knowledge of climate change and indicated they are more likely to take more science classes and continue to use GIS. The Beetle Project is a resource for educators who are interested in incorporating experiential learning into their curriculum or developing their own projects using the open source platform. Goal 1.1 At least 15 students over 3 years of this project will design a degree plan related to environmental/agricultural science. 1. Major activities completed: We developed a place-based experiential learning opportunity that focuses on the regional issues related to climate change/nonnative species. 2. Data collected: Number of students who designed a degree program related to environmental/agricultural science after participating in The Beetle Project (TBP). 3. Summary discussion of results: We tracked the degree program design outcomes for students who participated in TBP as part of a full course. 4. Key accomplishments realized: TBP inspired at least 36 students over 3 years to create a degree plan or to continue pursuing a degree focused on the environment/agriculture. Goal 2.1: Students will demonstrate an ability to correctly use the technology included in the learning module and the wider applications of such technology. 1. Detailed data collection protocols were written, and instructional videos created, to guide students through the field project. A GIS platform was created for students to share their observations/to observe data collected by others participating across NY State. 2. Faculty observed students in the field/reviewed the field data collected by students; students were given pre/post project surveys that included a question on the wider applications of the technology. Faculty observed/recorded student use of the equipment on projects other than TBP. Faculty analyzed student course evaluations/student feedback to determine if students understood the wider applications of the technology. 3. Faculty reported that students were able to correctly follow the data collection protocols/that the data collected by students fell within expected values. The pre/post-test analysis shows a significant increase in students' confidence in using the software and tools (p=0.042). In ~ 5 situations, students used the same equipment to collect data to answer other research questions not related TBP. 4. Students learned how to use new specialized equipment/technologies that will help them succeed in the workplace. Students demonstrated that they understand the wider applications of the technology for solving new problems. Goal 2.2: At least 12 students over the 3 years of this project will go into a job in the field of environmental/agricultural science. 1. TBP activities engage students in an experience that models work performed in careers in environmental/agricultural science. 2. The number of students who graduated after participating in TBP and went on to careers in or advanced in a career in an environmental/agricultural field. The number of students who went on to graduate school in an environmental/agricultural field. 3. 6 students went on to graduate school and cited the experience they gained through TBP in their application essay. 10 students are known to be working in an environmental-related field. This objective was ambitious within the timeframe of the grant; students often require > 3 years to complete a degree at ESC. 2 students used the expertise they gained to improve upon their current work performance. 4. Students gained valuable knowledge/experience that may lead them to move into/advance in a career in an environmental field. Goal 3.1: At least 70% of students that use this learning module in full will learn how to make observations and collect and analyze data that allows them to study the local effects of climate change. 1. Using TBP protocols, students completed projects requiring them to apply their data to a specific challenge related to climate change. 2. Students' general understanding of climate change was measured by pre/post project tests. 3. When given the same exam before/after participation, students show a significant improvement in their scores. Raw scores improved on 11 of 16 questions. 4. Students gained an understanding of climate change/how to study climate change. Goal 3.2: They will learn how climate change impacts biodiversity/ecosystem dynamics.1. Using TBP protocols, students completed projects requiring them to apply their data to a specific challenge related to ecosystem dynamics. 2. Students' general understanding of nonnative species/ways to adjust crop management plans when faced with temperature changes and the amounts/timing of precipitation were measured by pre/post project tests. 3. After participating in TBP, 66% of students recognized that climate change will have an impact on nonnative species--6% improvement. 4. Students gained an understanding of the effects of climate change on biodiversity/nonnative species. Goal 4: At least 15 Empire State College (ESC) faculty members and 5 from other institutions will incorporate some, or all, of the learning module into a course curriculum. 1. TBP is available to educators and a related open source tool can be adapted to fit alternative citizen science projects. 2. Number of faculty members from ESC and other colleges that used TBP in their courses. 3. 2 project team members, 1 ESC faculty member, and ~ 1 faculty from outside of ESC incorporated TBP into their curriculum. The grant proposal was based on the number of science faculty at ESC at the time we wrote the proposal and that number has decreased. 4. TBP created an opportunity for educators to incorporate place based/experiential learning into their curriculum. Goal 5: Students who complete the learning module will demonstrate an increase in positive attitudes towards science and careers in environmental/agricultural fields. 1. TBP was designed to engage students in experiential learning in an area that is of interest to them. 2. Pre/post surveys were administered to measure changes in students' attitudes towards science. 3. Raw scores increased on the post-test responses for all the statements related to attitudes towards science. There was a significant increase in students reporting that "it wouldn't bother me at all to take more science courses." 4. By incorporating TBP into their curriculum, faculty increased the number of students who enjoy learning science/have increased interest in pursuing careers in environmental/ agricultural fields.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: N. Shrimpton, L. S. Jones, and S. Ross. The Beetle Project. Presentation. SUNY/Empire State College 2015 Academic Conference, Science, Mathematics, and Technology Session Meeting. L. Jones, presenter. October 2015.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: N. Shrimpton, L. S. Jones, S. Ross, and J. Stone. An undergraduate research experience: using technology to monitor Japanese Beetles across New York State. Poster. Shrimpton, presenter. 2015 NACTA Conference. University of Georgia. June 2015. Abstract published: NACTA Journal. 59: Supplement 1. And online: www.nactateachers.org.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: N. Shrimpton. Citizen Science: Ordinary People, Real Science. 19th Annual Joint Technical Conference of the Central New York Chapters of the Air and Waste Management Association and American Industrial Hygiene Association. Skaneateles, NY. March 24, 2015.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: L. S. Jones, N. Shrimpton, and S. Ross. Citizen science: Integrating authentic research experiences into Liberal Arts and Sciences Curricula. 2015 Northeastern Natural History Conference. Springfield, MA. April 2015.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: L. S. Jones and N. Shrimpton. The Beetle Project. Poster Presentation. 2014 PKAL Upstate New York Regional Network Fall Meeting. Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY. November 2014.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: N. Shrimpton, L. S. Jones, S. Ross, and J. Stone. Presentation. Citizen Science: An Opportunity for Placed Based Education across the Areas of Study. SUNY Empire State College Fall Academic Conference. N. Shrimpton, L. S. Jones, and S. Ross, presenters. October 2013.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: L. S. Jones, S. Ross. Using Citizen Science for Incorporating Sustainability in the Curriculum. Poster Presentation, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Conference, Nashville TN. October 2013.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: S. Ross, L. S. Jones, and L. Lander. Sustainability Officer and Faculty Members Collaborations on Advancing Sustainability across the Curriculum. Panel Presentation. Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Conference, Nashville, TN. October 2013.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: N. Shrimpton, L. S. Jones, S. Ross, and J. Stone. Using Citizen Science for Incorporating Sustainability in the Curriculum. 2013 SUNY Sustainability Conference. Buffalo, NY. S. Ross presenter. October 2013.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: L. S. Jones, N. Shrimpton, S. Ross, and J. Stone. Workshop: Citizen Science Project Design: Collaborative Application of the Citizen Science Template. APACS Annual Conference, Albany, NY. Linda Jones, Nikki Shrimpton, and Sadie Ross, Co-facilitators. June 2013.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: L. S. Jones, N. Shrimpton, S. Ross, and J. Stone. Citizen Science: Using Science and Technology to Connect Students across SUNY. Poster Presentation, CIT 2013, SUNY-IT, Utica, NY. L. S. Jones and N. Shrimpton co-presenters. May 2013.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: L. S. Jones, N. Shrimpton, S. Ross. An Undergraduate Research Experience: Using Technology to Monitor Japanese Beetles Related to Climate Change across New York State. Presentation. SUNY Citizen Science Conference, Saratoga Springs, NY. April 2013.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: L. S. Jones 2012. Science, serendipity, and student-centered scholarship at ESCCitizen science and an invitation for collaboration, All About Mentoring, 42:5457.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: L.S. Jones, K. Stanton. An Undergraduate Research Experience: Using Field Methods and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to monitor spatial and temporal patterns of Japanese Beetles Populations Related to Changing Climate Conditions across New York. Presentation. Association of American Geographers, New York, NY. February 2012


Progress 08/15/13 to 08/14/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Our target audience for this reporting period included mostly SUNY Empire State College students that were taking science courses. The project team continued to reach out to faculty responsible for curriculum development who could include our project into their courses as well asprofessionals with responsibility for curriculum development or recruitment into STEM fields of study. Changes/Problems: The project team has encountered some unexpected events that have impacted our ability to meet more of the major goals within the time frame of the grant. The web technology specialist on the grant left the college and we had to orient an alternate, which delayed full development of the website on the timeline we had planned. We also found that a new, more flexible version of the platform was available and this led to another delay in converting to the newer version. More recently, we experienced a hacking event that required us to change our hosting platform. As of January 2014 the learning module is complete. The team was granted an extension toallow us to increase the number of student participants and to draw more meaningful conclusions on the outcomes of student participation in the learning module. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? No additional training or professional development opportunities occured since the last reporting period. This year the team was focussed on the development of the final version of the learning module and using it with students at Empire State College. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? No additional results have been disseminated since the last reporting period. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? In the next reporting period the project team will focus onhaving more students participate in order to study whether or not students using the learning module havelearned how to make observations, collect, and analyze data that allows them to study the local effects of climate change and how climate change impacts biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics.More participation will also allow the team todemonstrate a change in attitudes towards science and science oriented careers. Project team members will work with the contracted external evaluator to analyze and evaluate data gathered from student’s surveys. Additionally, the project team will explore opportunities for collaborating with more faculty and promote the learning module through internal college presentations. .

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Outcome 1: We have already met this goals with at least 15 students who have either designed a degree program related to environmental or agricultural science, or elected to complete a certificate in business and environmental sustainability. Outcome 2: We are confident that students are demonstrating an ability to use the technology, and we have partially met the goal of 12 students going into the field of environmental or agricultural science. We have recorded 7 students working in an environmental-related field after completing the project. In retrospect, the goal was ambitious within the timeframe of the grant, given that students often require more than three years to complete a degree with us. Outcome 3: We have preliminary data from the small groups of students who have participated in the learning module and anticipate having significant numbers of students enrolled this fall and next spring, which will provide more data from which to draw conclusions. Outcome 4: The grant proposal was based on the number of science faculty in the college at the time we wrote the proposal and that number has since decreased. In order to reach a broad student audience we have increased the number of different courses the learning module is included in. We have also had the opportunity to expand use of the learning module into the STEP program, which is a program aimed at preparing historically underrepresented students and economically disadvantaged students for entry into post-secondary programs in STEM fields. We also developed and hosted the first SUNY-wide conference on Citizen Science, presented at the SUNY CIT meeting and at the APACS conference, which all served to promote the learning module for use at other institutions. In this next year, we will follow up with individuals who have expressed interest and explore opportunities to embed the learning module in courses taught by other faculty. Outcome 5: As with Outcome 3, we need to have more students participate in order to demonstrate a change in attitudes towards science and science oriented careers.

Publications


    Progress 08/15/12 to 08/14/13

    Outputs
    Target Audience: Our target audience for this reporting period included faculty responsible for curriculum development that could include our project into their courses, professionals with responsibility for curriculum development or recruitment into STEM fields of study, and students taking STEM courses or who need requirements in STEM fields. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The project team created a conference for State University of New York (SUNY) institutions of higher education to learn about citizen science and exchange resources. At this conference the project team walked through how to use the Japanese Beetle Project with educators interested in learning about citizen science projects that are available for use in the classroom. As a result of this conference, the project team was invited to speak at the statewide meeting of the Association of Program Administrators of CSTEP and STEP, Inc.; an association with representation at almost every public school who’s responsibility is to get high school and college students interested in science, math and technology. The project team presented the plenary session and also provided a hands on workshop at the conference. Project team members also presented the Japanese Beetle Project to faculty at their own institution to gain interest in using the citizen science project. The project was part of a panel discussion at the college’s annual All College Conference and was also presented at a business meeting of the college’s northeast center. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results of the success of the Japanese Beetle Project were mentioned during all of the above professional development opportunities. However, a more targeted approach to disseminating the results of the project will be the focus of year 3 and 4, when more faculty members have had a chance to use the project in their courses and more students have been exposed to the project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? During the next reporting period more students will be participating in the Japanese Beetle Project. These students will be surveyed so that the project team can gain a better understanding of their attitude towards science before and after the program and their knowledge of the impacts of climate change on regional ecosystems. The project team will also focus on getting faculty members from both SUNY Empire State College and other institutions of higher education interested in using the Japanese Beetle Project as part of their course work. The project team has been accepted to speak at one national, one regional and one local conference for the upcoming project year. At least two additional presentations will occur. Follow up phone calls to faculty and professionals that expressed interest in the project will help to facilitate the transition from interest to action.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? Increase interest and enrollment in STEM areas of study and concentrations Year two was the first year that the Japanese Beetle Project was incorporated into curriculum beyond a trial basis. This year marked a great milestone in creating interest in science from the students that participated. Three students have created degree plans in environmental or agricultural studies after participating in the Japanese Beetle Project. Two in environmental science and one in agroecology. Anecdotal evidence shows that students demonstrated positive attitudes towards science and increased understanding of how to take scientific data as a result of their participation in the project. One student wrote “Thanks for a great study! For maybe the first time I actually felt like I was part of the scientific community. Doing actual sampling and reporting really solidified this.” Another student continued to take data beyond the time requirements of her course. In addition to gaining interest of college students, one of the project partners presented a Japanese Beetle Project workshop at a local college that was offering programs to middle school students. The goal of the workshop was to gain interest of twelve to fourteen year olds in science. The workshop was successful. Many of the students commented that they felt “like real scientists” as they worked through the data taking protocols and mapped their observations. Better prepare STEM students with the competencies needed in our rapidly changing work environment. As a result of the knowledge gained by participating in the Japanese Beetle Project, one student was able to obtain a position as an aquatic invasive species educator. Students will develop an understanding of how climate change impacts regional ecosystems and biodiversity. One student made the connection between the differences of plants, insects and birds that are present in fertilized lawns versus non-fertilized lawns. Although this does not immediately translate to knowledge of climate change, it does provide the student with the tools needed to comprehend how changes in environment can impact biodiversity. Increase faculty resources for developing new and innovative studies in environmental and agricultural studies. This phase of the project did not lead to any concrete uses of the Japanese Beetle Project by faculty members outside of the project team. However, the project was advertised to a wide variety of educators who showed interest in using the project in the next academic year.

    Publications


      Progress 08/15/11 to 08/14/12

      Outputs
      OUTPUTS: In this project students develop a visual, virtual map of the population patterns of Japanese beetles across the state of New York. Students collect data on the insect life cycle, and environmental variables. The project team develop curriculum that use the data collection protocol and mapping functions to explore the ways climate change impacts local ecosystems. Project faculty also encourage colleagues to use project materials and develop related curriculum. The project team had committed to the following in the first 13 months: - Develop the data taking protocol and at least one course curriculum. - Using Drupal and GIS, develop a web based system that will allow students to input data and map their findings. - Pilot at least part of the learning module and assessment surveys with a few students in a related science course. - Make adjustments to the learning module based on pilot project feedback. - Use the entire learning module and assessment tools in at least one STEM course. - Disseminate the learning module, with a sample curriculum, to faculty in all areas of study. As of September 1, the project team has accomplished the following: - developed the data collection protocol using instruments purchased with grant funds, and piloted it in 7 STEM courses and one blended humanities / science course( Environmental Science, Global Climate, Soil Science, Urban Ecology, Physical Geography, In Our Gardens: Exploring Gardens Through Literature and Science, Introduction to Horticulture, and a study on invasive species). - developed instructional videos on using the data collection instruments that will be linked to the project website and to the data input pages. - Using Drupal and GIS, pilots of all the technological aspects have been finished and placed on one website. This includes the data input forms, the data mapping tool, a social networking area, a place for sample course curriculum to be posted, and complete instructions on how to use the learning module. All of this was created as an open source project and the code is available on the site along with download instructions. - The pre and post course assessment surveys have been developed by the project faculty and assessment specialist. They will be used in the fall 2012 term. - As of the start of the fall 2012 term, the full learning module and assessment tools will be used in 5 courses. - The project was presented as part of a faculty development workshop for new mentors in February 2012. - Linda Jones and Kent Stanton presented the project at the annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers in February 2012: An Undergraduate Research Experience: Using Field Methods and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to Monitor Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Japanese Beetle Populations Related to Changing Climate Conditions Across New York. These outcomes/products have not yet been shared outside of the project team as they have not been fully tested. Students of faculty members on the project team will give feedback during the fall 2012. This feedback will be taken into consideration before the learning module is disseminated. PARTICIPANTS: Nikki Shrimpton, Linda Jones and Sadie Ross collaborated with Michael Johnson on developing the pre- and post-surveys of student learning. Jones developed the protocols for data collection. Jones and Shrimpton piloted the protocols with students in several studies. Jones collaborated with Empire State College's Office of Communications and Government Relations to develop videos to help students collect data. Kent Stanton developed the pilot website for data input and the mapping tools. Stanton has left the college and Jeremy Stone has been added to the project and is continuing development of the data input and mapping site. Jones has had preliminary conversations with other SUNY colleagues interested in participating in the project and Shrimpton is collaborating with James Gibbs, SUNY ESF, on a possible related citizen science project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

      Impacts
      Completion of these tasks has progressed the outcomes/impacts of: - At least 70% of students that use this learning module will learn how to make observations and take data that allows them to study climate change. - At least 70% of students that use this learning module will learn how climate change impacts biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics. - Students will learn how to apply their knowledge of experimental design to solve new problems. - Students will learn how to use field tools for taking data. One unexpected occurrence that developed since the grant was awarded is that the computer programmer on the project team left SUNY Empire State College for an opportunity with another employer. This was not only a surprise but happened rather suddenly. The remaining project team members have spent time explaining the project objectives and needs to the new programmer assigned to create all of the technological aspects of the project. The new programmer has already developed all the necessary tools to make the learning module useable. However, these tools were not available in time to pilot before the fall 2012 term. They were also not available in time for the project team to encourage faculty members outside of the project team to use the learning module in 2012 courses. In the upcoming year the project team will focus on using the learning module in full in at least one course each term. The project team will also focus on the following objectives: - At least 7 faculty members from Empire State College will incorporate some aspect of this learning module into their curriculum. - At least 3 faculty members from other institutions will incorporate some aspect of this learning module to into their curriculum. These objectives will be accomplished through conversations and presentations at college meetings where each area of study comes together to share ideas. The project team will also host a conference on citizen science where this project will be presented. This conference will take place in the spring of 2013 and will be marketed to other New York State universities.

      Publications

      • No publications reported this period