Teaching Ichthyology Online with a Virtual Specimen Collection

Sidlauskas, Brian L.; Burns, Michael D.; Buser, Thaddaeus John; Harper, Nick; Kindred, Mark

doi:10.1643/t2020031

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Availability of course‐based research experiences may be limited by the financial position of the higher education institution, as many biology‐related CUREs require consumable materials or reduced class sizes. The socioeconomic status of students can also affect their ability to participate in research outside of the classroom, as students from less privileged financial situations may be obligated to spend their time working a paid job rather than volunteering in a laboratory (Sidlauskas et al, 2021 ). For similar reasons, many students in biology and environmental majors do not have the opportunity to conduct field work abroad or even locally.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Limited access to research groups is perhaps the largest barrier to active research experiences for undergraduate students. Traditionally, research outside the classroom setting favors students who do not have additional work or familial obligations and those who come from financially privileged backgrounds (Sidlauskas et al, 2021 ). Additionally, these research experiences are often limited in the amount of personnel they can accommodate or are not tailored for larger groups (Hernandez et al, 2018 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Natural history collections can be a powerful tool for creating meaningful experiences that connect students with otherwise abstract ideas of the natural world (Monfils et al, 2017 ; Sidlauskas et al, 2021 ). For example, field guides are a widely popular item within and outside biology circles, yet many students are unaware of how the data necessary for each species description is actually collected and stored.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Batrachian Barf Bowl: An authentic research experience using ecological data from frog diets

Larson

Crowell

Walsh

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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Authentic research experiences (AREs) are a powerful strategy for inspiring and retaining students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. However, recent demand for virtual learning has emphasized the need for remote AREs that also foster a sense of community and interpersonal connections among participants. Here, we describe an ARE activity that leverages digitized diet data from natural history collections to provide students with collaborative research experience across any learning environment. Using magnified photographs of frog stomach contents collected in the Peruvian Amazon, we designed an open‐source “bowl game” competition that challenges students to identify, measure, and compare diet items across vouchered frog specimens (“Batrachian Barf Bowl”). To demonstrate learning outcomes, we ran this activity with 39 herpetology class students from the University of Notre Dame and the University of Michigan. We used pre‐ and post‐activity assessments to evaluate effectiveness, scientific accuracy of results, and impact on student well‐being. With minimal preparation and training in invertebrate identification, students were successful in identifying hundreds of frog diet items to taxonomic order, although accuracy varied among clades (global accuracy ~70%). While we found no difference in science identity, community, or self‐efficacy between the two institutions at either time point (pre‐ and post‐activity), we found that well‐being was significantly higher for both sets of students after the activity. Overall, this approach offers a model for combining active learning with museum collections to provide experiential research opportunities that highlight the power of scientific collaboration.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Batrachian Barf Bowl: An authentic research experience using ecological data from frog diets

Larson

Crowell

Walsh

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In each use, the lightboard brings added value to the lectures conducted (Rosasco, 2018). The lightboard gives the teachers more dynamism to express their ideas and present the course material (Sidlauskas et al, 2021). The teaching methodology is crucial in taking advantage of the lightboard's characteristics (Choe, 2017;S.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Synchronous courses have gained more relevance than asynchronous ones, being necessary tools for clearly explaining the topics with distance communication (Long, 2020). The lightboard has guided virtual lectures in various subjects such as language (Ye, 2016), medicine , biology (Sidlauskas et al, 2021), and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) courses (Fung, 2017;P. Rogers, n.d.).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pedagogical impact during the pandemic of a virtual classroom with lightboard

Luna

Marulanda

2022

reveia

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This paper analyzes the influence of a virtual classroom with a lightboard on the pedagogical impact generated in students of two synchronous engineering courses taught during the Covid 19 pandemic. A technology acceptance model analyzed the influence of the virtual classroom with lightboard, the central core of analysis being the students' learning satisfaction. The results show that the ease of receiving the lectures for students, the teacher's chosen methodology, and the support material positively influence the student's learning process. The lightboard supports all these influence factors, being a helpful tool for teachers. Also, in virtual lectures, it is relevant that the student has a good Internet connection, stable power supply, and other elements that allow him/her to participate in all synchronous lectures and develop asynchronous activities.

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Applying 3D Models of Giant Salamanders to Explore Form–Function Relationships in Early Digit-Bearing Tetrapods

Kawano,

Martin,

Medina

et al. 2024

Integrative and Comparative Biology

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Extant salamanders are used as modern analogs of early digit-bearing tetrapods due to general similarities in morphology and ecology but the study species have been primarily terrestrial and relatively small when the earliest digit-bearing tetrapods were aquatic and an order of magnitude larger. Thus, we created a 3D computational model of underwater walking in extant Japanese giant salamanders (Andrias japonicus) using 3D photogrammetry and open-access graphics software (Blender) to broaden the range of testable hypotheses about the incipient stages of terrestrial locomotion. Our 3D model and software protocol represent the initial stages of an open-access pipeline that could serve as a “one-stop-shop” for studying locomotor function, from creating 3D models to analyzing the mechanics of locomotor gaits. While other pipelines generally require multiple software programs to accomplish the different steps in creating and analyzing computational models of locomotion, our protocol is built entirely within Blender and fully customizable with its Python scripting so users can devote more time to creating and analyzing models instead of navigating the learning curves of several software programs. The main value of our approach is that key kinematic variables (e.g., speed, stride length, elbow flexion) can be easily altered on the 3D model, allowing scientists to test hypotheses about locomotor function and conduct manipulative experiments (e.g., lengthening bones) that are difficult to perform in vivo. The accurate 3D meshes (and animations) generated through photogrammetry also provide exciting opportunities to expand the abundance and diversity of 3D digital animals available for researchers, educators, artists, conservation biologists, etc. to maximize societal impacts.

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Teaching Ichthyology Online with a Virtual Specimen Collection

Abstract: BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Cited by 4 publications

References 33 publications

The Batrachian Barf Bowl: An authentic research experience using ecological data from frog diets

The Batrachian Barf Bowl: An authentic research experience using ecological data from frog diets

Pedagogical impact during the pandemic of a virtual classroom with lightboard

Applying 3D Models of Giant Salamanders to Explore Form–Function Relationships in Early Digit-Bearing Tetrapods

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