Diversity of spiders in Dominica: Application of a model of faculty-student collaboration at a liberal arts college

Background/Question/Methods The concept of integrative, skill-building education is an essential component of successful faculty-student collaborative research at a four-year liberal arts college. The biology curriculum at Earlham College introduces in freshmen classes research skills such as accessing the scientific literature, field methods, and statistical analysis, and then reinforces these concepts throughout the upper-level courses. Likewise, scientific method is introduced early and subsequently built upon to progressively develop critical thinking. Without the intentional development of professional skills during biology education, the task of faculty-student collaboration would be difficult at best. Applying our collaborative research model to the study of spider diversity in Dominica, I will trace the process of educating and developing research ecologists in the Earlham College biology program. Results/Conclusions In 2003, students worked with me to initiate the Dominica project. Through literature review we learned that baseline data on spiders in Dominica were lacking. Over the next five years, students participated in all aspects of the project: formulating hypotheses, designing the field methodology, conducting field work, managing the spider collection, identifying spiders, organizing large amounts of data in spread sheets, analyzing data, and presenting the research in both informal and formal talks. The experiential learning component of the research process, complimented by the biology curriculum, work together to help prepare these students for success in graduate school and as professional ecologists.