Creative and scientific modes of inquiry form complementary aspects of the relationship between humans and the environment. Often in undergraduate education, these are separated by discipline and rarely meet on common ground. Here, we share results from three semesters of Ecology through the Writer's Lens, an interdisciplinary field course that allows students to experience how scientific knowledge inspires creative expression; how creativity contributes to the process of science; and how both paths of exploration allow us to better understand and interact with our environment. This course is field-based and open to students of all disciplines. Students are immersed in the tall grass prairie, where they integrate literary and scientific modes of inquiry. Field activities focus on methodologies common to both creative writing and science, such as detailed observation, reflection, and critical discourse. Students also compare and contrast methodologies unique to each discipline, such as hypothesis testing, data gathering, and creative or artistic expression. They evaluate strengths and limitations of the different approaches. By so doing, they construct a hands-on understanding of how creative and scientific modes of inquiry complement each other in the human endeavor, and how both enlighten our understanding of the relationship between humans and their environment.
Results/Conclusions
Ecology through the Writer's Lens has served as a laboratory and a writer’s workshop where students generate hypotheses and create new meanings. As a final product, each student completes a creative written work based on his or her field experience. Students choose from a range of possible projects, including natural history essays, creative non-fiction, contemporary fiction, and fantasy. Students use their personal experience, reflections, and scientific knowledge as a foundation for crafting a creative piece. Several course characteristics have facilitated a transformative effect on participants. These include accessibility: the course is open to majors and non-majors, has minimal costs, and takes advantage of a regional field site. As a result, students who might not choose an immersive travel course are more likely to enroll and benefit from the experience. Many participants grew up in urban environments, and this represents their first immersive experience in a natural ecosystem. In addition to sharing the methodology of this unique field course, our presentation includes an assessment of course impacts, challenges in implementation, as well as an overview of the diversity of student projects produced within and between semesters.