Field studies have a rich history in higher education with effective active learning pedagogy that immerses students in the environment, helping to transform them into the next generation of scientists. Yet, despite these successes, field studies participation in undergraduate biology education (UBE) is declining due to many threats and impediments. Our NSF funded Research Collaborative Network project seeks to transform UBE through immersive interdisciplinary river and watershed programs. Specifically, the River-based ImmersiVe Education & Research (RIVER) Field Studies Network (FSN) is building a network to communicate and coordinate research, training, and educational activities across disciplinary, organizational, institutional, and geographic boundaries. We target rivers as a shared medium because rivers are universal landscape features, provide vital ecosystem services, host remarkable biodiversity, facilitate accessible field studies programs, and are among the most imperiled ecosystems globally. The RIVER-FSN incubator is hosting workshops and online meetings to improve individual program quality, facilitate rapid and effective development of new programs, support interdisciplinary curricular innovations (e.g. common research protocols). This collaboration also aims to address funding, accessibility, safety and diversity concerns, improve networking among academic, government, and non-government organizations around issues of river science, education, and management and establish cooperative agreements for student exchange across network institutions.
Results/Conclusions
Since receiving funding, we have held two workshops, expanded our network, piloted two river field based research modules, held a joint workshop session between the river professional community and university educators, presented at national and international meetings, collaborating with other RCN-UBE and facilitating the creation of three new river field courses. Additionally, we conducted a survey to gather information about immersive river-based field courses offered at institutions of higher learning across the U.S. Survey results reveal the number, variety, and content of such courses across the country, tease out impediments to offering such courses, and build curriculum and pedagogical evidence for the impact of river field-based education. Employing results from these activities, we aim is to create a sustainable consortium of universities, non-profit organizations, and agencies focused on river field studies to enhance undergraduate education. We invite individuals and organizations to join our network to help train the next generation of scientists to tackle the broad range of challenges facing riverine ecosystems.