Using the Zero-Waste Circular Economy Module in Herpetology

Richard Phillips, Wittenberg University

Course Description

We will study the unique anatomy, physiology, natural history, and evolution of reptiles and amphibians. Lectures will start with a taxonomic introduction to the reptiles and amphibians of the world, focusing mainly on those of the United States and particularly those found in Ohio. We will continue with discussions on the evolution and adaptations that have enabled reptiles and amphibians to make the transition from water to land. We will study the anatomical and physiological specializations that occur within the reptiles and amphibians, allowing them to succeed in the terrestrial environment and to reproduce free from water. We will also include specializations for feeding and mobility within the niches that reptiles and amphibians occupy. Our course includes a weekly field experience/lab in which students travel to parks and reserves around the Springfield area. We will collect and photograph central Ohio amphibians and reptiles and will then research the specimens so as to produce presentations on their natural history, taxonomy, habitat/collecting site, evolution, and unique features.

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Relationship of the Zero-Waste Circular Economy Module to Your Course

Length of Course

16-week semester long course - MWF for 50 minutes per period. It includes a weekly lab section that is 3 hours in length. The module was implemented to bookend Thanksgiving Break. Students completed the research in the week and drafted their gallery tour posters prior to Thanksgiving. After the break, students did the gallery tour addressing question of equity and improvement in a single class period. The product the class focused on was smart phones/iphones.

I tried to frame the notion of wicked problems with an ever-expanding scope. We started with complexity and wickedness within the field/among the scientists. Initially, taxonomic changes were discussed (many common local genera have changed genus). The messiness in naming species despite its necessity, expanding to the sloppiness associated with the designation of a species. Ironically ending with a taxonomic quiz.

Complexities/wicked problems were emphasized further with discussions of characters in reptile & amphibian evolution -beginning with why both taxon are discussed within the same class and going through various life history characteristics that either increase or decrease reliance on water. Evolutionary tradeoffs.

We then got into wicked problems the transcended the field of science. HerpMapper is a program used to leverage community science to increase our understanding of reptile & amphibian distributions and consequently increase the effectiveness of our management of those taxa. The program requires a smartphone with a camera to verify "vouchers" and provide geographic coordinates. The students were familiar with the program and the datasets it provides. We examined potential biases in datasets and students quickly recognize discrepancies between developed and developing countries and data availability.

Changes

This was the first attempt to fold it into the herpetology class. Even though I felt as though I was explicit in this idea of wicked problems, some of the students still felt it was an "add-on." In hindsight, I should have devoted more time to Herpmapper- really have them delve into discrepancies and brainstorm why those discrepancies may exist. Having students really get into what we "know" and how we "know" it regarding herps. I am also thinking about front-loading the module. First lab on HerpMapper, then into the data and then onto the circular economy module.

Integrating the Module into Your Course

I incorporated the BASICS module into a herpetology class, which is an upper-level class. We utilized the iPhone as the product in the common exercise. So I first led with the course specific exercise, we use a good deal of community science in my classes, so we used HerpMapper, which is a common program that's utilized by the public to report sightings of reptiles and amphibians. So, our core specific module revolved around HerpMapper and its ability to provide data on biodiversity patterns. We looked at the HerpMapper dataset and compared it to what we know, or think we know, about reptile and amphibian diversity patterns to look for discrepancies. And then we talked about those discrepancies as being maybe problematic from a biological standpoint or from a societal standpoint.

What Worked Well

I was pleased with the way that HerpMapper got them to sort of start thinking about wicked problems within science itself. That science doesn't exist in a vacuum, right? That I felt like they were very in tune with what those ideals that we were going after. Those implications, those equities or lack thereof. I felt like this was a neat way for them to engage scientific data in ways that were really relevant to a lot of these upper-level students that were going to have careers in biology. And the common module I thought, did a really great job of looking at this piece of technology that's been really critical in advancing our understanding of the the distribution of Herpetofauna and assessing that from a standpoint is certainly beneficial, but it's not a panacea. Right? And that those don't really exist. The nuance in talking about the benefit of something is driven by the lens in which you're looking through it. And so I felt like that was something that the students definitely got. I thought that worked well.

Challenges and How They Were Addressed

So always it's going to be time, right? It's a zero-sum game, what to include in a course, you know? And so whenever you're bringing something in, you're taking something out. And with an upper-level course, I was really concerned about the lack of techniques, or the toolkits, that I might be giving up in doing a module like this. But in hindsight, I think that was a challenge that was more toward me and less toward what the students were gaining because I really do think that they got a much broader perspective that will serve them well regardless of what industry they go into. The time thing I managed by splitting it over a break. So, they did their poster prior to the break and they did their gallery tour after the break, in hopes that they would have a little bit more reflection time. I don't know if that worked or not. Lastly, it was making them feel as though the module wasn't an add-on. And I think moving forward I would probably be more deliberate in framing lots of lecture topics as problems or wicked problems.

Student Response to the Module and Activities

I think the students got that idea of equity and sustainability and the difference between a circular and a linear economy. And I think that really resonated with them. I think they're, this group or this generation, much more attuned to inequities in systems, much more so than I was when I was their age. And I think that it's important for me to teach to the students where they are. And I think they did get that. I think they did see those very distinct pieces of a systems approach and minimizing that linear aspect and really sort of focusing on ways we could reduce those waste streams.