IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jenvss/v7y2017i4d10.1007_s13412-016-0410-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Engaging nonscience majors in urban ecology: Recommendations for course design

Author

Listed:
  • Mikaela Schmitt-Harsh

    (James Madison University)

  • Joseph A. Harsh

    (James Madison University)

Abstract

Courses in urban ecology are increasingly being offered in higher education to advance students’ understanding of the relationships between humans, their built environment, and ecosystem services and functions. Yet despite the social and scientific importance of issues related to urban development, and the potential to actively engage students in biological topics relevant to their daily lives, few urban ecology courses have been developed and taught at the introductory level. This article describes an introductory nonscience majors’ urban ecology course that was designed and implemented to align with recent reform calls aimed at improving undergraduate biology education. The broader intent of this manuscript is to outline the design process and highlight resources and instructional strategies that may inform the efforts of faculty interested in teaching introductory or advanced urban ecology courses. Information on lecture topics, sample readings, and in-class activities is presented. The course emphasizes active learning and focuses on developing core scientific competencies and higher level thinking skills that encourage students to be inquisitive, analytical, and creative in the learning of ecological concepts. The described course is designed as a traditional 3-credit hour course with no formal laboratory component; however, the content and configuration of the urban ecology course would align well with a dedicated laboratory.

Suggested Citation

  • Mikaela Schmitt-Harsh & Joseph A. Harsh, 2017. "Engaging nonscience majors in urban ecology: Recommendations for course design," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 7(4), pages 550-561, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:7:y:2017:i:4:d:10.1007_s13412-016-0410-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s13412-016-0410-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s13412-016-0410-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s13412-016-0410-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cohen, Barney, 2006. "Urbanization in developing countries: Current trends, future projections, and key challenges for sustainability," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 63-80.
    2. Paul Robbins & Julie T. Sharp, 2003. "Producing and Consuming Chemicals: The Moral Economy of the American Lawn," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 79(4), pages 425-451, October.
    3. Neely Law & Lawrence Band & Morgan Grove, 2004. "Nitrogen input from residential lawn care practices in suburban watersheds in Baltimore county, MD," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(5), pages 737-755.
    4. Paul Ehrlich, 2011. "A personal view: environmental education—its content and delivery," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 1(1), pages 6-13, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ahsan Nawaz & Xing Su & Qaiser Mohi Ud Din & Muhammad Irslan Khalid & Muhammad Bilal & Syyed Adnan Raheel Shah, 2020. "Identification of the H&S (Health and Safety Factors) Involved in Infrastructure Projects in Developing Countries-A Sequential Mixed Method Approach of OLMT-Project," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-18, January.
    2. Alina Kulczyk-Dynowska & Agnieszka Stacherzak, 2022. "The Impact of a City on Its Environment: The Prism of Demography and Selected Environmental and Technical Aspects Based on the Case of Major Lower Silesian Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-18, May.
    3. Chenhao Zhu & Jonah Susskind & Mario Giampieri & Hazel Backus O’Neil & Alan M. Berger, 2023. "Optimizing Sustainable Suburban Expansion with Autonomous Mobility through a Parametric Design Framework," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-31, September.
    4. Dinkelman, Taryn & Schulhofer-Wohl, Sam, 2015. "Migration, congestion externalities, and the evaluation of spatial investments," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 189-202.
    5. Mari-Isabella Stan, 2022. "The impact of the pandemic crisis on employment in the context of urbanization," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 33(1), pages 492-505, July.
    6. Zhen Yang & Jun Lei & Jian-Gang Li, 2019. "Identifying the Determinants of Urbanization in Prefecture-Level Cities in China: A Quantitative Analysis Based on Spatial Production Theory," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-18, February.
    7. Bernard Fosu Frimpong & Frank Molkenthin, 2021. "Tracking Urban Expansion Using Random Forests for the Classification of Landsat Imagery (1986–2015) and Predicting Urban/Built-Up Areas for 2025: A Study of the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-21, January.
    8. Yan Yan & Hui Liu & Ningcheng Wang & Shenjun Yao, 2021. "How Does Low-Density Urbanization Reduce the Financial Sustainability of Chinese Cities? A Debt Perspective," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-18, September.
    9. Ulep, Valerie Gilbert T. & Ortiz, Danica Aisa P. & Go, John Juliard & Duante, Charmaine & Gonzales, Rosa C. & Mendoza, Laurita R. & Reyes, Clarissa & Elgo, Frances Rose & Aldeon, Melanie P., 2012. "Inequities in Noncommunicable Diseases," Discussion Papers DP 2012-04, Philippine Institute for Development Studies.
    10. S. A. Mashi & A. I. Inkani & Oghenejeabor Obaro & A. S. Asanarimam, 2020. "Community perception, response and adaptation strategies towards flood risk in a traditional African city," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 103(2), pages 1727-1759, September.
    11. Georgios Archimidis Tsalidis, 2022. "Human Health and Ecosystem Quality Benefits with Life Cycle Assessment Due to Fungicides Elimination in Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-12, January.
    12. Nina Savela & Jarkko Levänen & Sara Lindeman & Nnenesi Kgabi & Heikki Koivisto & Meri Olenius & Samuel John & Damas Mashauri & Minna M. Keinänen-Toivola, 2020. "Rapid Urbanization and Infrastructure Pressure: Comparing the Sustainability Transition Potential of Water and Energy Regimes in Namibia," World, MDPI, vol. 1(2), pages 1-18, July.
    13. Dohse, Dirk & Lim, Cheng Yee, 2016. "Macro-geographic location and internet adoption in poor countries: What is behind the persistent digital gap?," Kiel Working Papers 2067, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    14. Marcello Schiavina & Michele Melchiorri & Christina Corbane & Aneta J. Florczyk & Sergio Freire & Martino Pesaresi & Thomas Kemper, 2019. "Multi-Scale Estimation of Land Use Efficiency (SDG 11.3.1) across 25 Years Using Global Open and Free Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-25, October.
    15. Zherong Wu & Xinyang Zhang & Peifeng Ma & Mei-Po Kwan & Yang Liu, 2023. "How Did Urban Environmental Characteristics Influence Land Surface Temperature in Hong Kong from 2017 to 2022? Evidence from Remote Sensing and Land Use Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-26, November.
    16. Zac Coates & Michelle Kelly & Scott Brown, 2024. "The Relationship between Climate Anxiety and Pro-Environment Behaviours," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-14, June.
    17. Alessandra Pelloni & Thanasis Stengos & Ilaria Tedesco, 2018. "Aid to agriculture, trade and take-off," Working Paper series 18-04, Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis.
    18. Małgorzata Świąder & Szymon Szewrański & Jan K. Kazak, 2018. "Foodshed as an Example of Preliminary Research for Conducting Environmental Carrying Capacity Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-22, March.
    19. Rasa Pranskuniene & Dalia Perkumiene, 2021. "Public Perceptions on City Landscaping during the Outbreak of Coronavirus Disease: The Case of Vilnius Pop-Up Beach, Lithuania," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-18, January.
    20. Yunqian Zhang & Zhenjie Chen & Qianwen Cheng & Chen Zhou & Penghui Jiang & Manchun Li & Dong Chen, 2016. "Quota Restrictions on Land Use for Decelerating Urban Sprawl of Mega City: A Case Study of Shanghai, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-17, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:7:y:2017:i:4:d:10.1007_s13412-016-0410-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.