Applying 4DEE in the Classroom: Developing a Scalable Online Ecology Course with 4DEE
November from 1 – 2 PM ET
Ecological science touches on all aspects of sustainable development and provides critical knowledge to address both socioeconomic and socioecological sustainability challenges. Online learning is a promising instructional format for addressing the global need for high quality ecology education. Ecology education is assisted by the Ecological Society of America’s Four-Dimensional Ecology Education (4DEE) framework. Here we discuss the integration of the 4DEE framework into a scalable online ecology course that supports sustainability education. This online ecology course utilizes best-practices related to place-based and experiential education and focuses on authentic assessments. Online students are engaged in scientific inquiry, gain instructional flexibility (the course is semi-asynchronous with recorded lectures), and the course can be scaled to reach a larger audience. The course includes themes of ecological literacy, sustainability, and interdisciplinary thinking while emphasizing inquiry-based learning, accessibility, student engagement, and transferable skill development. This chapter demonstrates how ecology education can be effectively adapted for online environments and how 4DEE can be applied to online curriculum development that supports sustainable development goals.
Presenters:
Nathan Ruhl, Rowan University
Sarah Wright, Rowan University