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The student is able to:
- report on the cause-impact pathways for plastic pollution, climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, and chemical pollution.
- explain the underlying scientific mechanisms that relate human pressures to environmental impact for plastic pollution, climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, and chemical pollution.
- identify the most important uncertainties in analysing plastic pollution, climate change impacts, habitat loss and fragmentation, and chemical pollution.
- derive management strategies for plastic pollution, climate change impacts, habitat loss and fragmentation, and chemical pollution.
- work in a team-based learning environment.
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The course Man and the Enviromment provides an introduction on how to analyze the influence of humans on their enviromment. This will be done by using the so-called DPSIR-framework which stands for Driver – Pressure – State – Impact – Response. An example of the DPSIR-framework for fine particulate matter is given below. In this course, three envirommental problems will be evaluated according to this framework:
- plastic pollution
- climate change
- chemical pollution
- habitat loss and fragmentation
For every environmental problem, all aspects of the DPSIR-framework will be included. The emphasise is, however, on the ‘state’ and the ‘impact’ as natural science parts of the DPSIR-framework.
The course is developed following the concept of Team-Based Learning. Team-Based Learning is a form of collaborative learning that consists of:
1. Teams of 5-6 students defined by the coordinator
2. Readiness assurance: a five--step process that takes place at the beginning of each environmental theme:
- Pre-reading by students outside of class
- Individual readiness assessment test (iRAT) – short, basic, multiple-choice test over the preparation materials (20 minutes).
- Team readiness assessment test (tRAT) – after turning in the individual tests, students take the exact same test again, and must come to consensus on their team answers (25 minutes).
- Appeals – When teams feel an answer is correct, but judged to be incorrect by the teacher, they can write an appeal, which must consist of (a) a clear statement of argument, and (b) evidence cited from the preparation materials.
- The Readiness assurance process is followed by a clarifying lecture, in which the teacher target information that the t-RAT scores show the students do not yet understand
3. Application activities per theme, also called "4 S" activities because they require teams to:
- Address a Significant problem that demonstrates a concepts usefulness
- Make a Specific choice among clear alternatives
- Work on the Same problem as other teams
- Report their decisions Simultaneously. This will be accomplished by holding up notecards. Application activities do typically not have a "correct" answer.
4. Peer evaluation: both mid-course and end-of-course team-mate feedback which is processed through the coordinator and returned to the students with names removed. Students list for each of their team-mates one thing they Appreciate about that team-mate and one thing they Request.
Instructional Modes
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| The course Man and the Environment is open to students who have completed the first study year of Biology. Students who do not meet this requirement need to obtain a permit of admittance from the course coordinator, who decides if and under which conditions the candidate is admissible to the course. |
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- exam, counts for 50%, minimum grade 5.5
- Team Based Learning assignment (consists of several partial tests), counts for 50%, no minimum grade
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| The course Man and the Environment is one of the Environmental Science courses within the Bachelor Biology education programme at the Faculty of Science, Radboud University Nijmegen (RU). The education concept of Team-based Learning is used as a basis in constructing the course. Team-Based Learning is an evidence-based collaborative learning teaching strategy that is taught in a three-step cycle: preparation, in-class readiness assurance testing, and application-focused exercise.
It is based on four underlying principles:
1.Teams are fixed for the whole course.
2.Students are accountable for their pre-learning and for working in teams.
3.Team assignments must promote both learning and team development.
4.Students must receive frequent and immediate feedback. |
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