the map prac: enhancing ecological understanding with a compass, paper maps and google maps
DESCRIPTION
By N. Sivasothi. Department of Biological Sciences, NUS. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUNomJw3Jrc&p=83FA1CD871F4A4E5 Students are quite unfamiliar with the local and regional physical landscape which significantly hampers their understanding of ecology. A rudimentary two-hour laboratory session was conjured up to address this gap in a new second year ecology module in 2009/10, reaching 200 students over two semesters. The session introduced the use of Singapore topographical paper maps, the magnetic compass and Google Maps. NLB’s iRemember.sg provided a critical 1935 Singapore map but otherwise online resources were unavailable. The “map prac” guidelines were written and tweaked on Google Docs during the session in response to student’s reactions and learning speed. For a take home test, students plotted a variety of named placemarks including all of Singapore’s rivers and islands which they had little if any familiarity with and submitted this as a link via Google Forms which allowed me to collect reactions to the practical. The large scale perspective introduced by the integrated approach was surprisingly informative to students. They realised the interconnectedness of the landscape, thus enhancing their grasp of ecology. With increasing enrolment in this module, an abridged version of the “map prac” is planned for adoption as an independent exercise which will include existing e-tutorials. Students will present their printed map of relevant annotated placemarks to their project group-mates in the first practical and identify their study sites in the process. This original “map prac” tutorial is available here and can be used, abridged or added to: http://tinyurl.com/lsm2251-mapprac.TRANSCRIPT
The map prac: Enhancing ecology with a compass and map, paper map and Google Maps
N. Sivasothi a.k.a. OttermanDepartment of Biological SciencesNational University of Singapore http://blog.sivasothi.com
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The Map Prac1. Identifying the problem
2. The 2-hour map practical
3. Assignment and submission
4. Applications
5. What next?
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Where are we?
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23 Jan 2006 - A Himalayan Griffon VultureGyps himalayensis in Singapore
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23 Jan 2006 - A Himalayan Griffon VultureGyps himalayensis in Singapore
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1. Identifying the problem
Where am I?
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Chek Jawa, a hidden eden, 2001
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Malaysia
Chek Jawa,
Pulau Ubin
Singapore
Sg Johor
Pulau
Tekong
Straits of
Singapore
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Chek Jawa,
Pulau Ubin
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Morning Cycle data reported byiPhone app, Runkeeper
Thanks Colin Wan!
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Gothere.sg:NUS to
Sungei BulohWetlands Reserve
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“...while navigation devices can make it easier to navigate from an origin to a
destination, people are less likely to learn environmental layouts and become overly
dependent on their devices”
Klippel, A., S. Hirtle, Stephen & C. Davies, 2010 - citing Pruch & Wilson, 2004; Parush, Ahuvia & Erev, 2007; Bakdash, Linkenauger & Proffitt, 2008.
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2. Spatial Awareness with Google Maps
The Map Prac - http://tinyurl.com/lsm2251-mapprac
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1. Points of a compass
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2. Find the bearing, correlate to paper map - why?
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Bukit Timah?
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Group Work Their own home; describe environs to group mates
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Online resources scarce!
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1938
River flows to the sea!
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3. Assignment and submission with GDocs
Practise, practise, practiseGoogle Forms for submissions
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Class of 100 - 200Submission efficiency with Google Docs
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names blanked out for privacy
Text
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“It is very interesting to see how much Singapore has canalized many of its rivers as well as the amount of reclaimed land. So much that Jurong Island can be made
up of so many islands.
Upon comparison to the old 1935 map of Singapore, I also realised how
secretive Singapore government is about releasing information of its map as many of the islands were not named and I had to go and google each one by one to find
out their names.”
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4. Applications
Species distribution
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Intensity of bat calls in Kent RidgeOng Say Lin et al., 2009
Ecology Asia
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The hunt for the Red Jungle Fowl
Amanda Tan
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Red Jungle FowlAmanda Tan, 2010, ongoing
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Smooth-coated otters atSungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve,residential population since 1998
Marcus Ng akak Budak
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Smooth-coated otterMeryl Theng, 2010/11, ongoing
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Common palm civetXu Weiting, 2009/10, ongoing
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“Mr Kinky Tail”
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5. What next?
Integrating the Map Prac to daily life
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Home Assignmentin Groups
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LSM1103What willyou see?
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Manual plot of bicycle ride,
the Northern PCN loop, using Bikely
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HCMC
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Montreal
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The Map Prac1. Unfamiliarity?
1.1.Detection (conversations)
1.2.A problem, how?
2. The 2-hour map prac
2.1.Compass
2.2.Paper map
2.3.Google Map
3. Assignments
3.1.Plot, plot, plot
3.2.Submission + feedback (GForms)
4. Applications
4.1.Assignments, Research
4.2.Life
5. Next?
5.1.Tutorial
5.2.Shift to 1st years (Kent Ridge)
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