Bruce W. Hoagland - US grants

Geography (88)
Field experience is vital for the development of qualified and effective practitioners in all aspects of geography. Unfortunately, the availability and easy access to secondary data over the past two decades has resulted in the de-emphasis of fieldwork, which now threatens to produce a generation of geographers inadequately prepared to apply and teach field methods. This project is working to correct this deficiency through the development of a field laboratory dedicated to student-led, inquiry-driven instruction. Our premise is that students learn best by doing. Our goal is to provide students the opportunity to acquire hands-on experience in an intellectually exciting environment wherein problems are investigated that they themselves have formulated. This approach is a modification of the guided-inquiry, learning-by -doing approaches created and described by Barbara Tewksbury (see B. Tewksbury, editor, "Innovative and Effective Teaching in the Geosciences," National Association of Geoscience Teachers, 1997), developed and implemented with success at Hamilton College (Geology) and Dickinson College (Geology, Geophysics), and elsewhere in Europe (see M. Kent et al, "Fieldwork in Geography Teaching: A Critical Review of the Literature and Approaches," Journal of Geography in Higher Education, Vol. 21, No. 3, 1997, pages 313-332). To facilitate experiential learning, we are working in a 14,200 acre field site belonging to the University of Oklahoma. Field activities throughout the geography curriculum are being planned for this field station. Students first become acquainted with the field lab in lower division courses, when they are introduced to fundamental field techniques and instruments. Upper division courses are building on these experiences, and we are implementing a course of guided autonomous investigation. Small teams of students are working with faculty and representatives from state and federal agencies. The role of faculty is to stimulate, encourage, and guide students through the research process and advise them on the merits and the suitability of chosen field methods. Scientists from state and federal agencies are being used to provide unique insights from practical local perspectives. The students are collecting original data, performing appropriate analyses, and reporting their results in departmental colloquia. Outstanding students are provided with support to present their results at national meetings and they are encouraged to publish in appropriate journals. By experiencing the complete spectrum of problem formulation, experimental design, data analysis, report writing and dissemination of results, students are developing skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, and research collaboration. All project activities are being placed on a web site created for the purpose and are freely accessible to everyone.

A grant has been awarded to the University of Oklahoma under the direction of B. Hoagland to develop a database of plant specimens for the state of Oklahoma that will be accessible via the worldwide web. The approximately 250,000 species housed in herbaria at state research institutions are a valuable resource for state scientists, personnel at state and federal agencies, and the public at large. These specimens also represent an important North American resource for many groups of plants. At the present time, the information contained in these specimens can be accessed only by visiting state herbaria or by requesting information from curators. In order to make this information widely and quickly available to researchers and the public, a comprehensive, web accessible, Oklahoma Vascular Plants database is to be developed. Specific objectives of the undertaking are: (1) to database all Oklahoma plant specimens; (2) to develop web-based access to their information; (3) to georeference all specimens; and (4) to bar code all specimens.
Databasing of the plant specimens will be conducted by trained undergraduate and graduate students supervised by the projects principal investigators. Databasing will build upon an existing database of 80,000+ specimens. Web access tools will be developed so that researchers at all Oklahoma colleges and universities can input specimen records into the database in the future. These web tools also will allow individuals to search the database for information on particular species, map the county distributions of species, and develop plant species lists for any county. After the plant specimens have been entered into the database, a computer program will be used to assign latitude and longitude coordinates to them, a process known as georeferencing. This will facilitate the mapping of species' distributions using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Finally, bar code labels will be affixed to each specimen as it is being databased as an aid in management of the herbarium specimens.
The significance of the Oklahoma Vascular Plants database is rapid access to information. When completed, the database and website will facilitate the acquisition and dissemination of information regarding Oklahoma plants not only to workers in the state, but to those throughout the United States and the world. Increased access to plant specimen data by government, educational, and non-government organizations will; (1) guide activities of the Oklahoma Biological Survey; (2) help track the status of rare, threatened, and endangered plants; (3) allow the incorporation of plant collection data into GIS databases; and (4) facilitate rapid accumulation and dissemination of biodiversity information. Furthermore, the database will have direct use by the general public. Landowners will be able to access the website and acquire information about the species known to be present in their counties. The project also will enhance Oklahoma's science and education infrastructure by providing training in biological databasing and data sharing via: (1) work experiences for students and researchers; (2) collaboration among state scientists; and (3) training workshops for state researchers.