A challenge in undergraduate science education is to help students not only understand core concepts but also develop skills to solve novel problems while applying the principles and concepts learned.  Inquiry-based learning can improve student learning of both concepts and skills and deepen their understanding of science. It may be especially beneficial in the context of ecological education given the field-observational and experimental orientations of the discipline. Field-based inquiries are often not feasible in large introductory ecology courses or classes with limited access to suitable field sites. Virtual learning environments can help overcome this difficulty and can also be an attractive alternative for today’s students who are accustomed to interacting in virtual environments.

A virtual learning environment called Virtual Ecological Inquiry (VEI) was developed in Second Life based on the Wolong Nature Reserve to enable inquiry-based learning and assessment of student learning.  In VEI, students can explore the ecology of the Wolong Nature Reserve in China in a museum, study related ecological concepts, and formulate a testable hypothesis on the pattern of vegetation and influencing factors.  They are then transported to a series of field sites in Wolong to conduct field sampling and collect data for testing their hypotheses.  After completing the sampling, students can use a computer lab in the museum to analyze the data and develop their research report.

An ecological inquiry project using VEI was implemented in a large-enrollment (>400 students) introductory ecology course at a research university in 2011-2013.  The process for the inquiry project using VEI included: 1) background exploration and group discussion online; 2) learning and design in the virtual museum, which included exploring the ecology of Wolong, formulating hypotheses, and designing a field investigation; 3) sampling at virtual field sites; 4) data analysis in the lab in the virtual museum; 5) development of the ecological report; 6) peer review of the ecological report using a grading rubric; and 7) revision of reports based on peer reviews.  Student surveys and direct evaluation of student learning were conducted to assess the impact of inquiry project using VEI on student learning.  The impact of the inquiry project using VEI was also compared to that of an inquiry project using archived photos from BearCam, remotely controlled cameras for studying grizzly bear behavior at McNeil River Falls in Alaska.

Students reported significant learning gains, through ecological inquiries with VEI and BearCam, in their interest in ecology, ability to formulate scientific hypotheses, understanding how ecologists conduct research, and ability to evaluate the quality of scientific reports.  Students appeared to like the BearCam project more than the VEI project and gave the former higher ratings on their learning and interests as well as the overall rating of the inquiry project.  Students’ ability to understand and evaluate scientific reports improved significantly through the inquiry projects. The initial lower performers made the greatest improvement.  A majority of students were able to acquire the skills expected for completing the inquiry and developing the report. Over 60% of the students received a high overall score on their reports.

The project team made 10 presentations on the VEI and BearCam inquiry projects and associated research at professional conferences and symposia to share findings with and get feedback from others interested in ecology, science education, and teaching with technology.  The VEI and BearCam projects have also been incorporated into several faculty professional development workshops as case studies to help faculty members from various disciplines to better engage st...

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