University Education in Natural Resources March 15, 2008 Andrea Wirth and Janine Salwasser Oregon State University Libraries Oregon Explorer: natural resources information for current and future decision-makers

What is the Oregon Explorer? Natural Resources Digital Library Natural Resources Digital Library Place-based resource Place-based resource Supports informed natural resource decision-making Supports informed natural resource decision-making

Browse multi-media stories Browse multi-media stories Learn about critical natural resource issues Learn about critical natural resource issues View data and make custom maps and reports View data and make custom maps and reports Access archived digital information Access archived digital information View photos, and videos View photos, and videos Search datasets Search datasets Download (and soon upload) GIS data Download (and soon upload) GIS data Access photos, videos, audio files Access photos, videos, audio files Contact the experts Contact the experts Submit your resources to the Explorer digital library Submit your resources to the Explorer digital library Give feedback Give feedback Digital Library Services in the Explorer Series Available for anyone who has high speed Internet access…from work, home, library, etc.

Oregon Explorer Creators & Contributors Partnership between & Partnership between & INR INR Charged with creating a natural resource information system for Oregonians Charged with creating a natural resource information system for Oregonians Oregon University System (OUS) based Oregon University System (OUS) based OSU Libraries OSU Libraries Collections Collections Digital initiatives Digital initiatives

Oregon Explorer Creators & Contributors Team members with diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise Team members with diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise Partners for basin and topic portals Partners for basin and topic portals

Educational Applications 1. OSU Classroom Use 2. Online Courses Outside OSU 3. K-12 Classroom and Field opportunities 4. Free Choice Learning

1. OSU Classroom Use Publicity & media coverage Publicity & media coverage Topical and geographical coverage Topical and geographical coverage Portal features support a variety of course assignments Portal features support a variety of course assignments Examples from OSU courses Examples from OSU courses

Undergraduate GIS course Need: Background information and data for final project Need: Background information and data for final project Willamette Basin Explorer Willamette Basin Explorer Issues and actions Issues and actions Links to external data sources Links to external data sources

Undergraduate/Graduate Geography Course Need: Data and maps about Measure 37 claims Need: Data and maps about Measure 37 claims Land Use Explorer Land Use Explorer Measure 37 tool Measure 37 tool Links to Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies database Links to Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies database Reports Reports

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Undergraduate Water Science & Policy Class Need two-fold: Need two-fold: OE team needed expert writers OE team needed expert writers Students in course need online resources Students in course need online resources

2. Online Courses Outside OSU Exercises for Alternative Future Scenarios The following series of exercises are designed to allow students to interactively explore and evaluate alternative futures that have been developed for the Willamette River Basin and to participate in developing alternative futures for their own community. The first two exercises will use the Digital Library website for the Willamette Explorer at Oregon State University. The third exercise will guide students in developing alternative futures for their own community and evaluating its relevance to their future. Exercise 1: Dynamic representation of alternative futures This exercise will require approximately minutes for the online portion of the exercise and an equal amount of time for the follow-up discussions. Example from proposed American Museum of Natural History module for educators (course instructor: Dr. Stan Gregory, OSU)

Multi-media story on Oregon land use

McCall talks of the problem of Oregon losing its credibility as the “environmental model of this nation” through the “unfettered despoiling of our land”

3. K-12 Classroom and Field Opportunities

GIS Day feature: making a basic map in 3 easy steps

Learning about salmon distributions over time 1991 Coho Abundance 2003 Coho Abundance

Oregon Explorer - K12 Application Ideas for Classroom and Field Use of Global Positioning Units (GPS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), GIS Field Loggers, Environmental Monitoring Equipment outside, and then again in the classroom Use of Global Positioning Units (GPS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), GIS Field Loggers, Environmental Monitoring Equipment outside, and then again in the classroom Provide online curricula to teachers for science Provide online curricula to teachers for science Support biology, geography, geology, civics training Support biology, geography, geology, civics training Enable current and future decision-makers to learn about Oregon's environment and to actively engage in creating and sharing knowledge about decisions that matter to them and their local communities Enable current and future decision-makers to learn about Oregon's environment and to actively engage in creating and sharing knowledge about decisions that matter to them and their local communities

4. Free Choice Learning Free-choice learning is "the most common type of lifelong learning" and is "self- motivated and guided by the needs and interests of the learner." Free-choice learning is "the most common type of lifelong learning" and is "self- motivated and guided by the needs and interests of the learner." --Institute for Learning Innovation A new concept for the Oregon Explorer-- Creating a digital library that supports free choice learning

Potential Oregon Explorer Roles for Educators Educate students and other teachers on use of OE Educate students and other teachers on use of OE Archive relevant education articles Archive relevant education articles Contribute “stories” Contribute “stories” Contribute ideas for new tools & information Contribute ideas for new tools & information Identify emerging issues and decision-support needs Identify emerging issues and decision-support needs Evaluate usability Evaluate usability Partner to create Oregon Explorer education tools, lesson plans, curricula, etc. Partner to create Oregon Explorer education tools, lesson plans, curricula, etc. Inspire and engage our future decisionmakers Inspire and engage our future decisionmakers …….. but mostly, …….. …….. but mostly, ……..

Use the site!

Browse multi-media stories Browse multi-media stories Learn about critical natural resource issues Learn about critical natural resource issues View data and make custom maps and reports View data and make custom maps and reports Access archived digital information Access archived digital information View photos, and videos View photos, and videos Search datasets Search datasets Download (and soon upload) GIS data Download (and soon upload) GIS data Access photos, videos, audio files Access photos, videos, audio files Contact the experts Contact the experts Submit your resources to the Explorer digital library Submit your resources to the Explorer digital library Give feedback Give feedback Summary of Digital Library Services in the Explorer Series Available for anyone who has high speed Internet access…from work, home, library, etc.

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