By Johanna Fenton (Learning Technologist – Curriculum Development)
Extra curricula activities can add significantly to the student experience if they are suitably targeted. Based on the 1980’s I Spy books many of us had as kids, Debbie Alston, Lecturer in Conservation, Biology and Ecoscience, set up an innovative and exciting community that encouraged staff and students to work together, outside of their standard module areas, to discover and identify wildlife out and about in their local area.
Wildlife I Spy was born in September 2019 to increase the identification skills of our Zoology, Biology and Conservation Biology students, which is a recognised skills gap in the Ecology and Conservation sector.
During the Festival of Learning 2021 Debbie outlined how the Wildlife I Spy activity worked, and explores how she transferred it online and what the benefits and drawbacks of this were, increased participation amongst the cohort and kept the community motivated during the 2020 lockdown period.
How good are your own identification skills? Watch the recording for the opportunity to try them out. You’ll also hear from Debbie’s students on their own experiences.
The full recording is available to view on Panopto (click link to view in a new tab). The presentation runs until around the 20:50 mark.