A Phenomenological Approach to Engage Students in Learning Urban Ecology

Abstract

Urban ecology is a complex interaction of humans, the built environment, and nature. The challenge is to teach this complexity effectively, no matter which students we are addressing in a university setting. How can we help students face challenges to learning this difficult material within constraints of time, physical conditions, and conceptual difficulty? A meaningful study of urban ecology should take students out of their comfort zone to engage with questions of complexity. Methodologies such as observation, contemplation, and serious play encourage critical thinking and help students tackle complex concepts that require abstract reasoning. These behaviors structure and guide an aesthetic experience that subsequently informs the cognitive-rational science of urban ecology. Observation in its many forms sets the stage for all further learning activities. Reflection allows students to develop ideas about their own learning and consider new perspectives. Serious play, which includes in-class modelbuilding, excites students to work in a hands-on, collaborative environment. Finally, social media provide a tight focus for communication, encouraging students to "instantly" share their discoveries in a visual context while using the vocabulary of science. These methodologies and the abstract reasoning they generate can be carried forward for use in subsequent projects, in which student innovation and designing-outside-the-program are rewarded.