Looking at the Big Picture: Engaging Natural Resource Students in Landscape Level Planning through a Capstone Course
Author: Prokopy, Linda S.
Source: Journal of Forestry, Volume 107, Number 2, March 2009 , pp. 90-94(5)
Abstract:
In increasingly fragmented environments, it is insufficient to train natural resource students to only develop site level plans. They must be encouraged to think about planning larger landscapes. Natural resource students also need to develop competencies in “softer skills” such as communication, leadership, teamwork, and addressing public concerns. This article describes an approach to combining the pedagogies of service learning and problem-based learning in a capstone course in landscape level planning. Students work in interdisciplinary teams to develop a plan that meets the needs of diverse stakeholders who represent more than one property owner. Feedback indicates that students are learning problem solving skills and how to think and plan at the landscape level.Keywords: forestry education; landscape level planning; service learning; problem-based learning; natural resource management
Document Type: Research article
