Learning and Teaching in College: An Ecological Perspective

Abstract

Learning about rangeland ecology and management (and related disciplines) in college settings can be enhanced if faculty members have a better understanding both of underlying educational concepts and associated learning processes, and how students develop intellectually during their college experience. To do this, we need a framework that combines knowledge and perspectives from the disciplines of cognitive psychology, adult education, and ecology. Even though not immediately apparent, psychological, educational, and ecological literatures are linked by analogies and a common, transferable language. If this language becomes more accessible across these disciplines, bridges can be built to enhance learning and teaching. I will have to stretch some analogies; i.e., concepts and processes that apply to individual plants and plant communities will be applied to individual students and classroom communities, and strategies for improving rangeland weed management will be compared to strategies for improving student learning. My focus is on undergraduate education, and the need for educators to shift from a teacher-centered approach to a learner-centered approach.