Cherokee Collaborative Field School: Teaching Core Concepts & Competencies in Ethnobiology Through the Lens of Cherokee Artisan Resources

Drs. Sunshine Brosi and Ryan Huish teach a collaborative field school that uses Cherokee Artisan resources as the basis for learning ethnobiology.  The course occurs during the January term at Frostburg State University and Hollins University with both ethnobotany majors and non-majors.  The course focuses on developing research and field skills through applied conservation projects on the sustainability of artisan materials.  The instructors incorporate strategies outlined in the AAAS/NSF Vision & Change in Undergraduate Biology Education (Brewer, 2009), The Open Science Network’s Vision & Change in Ethnobiology Education (McClatchey 2013), and the Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE) Vision and Change Rubrics for course development and implementation.  Course- and module-level activities and assessments are linked with specific core competencies and concepts and learning objectives shared with students. The Research on the Integrated Science Curriculum (RISC) survey is used as an external assessment of student gains.