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Biodiversity and Education for Sustainable Development pp 305–319Cite as

Online Teaching for Biodiversity Conservation

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Part of the book series: World Sustainability Series ((WSUSE))

Abstract

The aim of this work was to present the Biodiversity and Conservation teaching contents, teaching and learning methodologies and their results/effectiveness through e-learning in higher education (HE) at the Universidade Aberta (UAb), Portugal. Two curricular units covering the thematic of Biodiversity Conservation are taught in the three cycle degree system at UAb: Biodiversity and Conservation (compulsory CU, 6 ECTS, integrated in the curricular plan of the major in Environmental Sciences) and Biodiversity, Geodiversity and Conservation (optional CU, 6 ECTS, integrated in the curricular plan of the Master degree in Environmental Citizenship and Participation). Based on the teaching experience of nine editions of the e-learning courses on Biodiversity Conservation, particularly on the students perceptions and on the number of completed dissertations on the topic of Biodiversity, we consider that their main objectives were fulfilled, i.e. knowledge acquisitions about fundamentals on biodiversity conservation, interpretation, and applications. Some improvements are needed: foster the competencies needed among teachers to use e-learning in a meaningful way; materials suitable for use on e-learning programmes and the need to create synergies and interfaces between scientific knowledge and traditional knowledge (essential in this area of Biodiversity conservation) and also the lead role that e-learning can play establishing and developing a broader awareness on biodiversity conservation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Science and Technology, Universidade Aberta and Centre for Functional Ecology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Ulisses Miranda Azeiteiro & Paula Bacelar-Nicolau

Authors
  1. Ulisses Miranda Azeiteiro
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  2. Paula Bacelar-Nicolau
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ulisses Miranda Azeiteiro .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Paula Castro

  2. Universidade Aberta, Porto, Portugal

    Ulisses M. Azeiteiro

  3. Universidade Aberta, Lisboa, Portugal

    Paula Bacelar-Nicolau

  4. Metropolitan University, HAW Hamburg and Manchester, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  5. University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Anabela Marisa Azul

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Azeiteiro, U.M., Bacelar-Nicolau, P. (2016). Online Teaching for Biodiversity Conservation. In: Castro, P., Azeiteiro, U., Bacelar-Nicolau, P., Leal Filho, W., Azul, A. (eds) Biodiversity and Education for Sustainable Development . World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32318-3_19

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