Problem cases | larkinpowell

Problem cases: resources for instructors

I use Problem-Based Learning in many of my courses. I have developed introductory problem cases to use with units in my courses over the past few years. Below, you will find a series of links to various problem cases. I enjoy sharing these problem cases, but I do like to hear from you if you plan to use a problem case! If you modify it, I also enjoy seeing your improvement or modification!

Want to see how I use these problem cases? Click here to go to my PBL page, where you will find a detailed description and series of videos to explain the process.

Wildlife Ecology and Management

I teach a 300-level version of the course for undergraduates who have had introductory Ecology. The problem cases I have used are:

Public Trust Doctrine: collecting ornate box turtles and Student Response

Population dynamics: moose and wolves in Alaska

T&E Species and Harvest Regulations: sandhill crane harvest in Nebraska

Habitat Management: a tale of two Refuges

Policy (Farm Bill programs): where have the pheasants gone?

Wildlife Management Techniques

I teach a 400/800-level version of this course for undergraduates and graduate students (the latter take my course if they have very little background in wildlife management as an undergrad). The problem-cases I have used are:

Research Design: painted turtle sampling and fox squirrel sampling

Mark-recapture: Canada geese in Nebraska

Habitat use and preference: Rainwater Basin mesopredators

Habitat management: Saline wetlands and Clear Creek WMA wetlands

Harvest management: prairie-chicken harvest controversy

Introduction to Geospatial Information Sciences

I used to teach (last time taught: 2007) a 300-level introductory course for undergraduates. The two problem cases that I used are:

Governor Jesse Ventura and the Minnesota Map

Bob's lawn: a remote sensing problem case

Conservation Biology

I used to teach a graduate-level version of this course (last time taught: 2002). Although it has been a long time since I taught the course, I developed a pretty extensive list of problem cases that some instructors are still finding useful

Extinction and values: The Skeptical Environmentalist

Reserve design: genetics and minimum viable populations

T&E Species: the Endangered Species Act and the Salt Creek Tiger Beetle

Reserve design: physical design--Green Sea Turtles in Grand Cayman

Restoration of Gray Wolves in Yellowstone: main case study (Mark Ryan, UM) and my teaching blueprint for this complex problem case

Restoration of Gray Wolves--ESA problem case add-on

--teaching blueprint for ESA

Restoration of Gray Wolves--conservation genetics add-on

--teaching blueprint for genetics

Restoration of Gray Wolves--human dimensions and policy add-on

--teaching blueprint for HD and policy

Restoration of Gray Wolves--population viability analysis add-on