Get online and get outside this summer!
Our online BISC 11a: Biodiversity Connections class will help you do both!
If you are looking to complete your Brandeis School of Science graduation requirement then check out BISC 11a: Biodiversity Connections. (BISC 11a is open to any college student or degree recipient with an interest in the subject matter. The course is also open to select high school students.)
This online course will help you discover the natural world by doing citizen science (via iNaturalist.org) in tandem with an exploration of ecology and evolution. So, if you are curious about the natural world and want to explore nature (from anywhere in the world), then this course is a great opportunity for you to get outside and discover local biodiversity.
BISC 11a is taught by Prof. Colleen Hitchcock of the Biology Department and Environmental Studies Program and is designed to promote local exploration of biodiversity through citizen science while you learn the fundamentals of ecology and evolution. Throughout the 10-week course you’ll have a chance to delve into the basics of biodiversity science and make contributions to biodiversity research by using a digital camera or cell phone to capture data about the biodiversity you interact with every day.
Biodiversity Connections is an entry-level science course designed to satisfy the School of Science graduation requirement and there are no prerequisites to this course! (The Science graduation requirement needs to be completed by all Brandeis students – not just students majoring in the Sciences!)
Enrolled students will discover how everyone can make scientific contributions through citizen science and will use citizen science research to complement the scientific topics explored in each week’s online discussions. So get outside and explore the natural world regardless of if your summer is being spent in an urban center, suburb, or remote natural location while completing this online summer course.
