January 20, 2003
TO: Prospective Graduate Students Interested in MS in Natural Resource Education
FROM: Ed Jensen, Professor of Natural Resources Education, Oregon State University
SUBJECT: M.S. in Natural Resource Education and Extension
This note is intended to supplement what’s already written about the
M.S. in Natural Resource Education and Extension in the Forest Resources departmental
brochure (which may be enclosed with this letter), or on the FR departmental
web site (see my web page at www.forestry.oregonstate.edu/cof/fr/facultypages/jensen.php).
By itself, this note is not intended to provide a complete overview of the
program.
This program is relatively new and small. It was created in 1991 and there
are typically only several students (1-3) enrolled at one time. I’m the
primary faculty advisor, but others serve in that role on a limited basis.
Courses are divided into 3 categories: natural resources, education and communication,
and electives (which may fall into either category). OSU offers a great array
of courses in the various fields of natural resources, so students in this
program have ample opportunity to increase both depth and breadth of their
knowledge of natural resources. Courses in education and communication are
typically offered “across campus” rather than in forestry, although
there are a few exceptions. Offerings are more limited and less predictable.
As a result, it’s common for graduates of this program to have taken
widely different courses in education and communication.
Most students finish the degree in about 2 years (some a bit sooner and some
a bit later); the amount of time often depends on the complexity of project/thesis,
and how many “field” seasons are required, rather than on course
requirements.
The “final project” is a critical learning experience for students,
causing them to integrate their knowledge of natural resources and educational
processes. It can take the form of either a thesis, in which the student attempts
to test a theory or discover new knowledge, or an applied project, in which
the student attempts to address a real-world education problem (identify an
audience with an educational need and develop a program or product that fills
that need). Most students choose the project route.
Here’s a sample of projects completed by students in the program:
• A video-based education program on the reproductive ecology of PNW
broadleaved trees and shrubs. Primary audience: natural resource specialists
and managers; university students. Components: 60-minute video, 7 peer-reviewed
publications. Funded by USDA Forest Service, National Biological Service, and
Forestry Research Lab.
• A comprehensive curriculum guide to wildflowers of the Columbia Gorge.
Primary audience: elementary and secondary school groups; other group-based
visitors to the Gorge. Components: set of site descriptions and field-based
activities; set of classroom lessons to use before and after field trips; set
of learning resources for use in classrooms; 8-hour workshop attended by 40
teachers and resource specialists. Funded by the USDA Forest Service Columbia
Gorge National Scenic Area.
• A feasibility study for the development of a university-based information
center on forestry and wildlife. Primary audiences: almost everyone. Components:
a written report that recommends key audiences, key messages, potential delivery
systems, and cost estimates. Funded by OSU’s Forestry Research Lab.
• A CD-ROM on conifers of the Pacific Northwest. Primary audience: 5th
grade and above. Components: CD-ROM guide to identification and natural history
of PNW conifers. Funded internally.
• An educational video on the cultural significance and management of
huckleberries in PNW forests. Primary audience: elementary/middle school students
of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. Components: half-hour video, instructors
guide, and viewers summary. Funded internally.
•An assessment of the educational effectiveness of a web-based forest
field tour focused on sustainable forestry (thesis). Primary audience: professional
foresters and small woodland managers. Components: developing and conducting
parallel web and field tours and assessing the educational effectiveness
of each. Fully funded by OSU’s Sustainable Forestry Partnership and the
Society of American Foresters.
•A web-based course on tree identification for K-12 teachers. Primary
audience: K-12 teachers. Primary components: web-based learning activities
that compliment existing books and multi-media resources. Funding: Forestry
Media Center and Oregon Forestry Education Program.
Funding for students in this program is difficult to find and often difficult
to predict very far in advance. None-the-less, most students in the program
have received funding sufficient to get a tuition waiver and small stipend
(0.15-0.50 FTE) for most of their time here. Some have served as research assistants,
others as teaching assistants; several have been funded to work on their projects;
none have had to fund their projects from their own pockets. The more lead
time we have, and the more flexibility you exhibit, the more likely it is that
funding can be arranged. Knowing what academic areas you’re well versed
in, any special talents that you have, and any thoughts you have about the
kinds of projects that you’d be interested in, can all help secure funding.
Flexibility is often a key.
To date, the program has attracted students from a wide geographic area (e.g.
Oregon, California, Vermont, Colorado, Minnesota, Ohio) and from several academic
disciplines (e.g. forestry, wildlife biology, history, recreation). Students
with limited backgrounds in science or natural resources are typically recommended
to complete at least a year of post-bac work before entering the MS program.
One advantage that OSU offers to students in this program is a tremendous
variety of education programs with which they might interact. In addition to
traditional graduate and undergraduate programs, we have a large and active
extended education program (Outreach and Extension), the Forestry Media Center
that develops and distributes an array of innovative audio-visual and electronic
media, and the Oregon Forestry Education Program which conducts natural resource
education for elementary and secondary teachers. As a result, we have plenty
of opportunities to identify and address real-world education problems.
Students considering this program raise many questions about employment opportunities.
That’s good, but often difficult to address simply. I think the need
for natural resource educators is always great, and is currently growing—but
employment opportunities don’t always follow need. Stepwise career ladders
are difficult to find, and geographic constraints also limit choices, so flexibility
is important. Students who complete this program have typically found rewarding
work, but not always as educators—some have “fallen back” on
the natural resources skills they developed in their undergraduate program.
Many of those continue to contribute to natural resources education through
their work and volunteer activities. Some examples of jobs held by graduates
from this program (note the wide array of positions that depend on a wide array
of skills and abilities):
Forest planner for a federal agency
Education specialist for a large metropolitan zoo
Educational media specialist for a university (2 students)
Technology transfer specialist for a university research cooperative
Peace Corps volunteer (2 students)
Forest plant specialist for a federal agency inventory program
Forester for a state agency
Freelance education specialist
Tribal forester and education manager
I hope this helps you understand a bit more about our program. Don’t
hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions.
phone: (541)737-2519
fax: (541)737-3049
email:
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Letter to Prospective MS in NR Education students