Student input-A case of an extended flipped classroom

© 2017 IEEE. The idea from Socrates about the knowledge being a part of the students' knowledge base or ability of combining accessible knowledge forms the backdrop for how the most recent course in Knowledge Management (spring of 2017) was conducted. The course is 7,5 ECTS and the students are primarily adults in a worklife. The course is net and seminar based, with three seminars per semester. During the seminars the concept of Flipped Classroom is used. This means that the students are provided with a recorded lecture in beforehand and only highlights are presented. The rest of the time during the seminar is used to activate the students through tasks and problem solving. However, the tasks are not predefined and prefabricated. The way this course is structured, the students themselves are giving the input to the tasks and assignments. This is based on the idea that the students themselves, coming from a worklife where knowledge management is a part of their every day worklife, should reflect upon their own practice. Also, it is important to share knowledge and by utilizing each students own experiences it is possible to enrich the 'database' of cases or tasks for the students to solve and work with in order to incorporate the new theory from the course curriculum. Basing the problem solving on student input provide the lecturer AND the students with a richer knowledge base and case portfolio. This does, however, require some effort from the lecturers side. The input from the students are generally key words and fragments. The session is facilitated by the lecturer, encouraging the students to bring forward own experiences or situations they would like resolved, either real or fiction. The key words and fragments are discussed amongst the students and the lecturer makes notes on a blackboard or on a digital canvas (MS PowerPoint or similar). The students are given a break and the lecturer collects the key words and synthesizes this into a case. Upon the return of the students, they solve the cases in groups and discuss possible solutions and what theory that apply to the different aspects of the case. Then a plenary session is facilitated where a suggested solution is developed. During a one-day seminar three to four cases are developed as a 'joint venture' amongst the students and the lecturer. The feedback from the students is very positive. They claim that this way of working strongly contributes to an enhanced learning outcome. Some students also report on utilizing knowledge acquired at these seminars back at their workplace. These are some results from the survey and interviews. This research will be presented in detail in the paper. We will also elaborate on how this way of flipping the classroom can be utilized in different courses and areas

Inconsistent recognition of uncertainty in studies of climate change impacts on forests

Petr, M., Vacchiano, G., Thom, D., Mairota, P., Kautz, M., Gonçalves, L. M. D. S., ... Reyer, C. P. O. (2019). Inconsistent recognition of uncertainty in studies of climate change impacts on forests. Environmental Research Letters, 14(11), 1-13. [113003]. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab4670Background. Uncertainty about climate change impacts on forests can hinder mitigation and adaptation actions. Scientific enquiry typically involves assessments of uncertainties, yet different uncertainty components emerge in different studies. Consequently, inconsistent understanding of uncertainty among different climate impact studies (from the impact analysis to implementing solutions) can be an additional reason for delaying action. In this review we (a) expanded existing uncertainty assessment frameworks into one harmonised framework for characterizing uncertainty, (b) used this framework to identify and classify uncertainties in climate change impacts studies on forests, and (c) summarised the uncertainty assessment methods applied in those studies. Methods. We systematically reviewed climate change impact studies published between 1994 and 2016. We separated these studies into those generating information about climate change impacts on forests using models -'modelling studies', and those that used this information to design management actions-'decision-making studies'. We classified uncertainty across three dimensions: nature, level, and location, which can be further categorised into specific uncertainty types. Results. We found that different uncertainties prevail in modelling versus decision-making studies. Epistemic uncertainty is the most common nature of uncertainty covered by both types of studies, whereas ambiguity plays a pronounced role only in decision-making studies. Modelling studies equally investigate all levels of uncertainty, whereas decision-making studies mainly address scenario uncertainty and recognised ignorance. Finally, the main location of uncertainty for both modelling and decision-making studies is within the driving forces-representing, e.g. socioeconomic or policy changes. The most frequently used methods to assess uncertainty are expert elicitation, sensitivity and scenario analysis, but a full suite of methods exists that seems currently underutilized. Discussion & Synthesis. The misalignment of uncertainty types addressed by modelling and decision-making studies may complicate adaptation actions early in the implementation pathway. Furthermore, these differences can be a potential barrier for communicating research findings to decision-makers.publishersversionpublishe

Data Descriptor : A European Multi Lake Survey dataset of environmental variables, phytoplankton pigments and cyanotoxins

Under ongoing climate change and increasing anthropogenic activity, which continuously challenge ecosystem resilience, an in-depth understanding of ecological processes is urgently needed. Lakes, as providers of numerous ecosystem services, face multiple stressors that threaten their functioning. Harmful cyanobacterial blooms are a persistent problem resulting from nutrient pollution and climate-change induced stressors, like poor transparency, increased water temperature and enhanced stratification. Consistency in data collection and analysis methods is necessary to achieve fully comparable datasets and for statistical validity, avoiding issues linked to disparate data sources. The European Multi Lake Survey (EMLS) in summer 2015 was an initiative among scientists from 27 countries to collect and analyse lake physical, chemical and biological variables in a fully standardized manner. This database includes in-situ lake variables along with nutrient, pigment and cyanotoxin data of 369 lakes in Europe, which were centrally analysed in dedicated laboratories. Publishing the EMLS methods and dataset might inspire similar initiatives to study across large geographic areas that will contribute to better understanding lake responses in a changing environment.Peer reviewe

Stratification strength and light climate explain variation in chlorophyll a at the continental scale in a European multilake survey in a heatwave summer

To determine the drivers of phytoplankton biomass, we collected standardized morphometric, physical, and biological data in 230 lakes across the Mediterranean, Continental, and Boreal climatic zones of the European continent. Multilinear regression models tested on this snapshot of mostly eutrophic lakes (median total phosphorus [TP] = 0.06 and total nitrogen [TN] = 0.7 mg L−1), and its subsets (2 depth types and 3 climatic zones), show that light climate and stratification strength were the most significant explanatory variables for chlorophyll a (Chl a) variance. TN was a significant predictor for phytoplankton biomass for shallow and continental lakes, while TP never appeared as an explanatory variable, suggesting that under high TP, light, which partially controls stratification strength, becomes limiting for phytoplankton development. Mediterranean lakes were the warmest yet most weakly stratified and had significantly less Chl a than Boreal lakes, where the temperature anomaly from the long-term average, during a summer heatwave was the highest (+4°C) and showed a significant, exponential relationship with stratification strength. This European survey represents a summer snapshot of phytoplankton biomass and its drivers, and lends support that light and stratification metrics, which are both affected by climate change, are better predictors for phytoplankton biomass in nutrient-rich lakes than nutrient concentrations and surface temperature

Decidion support system for the management of forest ecosystems based on geographic information systems and knowledge systems

Forested Ecosystems provide a variety of goods as it is, for example, firewood, technical timber, fruits, roots of plants and recreation. They also, provide important indirect utilities, such as the protection from floods and the absorption of gaseous pollutants. Despite their particular value, Forested Ecosystems face up a lot of threats of an anthropogenic origin. Wildfires possess an important position, among these threats, especially in countries like Greece, in which hot and dry climatic conditions prevail. The reduction of the destruction rate of Forested Ecosystems can be achieved by a suitable multipurpose management planning. Nevertheless, the design and application of such a management faces obstacles, mainly due to its complexity and to the small experience from its application. In this Thesis, a Decision Support System is proposed, that aims at facilitating Forest Management Planning. Specifically, the System can provide consultation for the multiple purpose management of lowland pine forests and the reduction of wildfire destruction danger. To design and develop the proposed system, research work was undertaken that can be summarized as follows: - A general conceptual architecture of Decision Support Systems for Forest Ecosystems Management Planning was designed. This architecture is open and flexible to future implementations. - A series of suitable treatments were incorporated in the planning of multiple-purpose management, that aim at the reduction of the destruction danger from wildfires of the lowland Pine Forests and of their neighboring regions. - A Wildfire Destruction Danger Index was proposed, based on natural parameters that provide short and long term estimates, for small or large Forested areas. - A Soil Erosion Index was proposed, for the determination of the soil erosion danger. Its main characteristic is its simplicity as well as the fact that its calculation is based on data that can be gathered easily. - A Fire Simulator was developed, based on known models for wildfire simulation, whose main characteristic is the capability of detailed calculations for vegetation treatments. - A Decision Support System was developed, which is based on the general architecture that is proposed in this Thesis. The System can provide advice for the reduction of wildfire destruction danger, within the framework of the conventional multipurpose management planning. It uses three Rule-based Subsystems and the methodology of Fuzzy Logic for the handling of uncertainty. For the management and treatment of spatial data, it makes use of a Geographic Information System. The System, that was developed, has been tested in the Forest Prokopi-Drazi in Northern Evia. Its results have been compared with those of an approved Forest Management Study. The comparison has shown that the System advice, relevant to the conventional management, coincide to a very satisfactory degree with the proposals of the Forest Management Study. Moreover, the system provides advice for the preventive handling of forest vegetation, which contributes decisively to the reduction of the fire destruction danger.Τα δασικά οικοσυστήματα παρέχουν μια ποικιλία αγαθών, όπως είναι, για παράδειγμα, τα καυσόξυλα, η τεχνική ξυλεία, οι καρποί, οι ρίζες των φυτών και η αναψυχή. Επίσης, παρέχουν σημαντικές έμμεσες ωφέλειες, όπως είναι η προστασία από πλημμύρες και η απορρόφηση αέριων ρύπων. Παρά την ιδιαίτερη αξία τους, τα Δασικά Οικοσυστήματα αντιμετωπίζουν πολλές απειλές ανθρωπογενούς προέλευσης. Μεταξύ αυτών σημαντική θέση κατέχουν οι δασικές πυρκαγιές, ιδιαίτερα σε περιοχές όπως είναι η Ελλάδα, στις οποίες επικρατούν ξηροθερμικές κλιματικές συνθήκες. Η μείωση του ρυθμού καταστροφής των Δασικών Οικοσυστημάτων από πυρκαγιές είναι δυνατόν να επιτευχθεί με την κατάλληλη διαχείριση πολλαπλών σκοπών. Εντούτοις, η σχεδίαση και εφαρμογή μιας διαχείρισης αυτού του είδους συναντά εμπόδια, που οφείλονται, κατά κύριο λόγο, στην πολυπλοκότητά της και στη μικρή εμπειρία από την εφαρμογή της. Στην παρούσα Διατριβή προτείνεται ένα Σύστημα Υποστήριξης Λήψεως Απόφασης το οποίο στοχεύει στη διευκόλυνση του Σχεδιασμού Διαχείρισης των Δασικών Οικοσυστημάτων. Ειδικότερα, το Σύστημα είναι σε θέση να παρέχει συμβουλές για τη διαχείριση πολλαπλών σκοπών των πεδινών πευκοδασών και τη μείωση του κινδύνου καταστροφών από πυρκαγιές. Για τη σχεδίαση και ανάπτυξη του προτεινόμενου συστήματος, πραγματοποιήθηκε μια σειρά ερευνητικών εργασιών που συνοψίζεται στα ακόλουθα: - Δημιουργήθηκε μια γενική εννοιολογική αρχιτεκτονική Συστημάτων Υποστήριξης Λήψεως Απόφασης για το Σχεδιασμό της Διαχείρισης των Δασικών Οικοσυστημάτων. Η αρχιτεκτονική είναι ανοικτή και, συνεπώς, ευέλικτη σε μελλοντικές εφαρμογές της. - Ενσωματώθηκε στο σχεδιασμό της διαχείρισης πολλαπλών σκοπών μια σειρά κατάλληλων χειρισμών, που στοχεύουν στη μείωση του κινδύνου καταστροφών από πυρκαγιές των πεδινών πευκοδασών και των γειτονικών σε αυτά περιοχών. - Ορίστηκε ένας Δείκτης Κινδύνου Καταστροφών από Πυρκαγιές, ο οποίος βασίζεται σε φυσικές παραμέτρους και παρέχει βραχείας και μακράς διάρκειας εκτιμήσεις, για μικρές ή μεγάλες επιφάνειες Δάσους. - Ορίστηκε ένας Δείκτης Διάβρωσης Εδάφους, για τον προσδιορισμό του κινδύνου εδαφικής διάβρωσης. Το κύριο χαρακτηριστικό του είναι η απλότητά του, καθώς και το γεγονός ότι ο υπολογισμός του βασίζεται σε δεδομένα που μπορούν να συγκεντρωθούν εύκολα. - Υλοποιήθηκε ένας Προσομοιωτής Πυρκαγιάς, που βασίζεται σε γνωστά μοντέλα προσομοίωσης πυρκαγιάς, κύριο χαρακτηριστικό του οποίου είναι η δυνατότητα λεπτομερών υπολογισμών των χειρισμών της βλάστησης. - Υλοποιήθηκε ένα Σύστημα Υποστήριξης Λήψεως Απόφασης, με βάση την γενική αρχιτεκτονική που προτείνεται. Το Σύστημα δύναται να παρέχει συμβουλές για τη μείωση του κινδύνου καταστροφών από πυρκαγιές στο πλαίσιο της συμβατικής διαχείρισης πολλαπλών σκοπών. Χρησιμοποιεί τρία Υποσυστήματα Βάσεων Κανόνων και μεθοδολογία Ασαφούς Λογικής για το χειρισμό της αβεβαιότητας. Για τη διαχείριση και επεξεργασία των χωρικών δεδομένων χρησιμοποιεί ένα Γεωγραφικό Πληροφοριακό Σύστημα. Το Σύστημα που αναπτύχθηκε δοκιμάστηκε στο Δάσος Προκοπίου-Δραζίου στη Βόρεια Εύβοια. Τα αποτελέσματά του συγκρίθηκαν με τις προτάσεις της εγκεκριμένης Διαχειριστικής Μελέτης του Δάσους. Από τη σύγκριση προέκυψε ότι οι συμβουλές του συστήματος, σε ό,τι αφορά στη συμβατική διαχείριση, συμπίπτουν σε πολύ ικανοποιητικό βαθμό με τις προτάσεις της Διαχειριστικής Μελέτης. Επιπλέον, το σύστημα παρέχει συμβουλές για τον προληπτικό χειρισμό της δασικής βλάστησης, που συντελούν αποφαστιστικά στη μείωση των καταστροφών από πυρκαγιές

On the proper employment of piche evaporimeters in estimating evapotranspiration

Daily meteorological measurements taken in Athens during the period 1951-1984 are used to investigate the feasibility of calculating Penman-Monteith's evapotranspiration estimates when wind measurements are not available. Daily sheltered Piche data (from a large meteorological screen) are shown to be satisfactorily related to the second term in Penman-Monteith's equation on a daily basis. Furthermore, daily conventional Penman-Monteith evapotranspiration estimates are compared with the ones obtained from the adjusted Piche readings and the results show that daily, monthly or yearly evapotranspiration estimates, acquired over long periods, can be successfully estimated by using the substantial backlogs of Piche evaporimeter data. The analysis suggests monthly relationships to be justified for adjusting Piche data, although even one annual relationship seems to be able to estimate evapotranspiration in most of the months, or in a whole year period, satisfactorily