Mirroring the global perspective

In regards to people, plants, traditional knowledge and culture, there are two global initiatives which I feel are very important to the Caribbean region, and the Society for Economic Botany (SEB) Caribbean Chapter can play some role in both. The first is the WHO Traditional Medicine (TM) strategy 2014-2023. The second initiative is Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) for the region. The research emanating from the SEB Caribbean Chapter members can make valuable contributions in both these issues. There is a lot more to be done in the region, and information sharing, documentation, knowledge preservation and cooperation are key ways in which the society can work towards its mandate

Exploring ‘Outliers’ – Uncovering transformative learning approaches in a Caribbean fisheries network

This study takes a solution-focused approach to identifying how learning, knowledge sharing and transfer can aid in the management of wicked problems which persist in grassroot communities. This is done by investigating an outlier grassroot network in the Caribbean fishing sector which has demonstrated a level of success, capacity building and sustainable development. I draw on the ‘Strengthening Caribbean Fisherfolk to Participate in Governance’ project which ran from 2013 – 2016 to identify transformative learning pedagogy and approaches within informal and non-formal learning environments. I also identify other factors that contribute to transformative learning in the retrospective outlier case study. I conduct semi-structured interviews and collect documentary evidence related to the project. Data is analysed through an eclectic theoretical framework which uses the lenses of Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and Transformative Learning. Emerging themes illustrate how transformative learning was facilitated through a ‘learning by doing’ pedagogy and underpinned by ‘inclusive participation and decision-making’. An important aspect involved good ‘record keeping and documentation’. The ‘role of support organisations’ was crucial to ‘establishing the motivation’ of the fisherfolk, ‘responding to change’, and building ‘trust’. Within these themes I discuss the role of a strong identity, traditional knowledge and culture related to grassroot participants. I also highlight transformative community learning, leadership and mentorship, and inter-connected approaches to developing capacity, knowledge, skills and behaviours which reflect changes in participation and mindsets towards long-term sustainability

Student perceptions of working collaboratively during undergraduate study to produce a knowledge repository based on wiki technology

This study reports on student perceptions of working collaboratively to produce a knowledge repository. The repository was a novel use of a wiki in which a database of information was created progressively from student contributions over a period of three and a half years. The views of students in their final year of study were collected through a focus group and thematic analysis was conducted. The findings include student perceptions of working collaboratively and their views of the potential usefulness of the content for study and professional life. It was found that students prefer content that has been enriched with the personal research, ideas or experiences of the group of students, as it contains 'added value' over information readily available on the internet. Accuracy and currency of the content is a concern for students. Implications for educators considering using knowledge repositories are discussed and improvements for this implementation are identified

A Study for the Development of a Handbook of Selected Caribbean Herbs for Industry

This study is intended to produce a handbook, for the growers, extension workers, and other partners in the industry. It will provide up-to-date information on twenty Caribbean herbs selected for their possible economic potential..