education research resources

Another couple of resources, but this time focused on research of environmental education.

Action research - improving learning through the environment is a "compilation of ideas for carrying out action research in order to improve learning through educational work in the environment".

Produced by the National Association of Field Studies Officers (NAFSO), it includes chapters on different methods of evaluation, such as letters and concept maps, evaluating fieldwork, residential courses and community-based environmental education.

It is available through the NAFSO website

ISBN: 1 901 642 10 00

Edited by: Adrian Clark, Helen Parry, Clare Shorter

Proceedings of the VIIIth Conference on Environmental Education in Europe 'Learning for a sustainable future: the role of communication, ethics and social learning in environmental education'

Editor: Mark Alderweireldt

CEEE Ghent, 2002

Although 5 years old now, this set of proceedings includes useful papers on EfS, focusing in Europe, with case studies and research. For more information about the CEEE conferences and the organising group, the European Foundation for Education and Sustainable Development, have a look at their website.

interpretation resource

A friend of mine, Kerry Waylen, who produced the well-being and botanic gardens report last year for BGCI, sent me a useful link via face book the other day. Face book is one of these Internet networking sites, where you have your own profile and can load up pictures and send messages to your friends etc. Anyway, she had come across an interpretation guide, produced in 1999 (but still relevant) by the American Museum of Natural History, designed for educators working in the tropics.

The guide is quite comprehensive, with chapters on exhibits, presenting, community outreach and evaluation. It is available in English, French and Spanish and is free to download, which is handy, and covers all the basics for developing interpretive programmes. Do have a look and let us know what you think by leaving some comments.