Educational Design and Construction: Processes and Technologies

There are no one-size-fits-all steps for tackling different design challenges within the context of education. There are, however, processes and activities that are often useful. Developing a repertoire so that designers can select and use the most fruitful and fitting approaches for specific situations is the focus of this chapter. After discussing this phase in relation to those of analysis and evaluation, attention is given to how both analytical and creative perspectives can serve the work of design and construction. The body of the chapter is devoted to presenting specific activities that can be undertaken during design (exploring and mapping solutions) and construction (actually building the solutions). This chapter presents ideas in linear fashion, which loosely approximates the order in which these activities might logically be carried out. However, each design project is different. Not all activities described here are useful in all projects, others are likely to be added, and several activities described in this chapter often take place simultaneously

Seasonal Variation in the Fate of Seeds under Contrasting Logging Regimes

Seed predators and dispersers may drive the speed and structure of forest regeneration in natural ecosystems. Rodents and ants prey upon and disperse seeds, yet empirical studies on the magnitude of these effects are lacking. Here, we examined the role of ants and rodents on seed predation in 4 plant species in a successional gradient on a tropical rainforest island. We found that (1) seeds are mostly consumed rather than dispersed; (2) rates of seed predation vary by habitat, season, and species; (3) seed size, shape, and hardness do not affect the probability of being depredated. Rodents were responsible for 70% of seed predation and were negligible (0.14%) seed dispersers, whereas ants were responsible for only 2% of seed predation and for no dispersal. We detected seasonal and habitat effects on seed loss, with higher seed predation occurring during the wet season and in old-growth forests. In the absence of predators regulating seed-consumer populations, the densities of these resilient animals explode to the detriment of natural regeneration and may reduce diversity and carrying capacity for consumers and eventually lead to ecological meltdown