User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started this course. I think Biology really teaches you how research works, atleast in the sciences. I knew what ecology was but now I have a more in-depth understanding. I don’t think that I would have done this online if I had known that it would have been such a deep dive.
The project itself was fine. I chose a topic that related to my experiences doing silviculture surveys so I didn’t have to figure a lot out. It was a good choice because there was much more to learn: writing a scientific paper, doing statistical analysis, literature reviews, etc. Not much about my methods changed. Though, my analysis did change as I realized that it was possible for me to do much more with the data than I originally envisioned. I also learned a lot, in general, about my topic of choice.
Next year I need to carry out a piece of research, which will be a major part of my degree (9 credits) and this project has helped me develop skills and knowledge that will assist in my research. It’s also helped me with my understanding of statistics. In terms of ecological theory, I find it a bit… theoretical. I’m interested in tangible, practical applications of knowledge. I’m glad there are people who are involved with ecological theory development but I’m going to be working on an applied basis.
