Blog Archives

Observational Study: Train the Trainers Workshop (Stroud)

11/17/2016

By Lauren Allen, LMDC

On Tuesday, we observed an important "Train the Trainers" workshop, supported by the Consortium for Scientific Assistance to Watersheds (C-SAW) and presented by our collaborators from the Stroud Water Research Center's Education Department. The training was held at the newly opened, LEED-certified Frick Environmental Center, which is run by one of our project partners, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. The one-and-a-half day training consisted of a presentation of pedagogical and content-based activities and information on how to engage learners and volunteer citizen scientists in understanding and appreciating the importance of aquatic macroinvertebrates, followed by two hands-on macroinvertebrate sampling experiences in different stream habitats in and around Pittsburgh. There were approximately 25 participants in the workshop, representing over 20 different organizations in Pittsburgh that hope to engage the public in learning about macroinvertebrate sampling and water quality monitoring.

One thing we are noticing across trainings is different kinds of observation tools different trainers and volunteers use to help them see close up.

Observational Study: Volunteer Training (Trout Unlimited)

11/14/2016

Lauren Allen, LMDC

On Saturday, November 12 we observed an advanced macroinvertebrate identification training workshop presented by our partner, Trout Unlimited. The training was very in-depth in its explanation of both the collection procedures and protocols, as well as the level of information and detail provided for learning how to identify macroinvertebrates to the order level, and to quite a few different families of Trichoptera (caddisflies), Megaloptera (hellgramites), and Diptera (flies).

Analyzing Macroinvertebrate Identification Resources

11/1/2016

By Jen Liu

In preparation for the website redesign, we are conducting in-depth background research on existing guides and keys for identifying macroinvertebrates. The goal of this research is helping us develop a framework that maps out the design techniques and learning strategies used to scaffold the identification process, and compare those approaches across multiple sources. This framework and inventory of solutions will help us reference and address challenges in the redesign process.

Some of the guides and key we are using for this analysis include:

Voshell, J. Reese (2002). A Guide to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North America.
Merritt, R. W., & Cummins, K. W. (1996). An introduction to the aquatic insects of North America
Izaak Walton League of America (2006). Guide to Aquatic Insects and Crustaceans.
Thorp, J. H. & Rogers, D.C. (2010). Field Guide to Freshwater Invertebrates of North America.
Jessup, B.K., Markowitz, K., & Stribling, J.B. (2002). Family-Level Key to the Stream Invertebrates of Maryland and Surrounding Areas.
Buguide.net

Our sources were selected to include a diverse range of users from novice identifiers to trained experts. This selection was made to reflect the range of users that we anticipate will be using our website.

Analysis Approach - Take 1
In analyzing each source, we have created a procedure to walk through the guide to gain insight regarding specific learning strategies and the associated information design that supplements these strategies. Learning strategies in this context is the technique used to guide users to the next step in macroinvertebrate identification. Analyzing the associated information design is essential because these sources utilize a combination of visual and textual features to implement the strategy.

We start off our analysis by examining key features of the guide, including physical features, purpose and structure of the guide. In doing so, we can understand the intended audiences, language or visual decisions that authors have made, and an overview how the book is meant to be used for identification. To demonstrate our procedure, segments of our analysis for the Voshell field guide is presented below.

In Voshell’s field guide, we are introduced to the structure of the book, organized in three sections, with the second section with information regarding identification to the family level. The guide also states that it was written with the assumption “that most users of this book have no formal training or experience with freshwater invertebrates.” By understanding these aspects, we can get an understanding of the overall organization and complexity of the source.

We then walk through the second section of the book, titled “Identification of Different Kinds” that guides the user to identify a macroinvertebrate sample down to the family level. In doing so, we break down each step of the identification process to establish the learning strategy and information design used at each point.

Voshell’s identification process starts out with a QuickGuide, which we describe labeled as a high-level sorting process at the Phylum / Class level. The learning strategy associated with the QuickGuide is to determine the major group based on salient physical features. The information design uses a verbal dichotomous key, arranged as questions in a series of blocks of that users must step through to reach a major group which then references a proceeding chart.

In viewing the charts associated with a major group, we then reach step 2 in which we are doing a visual match with verbal cues. The strategy that is used to identify the order level of the specimen uses silhouette and basic features, with confirmation by using description of physical features. To carry out this strategy, a table is designed to include black and white drawings that show basic features of each order and then descriptions of distinguishing diagnostic characters.

Once a specimen has been identified and confirmed, the user is directed to a range of pages containing plates of different families of the specific order. These plates are arranged in order of visual distinctiveness, with families that appear the most similar grouped closer together. The user then has to flip through to compare their specimen with the visual and textual information displayed on the plate. The learning strategy for this process is to identify the family of the specimen by comparing features (size, color, diagnostic characters and details) among a range of similar families within the order. The plate is designed to have a color continuous tone drawing of the whole specimen, along with detailed line drawings of key features and a sizing guide. A paragraph describing distinguishing features of the larvae is on the bottom of the plate with key diagnostic characters bolded in red.

Content and Annotation Tool (CAT) Update

11/1/2016

For the expansion of this macrovintertebrates.org we've needed to develop a robust content management system that scales to accommodate a more intricate data structure and authoring needs of a larger project team, as well as support new kinds of web interactions and usage tracking. Our new Content and Annotation Tool (CAT), allows the users to input the necessary data for each macroinvertebrate in our collection and locate custom multimedia annotations in a multiscalar image space. Organization was a priority in this redesign because we wanted to make sure that we could keep track of the complex nested hierarchies in taxonomy so that the various diagnostic characters at each level would be attached to each species, and comparable across species. Throughout our design process we received a lot of input and feedback from our entomologists to understand and align the system to the way they understand and organize their data.

Determining which diagnostic characters are most important

11/1/2016

Madeline Genco, entomologist

In order to determine which diagnostic characters are most important, I start by going through the Merritt, Cummins, and Berg key, and listing all of the characters for the given taxon. I then delete characters that are used to separate other taxa early on, or characters that are absent and not useful for identification. After I have trimmed this list, the combination of remaining characters gives the correct identification. Often, there is a synapomorphy (uniquely shared character) present, something that is characteristic of just that taxon, and not present in other groups, this character alone can be used for identification; so I try to focus on those. For example, the caddisfly family Lepidostomatidae is the only family where the larvae have the antennae (circled in red below) positioned directly next to the eye. If I see this, I know right away it is Lepidostomatidae, and I don’t have to go through the key.

Observational Study: Train the Trainers Workshop (Stroud)

Observational Study: Volunteer Training (Trout Unlimited)

Analyzing Macroinvertebrate Identification Resources

Content and Annotation Tool (CAT) Update

Determining which diagnostic characters are most important

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