Utilizing the Paleobiology Database to Provide Educational Opportunities for Undergraduates

Rowan Lockwood; Phoebe A. Cohen; Mark D. Uhen; Katherine Ryker

doi:10.1017/9781108681667

Series: Elements of Paleontology

Utilizing the Paleobiology Database to Provide Educational Opportunities for Undergraduates

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 October 2018

Mark D. Uhen and

Rowan Lockwood: Affiliation:
College of William and Mary, Virginia
Phoebe A. Cohen: Affiliation:
Williams College, Massachusetts
Mark D. Uhen: Affiliation:
George Mason University, Virginia
Katherine Ryker: Affiliation:
University of South Carolina

Summary

Integration of research experiences into the undergraduate classroom can result in increased recruitment, retention, and motivation of science students. 'Big data' science initiatives, such as the Paleobiology Database (PBDB), can provide inexpensive and accessible research opportunities. This Element provides an introduction to what the PBDB is, how to use it, how it can be deployed in introductory and advanced courses, and examples of how it has been used in undergraduate research. The PBDB aims to provide information on all fossil organisms, across the tree of life, around the world, and through all of geologic time. The PBDB Resource Page contains a range of PBDB tutorials and activities for use in physical geology, historical geology, paleontology, sedimentology, and stratigraphy courses. As two-year colleges, universities, and distance-based learning initiatives seek research-based alternatives to traditional lab exercises, the PBDB can provide opportunities for hands-on science activities.

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big data database paleobiodiversity paleobiogeography authentic research

Type: Element
Information: Series: Elements of Paleontology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108681667 [Opens in a new window]

Online ISBN: 9781108681667

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication: 29 November 2018

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Utilizing the Paleobiology Database to Provide Educational Opportunities for Undergraduates

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