Implementation of the module “Guppies on the move” in an online biology course at Georgia Military College

Overview of Implementation The course, BIO 280: Introduction to Ecology, provides students with foundational knowledge of ecological principles, including population dynamics, species interactions, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem function. The course emphasizes the integration of ecological theory with real-world case studies to promote scientific reasoning and environmental literacy. The OCELOTS module, Guppies on the Move, was implemented during the unit on population ecology, evolution, and species interactions. This module allows students to explore how predation pressure, environmental gradients, and organism movement influence ecological and evolutionary processes in natural populations. Module Overview Guppies on the Move is an interactive, case-based OCELOTS module that engages students in exploring how organism movement influences population dynamics, ecological interactions, and evolutionary outcomes in freshwater stream ecosystems. The module presents authentic ecological data, including graphical representations and spatial distributions, allowing students to analyze how predation pressure and environmental gradients shape guppy behavior, habitat selection, and survival strategies. Through guided inquiry, students examine how energy acquisition and resource availability influence movement patterns and social interactions such as competition and predator avoidance. The resource emphasizes scientific practices, including data interpretation, pattern recognition, and evidence-based reasoning, while reinforcing key ecological concepts related to energy flow, nutrient dynamics, and population structure. Designed for flexible implementation, the module supports both independent learning and structured discussion in online or in-person ecology courses. The module highlights the relationship between energy acquisition, survival strategies, and social interactions such as competition and predator avoidance. Through guided inquiry, students connect organism behavior to broader ecological processes, including population dynamics and ecosystem function. Summary of implementation plan and teaching notes: The Guppies on the Move module was implemented during Week 3 of the Introduction to Ecology course and was supported through a combination of guided instruction and independent student engagement. A live session was conducted to walk students through the module, providing an overview of key ecological concepts, including energy dynamics, population structure, and social interactions. During this session, students were introduced to the case study and engaged in a guided discussion to help frame their analysis. Following the live session, students completed the full Guppies on the Move OCELOTS module independently. Throughout the module, they responded to embedded and instructor-developed questions designed to promote critical thinking and discussion. Students analyzed how predator presence influences guppy distribution, movement patterns, and adaptive strategies, connecting these observations to broader ecological and evolutionary principles. To reinforce learning, students completed the Guppies on the Move case study assignment in which they applied ecological concepts to interpret data and evaluate the implications of organism movement on population dynamics and adaptation. This structured approach supported student understanding of complex ecological relationships while encouraging the application of scientific reasoning. Supplemental files attached include: Questions for Discussion in Deployed Guppies on the move Module.doc. These instructor-developed discussion prompts are designed to facilitate ecological reasoning and support student analysis of the module content. Week 3 Module Assignment Guppies on the move Module.doc This provides structured assignment instructions to guide students in completing the case study analysis and applying ecological concepts. Module Assignment Guppie on the move Rubric.xls This rubric includes elements about data analysis and interpretation, ecological explanation, and reflection quality. Support was provided by:Agrant from the United States National Science Foundation (DBI-RCN-UBE 2120141).