New Online Earthworm Course

The Earthworm Society of Britain is delighted to announce a new online training course from the Field Studies Council BioLinks project. Discovering Earthworms is aimed at adults and will be delivered as 4 weekly topics starting from 28th April.

Each topic consists of:

• Workbooks present the educational content as written text, images (including diagrams) and videos. Learners work through the content at their own pace throughout the week.
• Activities are interactive components that are automatically graded by the system and provide learners with instant feedback. Activities may include image quizzes and labelling diagrams.
• Assignments are homework tasks that are completed by the learner and submitted to the tutor. The tutor grade submitted assignments as complete and will provide feedback to the learner. Assignments often involve field activities and will include searching for earthworms and recording your observations.
• End of Topic Quizzes are multiple choice tests based on the content covered within a topic that require a minimum grade to pass. The questions are usually multiple choice and the quiz can be repeated as many times the learner chooses to take it, with the highest grade achieved being the score that is recorded by the system.
• Live webinars are hosted each week to enable the tutor to interact with the learners. Each webinar is repeated during lunch and evening time slots and is recorded so that anyone that misses it can catch up afterward. The live webinars vary and may involve tutor presentations/recaps, assignment discussions and interactive class activities.

This course would usually cost £60 per learner but is available for ESB members and UK non-professionals at a subsidised price of £20 through the FSC BioLinks project. Spaces are limited and bookings will be closing no later than 23rd April 2021. Book your space through the FSC website: https://www.field-studies-council.org/shop/courses/discovering-earthworms-online/

The 4 weekly topics from the Eco-Skills Earthworm Learning Framework are detailed below.

SIN101 Earthworm Biology

Learners will be able to explain basic earthworm biological functions and where earthworms fit within the animal kingdom and the following subjects will be covered:

• Earthworm taxonomy
• Earthworm evolution
• Earthworm morphology and anatomy
• Earthworm life cycle and reproduction
• Earthworm respiration
• Earthworm locomotion
• Earthworm feeding and digestion
• Earthworm regeneration and autotomy

SIN102 Earthworm Ecology & Behaviour

Learners will be able to explain how earthworms interact with their environments and recognise why earthworms demonstrate some behaviours and the following subjects will be covered:

• Burrows and burrowing
• Bioturbation 
• Burial
• Casts and middens
• Intelligence and consciousness
• Aestivation and hibernation
• Worm charming
• Dispersal and cocoons

SIN103 Earthworm Diversity

Learners will be able to distinguish between the four broad ecological groups of earthworms and have an understanding of earthworm diversity around the world and the following subjects will be covered:

• Diversity 
• Ecotypes
• Anecic Earthworms
• Endogeic Earthworms
• Epigeic Earthworms
• Compost Earthworms
• Worms of the world
• Earthworms as invasive non-native species

SIN104 Finding Earthworms in their Habitats

Learners will be able to find different ecological groups of earthworms in their natural habitats and the following subjects will be covered:

• Habitats
• Finding anecic earthworms
• Finding endogeic earthworms
• Finding epigeic earthworms
• Finding compost earthworms
• Recognising cocoons
• Recognising earthworm field signs – casts and middens

 

Book your space through the FSC website: https://www.field-studies-council.org/shop/courses/discovering-earthworms-online/