Amartya Saha wrote the following How do you define "best students"? Those with highest grades ? Well,
grades do not reflect success in the environmental field, although they may result in more rigorous science. The thing is that there is a huge disconnect between science research and implementation in conservation of ecosystems. Its different groups of people, as we know, with little communication between the two.
I certainly do not mean to imply that grades are everything. As I have gained experience as a teacher, I have observed the following:
1. On average,students with higher grades are more organized as students (better study habits), more literate and are prepared to think more critically than many with lower grades. The relationship is not perfect and I have seen exceptions (high grades but little critical thinking or common sense). The national scholardhip granting agencies probably agree with this perspective since they use grades as the primary filter on who gets funded or not.
2. In my courses, students must be literate, numerate critical thinkers who can organize information into a body of knowledge in order to get good grades.
3. As Fred Bunnell said: "managing natural resources isn't rocket science - it's much more difficult than that". I believe that our sustainability and conservation challenges require people with remarkable intellectual and emotional intelligence to reach for solutions. Good grades does not guarantee that a person has either of these qualities, but other things being equal, I would bet on those students wwith better grades to become the mroe effective environmental leaders of tomorrow.
Best, Andy
