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Biospherics An online mini-course by Lia Crocker

Biospheres are defined as materially closed and energetically open life systems. Many modular biospheres, including the University of Arizona’s Biosphere 2, have been built around the world and used for research in numerous disciplines. This course explores the origins of Biospherics, the use of Biospheres in current research and the applications of Biospherics in the future.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

  1. Explain the significance of Biospherics
  2. Identify applications of Biospherics in research for multiple disciplines
  3. Analyze a Biosphere case study
  4. Design a project using a Biosphere

Module 1: Introduction to Biospherics

At the end of this module, students will be able to

  1. Define what a Biosphere is
  2. Discuss a mission that contributed to the emergence of Biospheric research
  3. Recognize the role of Biospheres in research
  4. Identify 3 disciplines in which Biospherics can be applied

Content

  1. Reading: Build a Biosphere, Chapter 1 from Pushing Our Limits: Insights from Biosphere 2 by Mark Nelson
  2. Video: Jane Poynter TED Talk
  3. Lecture: Origins of Biospherics
  4. Read/Explore: Biospheres for Research and article Biospheres: Bringing Earth to Humans

Alignment with Learning Outcomes:

  1. LO 1, 2, 3
  2. LO 1, 2, 3
  3. LO 1, 2, 3, 4
  4. LO 1, 3

Assignments

  1. Quiz - Reading check
  2. Discussion - Write about a mission that contributed to the emergence of the field of Biospherics and comment on at least two other students’ posts
  3. Exam - Assessment of all module content

Alignment with Learning Outcomes:

  1. LO 1
  2. LO 2
  3. LO 3, 4

Module 2: Biosphere Analysis

At the end of this module, students will be able to

  1. Identify strengths and weaknesses of scientific experiments
  2. Perform a literature review of 5 research articles that use biospherics
  3. Discuss the pros and cons of a specific Biospheric project
  4. Present a critical review of a case study

Content

  1. Reading: Spaceship Earth article
  2. Lecture: Experimental Analysis

Alignment with Learning Outcomes:

  1. LO 1
  2. LO 2, 3, 4

Assignments

  1. Quiz - Reading and progress check
  2. Discussion - Write about pros and cons of a specific Biospheric project from a paper you reviewed and comment on at least two other students’ posts
  3. Midterm Project - Present your critical review of a selected Biospherics case study from your literature review

Alignment with Learning Outcomes:

  1. LO 1
  2. LO 2, 3
  3. LO 4

Module 3: Biosphere Design

At the end of this module, students will be able to

  1. Choose an area of interest for your project
  2. Design a project using Biospherics
  3. Justify your design and project impact

Content

  1. Lecture: Project Design
  2. Reading: Reef Solutions in the Biosphere 2 Ocean

Alignment with Learning Outcomes:

  1. LO 1, 2, 3
  2. LO 2, 3

Assignments

  1. Quiz - Reading and progress check
  2. Discussion - Write about your top final project ideas and comment on at least two other students’ posts
  3. Final Project - Design a Biospheric project and justify your design and the impact of the project

Alignment with Learning Outcomes

  1. LO 1
  2. LO 1
  3. LO 2, 3

Grading

  • Discussions (3) - 15 pts (5 each)
  • Quizzes (3) - 15 pts (5 each)
  • Midterm Exam - 20 pts
  • Midterm Project - 20 pts
  • Final Project - 30 pts
  • Total - 100 pts
Rubric for Discussions

Quizzes: Each quiz consists of 5 questions, each worth 1 point. Questions may be multiple choice, fill in the blank, or short answer. Students get 3 attempts to take the quiz and their highest score will be taken. Feedback will be given between attempts, although students will not see which questions they specifically had gotten incorrect until the final attempt.

Midterm Exam: The midterm exam is worth 20 points. The exam will be 5 quiz-style questions (10 points, 2 points per question) and one essay question (10 points). Questions specifically address LO 3 and LO 4 from module 1. For example, a short answer question is "Name three disciplines in which Biospherics can apply". The essay question is "in a one page response, please explain how Biospheres can be used in research. Be sure to use an example and explain the role of the Biosphere in the study".

Midterm Project: The midterm project will be a presentation of a critical review of a case study. At the start of the module, students will be given the instructions for this project. Students must review at least 5 peer reviewed articles about Biospheric experiments and choose one to do a paper critique. They will present their critical review to their peers using their online presentation method of choice.

Final Project: The final project will be a proposal (written or presented) for a Biospheric project which students will design. Students will choose a topic that relates to their discipline and propose a project that uses Biospherics with a positive and meaningful impact. The format of this project is flexible. They may write a formal proposal such as one used to apply for a grant or stage a presentation to pitch their project idea to potential investors.

Course Schedule and Due Dates

Appreciate

Credits:

Created with images by Guillaume Jaillet - "The Sphere Of Light" • Guillaume Jaillet - "Architectural Moon" • James Orr - "untitled image" • Will Truettner - "Looking down the waterfall in the Cloud Forest was breathtaking. I felt like I was in the film Avatar. The mix between architecture and nature was really fun to shoot." • e-yi. - "untitled image" • Ricardo Gomez Angel - "The Zentrum Paul Klee is a museum dedicated to the artist Paul Klee, located in Bern, Switzerland and designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano. It features about 40 percent of Paul Klee’s entire pictorial oeuvre. Source Wikipedia" • Matthieu Joannon - "untitled image"

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