Fundamentals of Ecology

First year of my doctorate studies was not a calm one. It was the unfortunate year of 2020 and COVID-19 was spreading through the globe, slowly approaching our country and university. Everyone hoped to be the lucky one. Everyone hoped their university will not have to shut down and switch to distant classes. Unfortunately, it was not the case.

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My Ph. D. supervisor, Jeff C. Nekola was one of the first ones at the university who took the threat seriously and decided to videotape all lectures for his Fundamentals of Ecology course. And as his student, I was glad to help. We have spent a week videotaping all the modules and I later created a funny web page.

Example of a header for a lecture. The page contains many pop-culture references and little jokes. If you are a fan of playful learning, I highly encourage you to give it a try.

The course was a great success. We inspired other lecturers to prepare for distant classes beforehand and our concept of a website including all additional materials was praised by the students. Jeff continue to use the site up to this day. Students, usually Czechs having English as secondary language, use the opportunity to re-watch the videos, stop them, and study in their own pace. I believe the page can be a great support for anyone interested in learning fundamentals of ecology. Most of the materials are available to anyone, some only to students enrolled at Masaryk University. However, feel free to message me or Jeff with any questions or requests.