Field Techniques for Surveying Invertebrates

Field techniques for surveying invertebrates is a 5-week, stand-alone training course which is taught entirely online. It can be taken from anywhere in the world and is international in its use of case studies. It will appeal to a variety of students and practitioners in conservation and management who want to improve their ability to conduct surveys.

Each topic is covered via guided reading, online activities, and discussion forums. All the reading material is embedded into the course, but students additionally have access to the University's electronic resources and online journals, which they are expected to use for some of the activities. Participants are expected to study on, and contribute to, the course for around 10-15 hours per week. If the course is being taken for credit, participants will need to complete an assessment. There is a suggested calendar of activity which students can use to assist them in completing the course within the allocated five week duration.

Topics covered by the course:

• Rationale and practicalities of invertebrate surveys
• Before starting - planning and preparation
• Field methods 1 - active methods
• Field methods 2 - interception trapping
• Field methods 3 - responsive trapping
• Sorting, indentification and taxonomic considerations
• Sampling strategies
• Invertebrate habitat description and evaluation
• Invertebrate survey for monitoring
• The end result - specimens, data, analysis, interpretation and reporting

Certification

Non-accredited Study

To successfully complete the course and receive a Certificate of Attendance, active participation of at least one forum post per week, to the satisfaction of the course tutor, in the online course forums is required.

Accredited Study

The University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education offers Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) points for the course. Participants contributing to all the forums and successfully completing the assessment will obtain 10 CATS-equivalent points (FHEQ level 7) which may count towards a Master’s level qualification.

For information on CATS points and credit transfer, including conversion to US academic credits and European academic credits (ECTS), please visit the CATS Points FAQ page.

Fees

Accredited study: £795.00
Non-accredited study: £460.00
Student rate (non-accredited Study): £345.00