Here's a link to the published chapter that partly borrowed from this discussion:
http://www.igi-global.com/viewtitlesample.aspx?id=49258&ptid=41908&t=a+user+driven+learning+environment+in+botany On Tue, Oct 21, 2014 at 10:23 PM, Vijayasankar <vijay.botan...@gmail.com> wrote: > Thanks Rawat ji for the revisit and also for sharing the important > articles. > As Garg ji rightly said, our group has come a long way since then. > Here is a quick review of the eFI's efforts during the last five years: > https://groups.google.com/d/msg/indiantreepix/dur9PYh7QfU/8BFYXB3HTvAJ > > > Regards > > Vijayasankar > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > Vijayasankar Raman, Ph.D. > National Center for Natural Products Research > University of Mississippi > > On Tue, Oct 21, 2014 at 11:36 AM, J.M. Garg <jmga...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Thanks, Rawat ji, for bringing back five year old memories & discussions. >> Efloraofindia has come a long way since than. >> >> On 21 October 2014 21:46, D.S Rawat <drdsrawat.alpin...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> While going through some unread parts of eFI I found this discussion >>> interesting. Attaching two published documents- one by me and the other by >>> BSI to clarify their stand in this regard. >>> >>> On Friday, September 25, 2009 11:19:41 AM UTC+5:30, JM Garg wrote: >>>> >>>> Hi, Dr. Rawat ji & Dr. Madhav ji, >>>> There has been lot of discussion on your report & also before this. >>>> I am summarising only important aspects/ views for your kind perusal >>>> pl. so these are properly taken care of in your final report. >>>> Burning issue remains the creation of *e-flora of India & use of >>>> advance modern tools like 'Indiantreepix' e-group* *for achieving >>>> different goals, from the Approach suggested in your draft.* >>>> >>>> >>>> *1. From R. Vijayasankar, Systematic Botanist, National Herbarium of >>>> Medicinal Plants, Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions >>>> (FRLHT)[Centre of Excellence for Medicinal Plants & Traditional Knowledge], >>>> Bangalore-560 064, Mobile: 9448970441* >>>> >>>> Respected Prof. Madhav Gadgil Ji & Dr. G.S. Rawat, >>>> >>>> I wish to congratulate the Task Force team for preparing comprehensive >>>> recommendations for revitalization of BSI/ZSI. Thanks for circulating the >>>> draft report for public’s opinion. >>>> >>>> The recommendations are clear and complete. However, I (in fact >>>> thousands of botanists/ plant lovers) wish the following tasks to be given >>>> more emphasis as high priority tasks to be executed by BSI, with >>>> collaboration wherever possible: >>>> >>>> 1. An UPDATED ‘Checklist of Flowering Plants of India’ with ADEQUATE >>>> details should be published ONLINE without further delay. >>>> >>>> 2. Floras should also be published electronically (‘e-Flora of India’) >>>> and that should be comprehensive in nature and freely accessible to all. >>>> For this a dedicated task force, as also suggested by your team, should be >>>> set up with expert members from various institutions across the country, >>>> under the co-ordination/direction of BSI. To start with state/ regional >>>> e-Floras to be prepared/supported by BSI. These collectively can contribute >>>> for preparation of e-Flora of India. >>>> >>>> 3. A NATIONAL LEVEL electronic ‘Virtual Herbarium’ should be developed >>>> and REGULARLY updated. All Type specimens, in addition to others, of all >>>> Indian plants should be digitized and made accessible to the public. >>>> >>>> 4. Publication of the reputed ‘Bulletin of Botanical Survey of India’ >>>> should be regular and made ONLINE WITH FULL ACCESS. [Only electronic >>>> version of papers/articles to be accepted and hard prints (often several >>>> hard copies required by different journals) should NOT be accepted, as an >>>> effort towards conservation of trees and the environment (will other >>>> journals consider this too?)]. >>>> >>>> 5. There are many Ph.D. theses/ reports on district floras and >>>> revisionary works remain unpublished. These should be carefully updated and >>>> published. >>>> >>>> 6. Lastly, but importantly, the threat status of native plant species >>>> that are facing serious threat of extinction (1000-1500 spp.?) should be >>>> QUICKLY assessed in order to identify the PRIORITY species that require >>>> IMMEDIATE conservation action. >>>> >>>> *2. Rajesh Sachdev, Moderator, Indiantreepix * >>>> >>>> I fully support Vijayshankarji, specially on first two points which are >>>> much critical and have larger importance as well. >>>> >>>> >>>> 3. *From Dr. E S SANTHOSH KUMAR, Tropical Botanic Garden and Research >>>> Institute, Palode, Thiruvananthapuram-695562, Kerala, India* >>>> >>>> Kindly add my suggestion to the draft copy under the heading >>>> >>>> *Capacity building: district level scientific community and barefoot >>>> taxonomists* >>>> Establishment of a few Systematic Gardens associated with major >>>> research institutes/botanic gardens will be beneficial to the students of >>>> botany and these will cater their need as a ‘living text book’ for >>>> systematic study. Students/amateur botanist can be trained in these >>>> gardens. >>>> Many thanks >>>> >>>> 4. *From J.M.Garg, Co-ordinator 'Indiantreepix' e-group* >>>> >>>> "Flora and Fauna of India >>>> >>>> The primary mandate of the BSI/ZSI is to document the plant/ animal >>>> resources of the country. Hence an important focus of their activity would >>>> be to complete the Flora/ Fauna of India. India has produced a large number >>>> of fine taxonomists, many of whom work outside BSI/ZSI, e.g., universities, >>>> research organizations and as emeritus scientists. Therefore, it is >>>> important that BSI/ZSI now take on the role of coordinating and pooling >>>> the expertise of all the taxonomists including those working outside this >>>> organization to consolidate the Flora and Fauna of India volumes. This is >>>> particularly important because the local field biologists and experts who >>>> have spent a considerable amount of time in a particular geographical area >>>> can add tremendous information on habitat, associations, biogeography and >>>> population status. Floras/ Faunas written by the individuals having limited >>>> field knowledge, merely based on the museum/ herbarium specimens lack in >>>> such information. Coordinated work on Flora/ Fauna of India should also >>>> include all the works on various taxonomic groups done through AICOPTAX >>>> Project of MoEF. Such coordination would of course require a strong >>>> editorial board and a few full time dedicated executive secretaries. This >>>> should be achievable in 10 years and should figure out as Priority I in >>>> BSI/ZSI’s Vision 2020 document. This could be achieved in the following >>>> phases: >>>> i. Establish a panel of experienced and active taxonomists for >>>> each state and take their consent on participation in Flora / Fauna >>>> Project, >>>> ii. Prepare an annotated checklist of vascular plants and other >>>> taxa under consideration for each state / UTs based on all published >>>> documents and herbaria, giving local names, if any, locality and habitat, >>>> iii. Circulate the electronic version of checklists among the >>>> panel of botanists/ zoologists who would, in turn, check for omissions, >>>> ambiguities, localities and habitat through active consultation with other >>>> local botanists/ zoologists, >>>> iv. To begin with, state floras/ faunas should be published >>>> electronically giving correct names, basionyms, localities, habitat, >>>> sketches and photographs of important species preferably on an interactive >>>> ‘Flora/ Fauna of India Blog’. On this page all naturalists, photographers >>>> and biological artists should be encouraged to contribute information on >>>> taxonomy, distribution, natural history, biology, ethnobiology, etc. This >>>> will also act as an outreach programme for all the biologists. The >>>> ethnobiological surveys should be done mainly by the local biologists, >>>> college and university teachers, working with local Biodiversity Management >>>> Committees under technical guidance by BSI/ZSI. >>>> v. An editorial board may be constituted at the national level to >>>> decide the format of the flora/ fauna and also assign plant/ animal >>>> families for compilation which should include nomenclature, description, >>>> ecology, natural history, distribution, sketches and photographs." >>>> >>>> I am not clear what it means by ‘Flora/ Fauna of India Blog’ & seek >>>> Madhav ji's guidance in the matter particularly w.r.t the word Blog. Also >>>> it is not clear whether it will be accessible to all or not. I think any >>>> restriction on its access as far as its contents are concerned, should go >>>> away in view of the 'Approach' followed in the paper (as subsequently >>>> highlighted). While it is encouraging to see " To begin with, state >>>> floras/ faunas should be published electronically giving correct names, >>>> basionyms, localities, habitat, sketches and photographs of important >>>> species preferably on an interactive ‘Flora/ Fauna of India Blog’. " in >>>> the draft, there is hardly anything which talks of creating e-flora of >>>> India on the lines of e-flora of China & other neighbouring countries. I >>>> feel 'AICOPTAX Project' of MoEF should be sufficiently strengthened with a >>>> mandate for simultaneously creating of e-Flora/ e-Fauna of India on lines >>>> of e-Floras of different countries of the world. How to go about creating >>>> e-floras is evident at link: http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/ >>>> china/PDF/misc/eFloras_Taxon_55_188-192_2006.pdf >>>> >>>> This becomes all the more important as the report in its 'Approach' >>>> rightly talks of "......Finally, the culmination of evolution of >>>> artifacts to the present day Information and Communication Technology has >>>> brought us to the threshold of a tenth major transition: x] Language based >>>> human societies –to- Human societies with global access to the entire stock >>>> of human knowledge, and engaged in an endeavour of collaborative knowledge >>>> generation." This approach will remain an illusion until & unless we >>>> are able to create e-Flora/ e-Fauna of India which is accessible to all >>>> human community & appear in top 10 while searching as far as 'Indian >>>> species' are concerned. The need of the hour is to move fast in this >>>> regard, if India is to be visible on the world map. It is said that we have >>>> to refer to 'e-Flora of China', 'e-Flora of Pakistan' etc. when we search >>>> on net for information about any Indian plant species.We hardly find any >>>> inf. on search in our "......national networks like DBT’s India >>>> Biodiversity Information Network (IBIN) and NBA’s India Biodiversity >>>> Information System (IBIS)." as talked about in the report. >>>> >>>> Further if the dreams of its 'Approach' "......Finally, the >>>> culmination of evolution of artifacts to the present day Information and >>>> Communication Technology has brought us to the threshold of a tenth major >>>> transition: x] Language based human societies –to- Human societies with >>>> global access to the entire stock of human knowledge, and engaged in an >>>> endeavour of collaborative knowledge generation." are to be fulfilled >>>> in this e-age, it has to speak loudly about increasing participation & >>>> expertise in on-line community activities like those of 'Indiantreepix' >>>> google e-group, regarding which it is totally silent. Here information is >>>> shared on real time basis for the benefit of all stakeholders, minimising >>>> delays & fastening processes, following multi-disciplinary approach with >>>> membership from diverse background. This should also help in the process of >>>> constant learning in ones' career & creating passionate scientists/ >>>> taxonomists aided/ guided by other willing scientists/ taxonomists. This >>>> should also help in *"Capacity building: scientists"* & *"Capacity >>>> building: district level scientific community and barefoot taxonomists >>>> under "7)Human Resources"* >>>> >>>> >>>> *5. From Dr. Gurcharan Singh, Associate Professor, Department of >>>> Botany, SGTB Khalsa CollegeUniversity of Delhi, Delhi-110007:* >>>> >>>> I strongly feel that the vast information lying in hard covers of >>>> BSI/ZSI journals, publications, Fascicles of Flora of India, Flora of India >>>> volumes, has to come out on the internet so that we may not fend for >>>> information and identification, the Efloras of Pakistan, China, North >>>> America, etc. There is need for compilation of this information, and I feel >>>> there are numerous experts even outside BSI and ZSI who can collaborate. >>>> Our Eflora could be much more meaningful with links to authentic identified >>>> photographs of plants from India. We have huge databases of photographs on >>>> Indiantreepix, Flowers of India and several similar privately managed >>>> sites, which can be requested to collaborate and share their data. >>>> For ongoing research on Indian plants it is imperative have have >>>> our herbarium specimens (at least representative ones) and type specimens >>>> are scanned/photographed and uploaded as virtual herbarium in lines of >>>> Fairchild virtual herbarium, Kew virtual herbarium, Australian Virtual >>>> herbarium and Virtual herbarium of New York Botanical Garden. >>>> We have to open up if Indian research has to progress >>>> >>>> *6. From Sh. Prashant Awale, Moderator 'Indiantreepix':* >>>> >>>> I agree with the Dr Singh ji's view. Also, their has to be some >>>> mechanism to get in touch with experts from BSI so that we can share our >>>> experiences on flora of a particular region with them and it might turned >>>> out to be totally new finding. Many of us are frequently visiting various >>>> remote locations and information gathered on flora from these areas might >>>> turned out to be of some use to BSI. Some mechanism where by individuals / >>>> group can interact with BSI should be available. >>>> Already database like those of "Flowers of India" , "IndianTreePix" has >>>> come long way (Thanks to initiave by Mr Tabish Ji, Mr Garg Ji) as more and >>>> more enthusiastics from various field (Botanists, Nature lovers, Trekkers >>>> etc..) has contributed in some way or other. >>>> >>>> *7. Dr. Aparna Watve:* >>>> >>>> Dear All, >>>> Considering all the serious discussions going on so far on various >>>> identities, use of family names, I am so happy to realize how thisgroup is >>>> slowly maturing. People are discussing technical terms, use of correct >>>> family names, below species ranks and nomenclature- things which only the >>>> trained plant taxonomists bothered with. Owing to this I feel the need to >>>> talk about more use of standard floras and monographs which i had talked of >>>> in the past. Relying only on handbooks, which are generally region specific >>>> and can have only a limited number of species and descriptions as compared >>>> to our vast diversity of flora, is good for beginners. But at this stage, >>>> the serious ones on this group - and there are many- should devote time to >>>> library and referencing work- not from a single book (as it is not >>>> possible) but from various standard references and then form their >>>> opinion on identity of a species. In many cases the taxonomic >>>> literature is also influenced by varied opinions of the taxonomists and it >>>> is actually fun to read how some plant species have baffled generations of >>>> plantwatchers. >>>> >>>> *8. Dr. Gurcharan Singh:* >>>> >>>> Aparna ji, >>>> You have initiated a very valuable topic for the sake of our group and >>>> the National Flora. While there is need for nomenclatural and identity >>>> uniformity at India level and regional level, unfortunately very little has >>>> recently been done at national level, some very good regional publications >>>> have come up for us to bank upon, discuss and arrive at a meaningful >>>> conclusion. Science today is dynamic process, and it does not take a minute >>>> for new information to reach www, for all of us to benefit from. It needs a >>>> lot of time for a national compilation to come up. >>>> >>>> But then there is a catch. There is also lot of wrong information >>>> flying around on the internet, but with so many able minded and sincere >>>> people around, we can (and have been) sieve the right information. >>>> >>>> *9. Janaki Turaga, member 'Indiantreepix'* >>>> >>>> Dear Aparna, >>>> For a majority of people: it is the question of access. From where does >>>> one have access to all these monographs, of which many of us are not even >>>> aware of? >>>> Unless someone lists all the monographs and other related works and >>>> puts them up for access on the internet which is accessible to all the >>>> people in the group. >>>> In absence of accessible knowledge, the key source of information are >>>> the fieldguides which are accessible in the lay public domain. >>>> And some internet sites which are maintained by people who are deeply >>>> interested in the areas. >>>> Interest groups like this group rely mainly on fieldguides, some good >>>> internet sites and very importantly-peers who have built their interest to >>>> a very high level and some professionals/subject specialists who sustain >>>> the group. I have learnt a lot from the peers in all the groups that I am a >>>> member of. >>>> We all would like to take things ahead, but we should have the >>>> awareness of and access to these resource. >>>> The issue is that of access and knowledge of the monographs etc. >>>> If some of the subject specialists in this group who do have access to >>>> these resources, can make them available to the rest of the group, then I >>>> feel a majority of people will benefit. >>>> Janaki Turaga >>>> >>>> *10. Dr. Rakesh Biswas:* >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *Quoting Rashida: serious reference work one should do in a library. I >>>> feel no amount of links and material available on the internet can really >>>> at this stage, substitute the research work one needs to carry out from >>>> acknowledged authors, volumes of flora of a state or region, wealth of >>>> India volumes, and related articals in magazines and scientifc journals.* >>>> I wonder if the problem could be simply solved by transferring all the >>>> libraries into a web space as most web based user driven learning activists >>>> are engaged in doing? >>>> >>>> Quoting from the first chapter in this book (which also contains a >>>> subsequent chapter contributed by members of Indiantreepix): >>>> http://www.igi-global.com/requests/details.asp?ID=657 >>>> >>>> Traditionally libraries have been considered as temples of learning and >>>> an important requirement for a library user is ‘silence’ which in effect >>>> means that the individual user needs to imbibe whatever learning available >>>> on his/her own from books or whatever other media available. >>>> >>>> However in such an isolated learning environment, the single individual >>>> has no access to a second opinion from another person, no access to a >>>> complementary perspective, or external critique, neither does the single >>>> individual have any chance to get complementary literature from anyone >>>> which might have a different reference library. Given this, there is not >>>> much social interaction in this kind of traditional learning environment. >>>> (Wiberg 2007) >>>> >>>> However in modern libraries it is able to break past this ‘silence’ >>>> barrier where the library user predominantly browses an electronic >>>> information network rather than a paper based disconnected media. >>>> >>>> Unfortunately, this advantage of the modern library is under utilized >>>> as even systems for online universities, or distance education may not have >>>> adequate support or encouragement for social interaction. Most of these >>>> systems assume a centralized communication model in which the learning >>>> peers (i.e. the students) mostly communicate with one central peer (i.e. a >>>> mentor or advisor). This leads in many cases to communication related to >>>> the structure rather than the content of an online education and does not >>>> support spontaneous, creative social learning processes. (Wiberg 2007) >>>> >>>> What it is to be knowledgeable can be defined either in terms of how >>>> much one person has read and learned in isolation, or how knowledgeable a >>>> particular person is about different threads to grasp in order to gain >>>> access to other peers in different social networks. The latter concept >>>> pinpoints the social dimension of learning processes, the social >>>> interaction setting, and goes back to a Socratic understanding of knowledge >>>> gaining through conversations and argumentations with others. >>>> >>>> Learning schools are redirecting the focus from what has been labeled >>>> “traditional computer-based learning environments” towards user-driven >>>> learning networks supported by social internet based applications. The >>>> assumption that computer-mediated learning will occur in the classroom, >>>> managed by a teacher, is now being challenged, not by schools and >>>> educational software developers, but by the consumer growth of personal >>>> technologies. (Sharples 2002) >>>> >>>> *11. Dr. Gurcharan Singh:* >>>> >>>> The main topic of discussion here is whether the huge wealth of >>>> research information lying in libraries of major Universities, BSI/ZSI is >>>> available to the average plant lover are not. Agreed serious researchers >>>> need libraries to work, but we are talking of taking knowledge to the >>>> general public and what is the best means of making information available >>>> to them. I have several volumes of Flora of Pakistan, a few of Flora of >>>> India, but please search through your libraries and let me know how many >>>> have all volumes of Flora of India published by BSI, how many have volumes >>>> Pakistan Flora, and more importantly Flora of China, which has so many >>>> plants common with our flora. Contrary to this I can sitting in Delhi, >>>> California or anywhere else have access to Efloras, and can identify my >>>> plants. >>>> We are aiming to take information to the common man, and www is the >>>> best medium for that. >>>> But as I wrote earlier, there is some misinformation on the internet, >>>> but there are then also meanins of sieving it. This group has proved that >>>> many a times. >>>> There are many important researchers active in BSI/ZSI and different >>>> Universities. But the important question is have we all benefitted from >>>> that?. WWW is there to pupularise that. Today if I have to find any new >>>> research and development in Taxonomy I browse APWeb and always find >>>> something new. >>>> -- >>>> With regards, >>>> J.M.Garg (jmga...@gmail.com) >>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jmgarg1 >>>> 'Creating awareness of Indian Flora & Fauna' >>>> Image Resource of thousands of my images of Birds, Butterflies, Flora >>>> etc. (arranged alphabetically & place-wise): >>>> http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:J.M.Garg >>>> For learning about Indian Flora, visit/ join Google e-group- >>>> Indiantreepix:http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix?hl=en >>>> >>>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "efloraofindia" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to indiantreepix+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> To post to this group, send email to indiantreepix@googlegroups.com. >>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> With regards, >> J.M.Garg >> >> 'Creating awareness of Indian Flora & Fauna' >> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jmgarg1> >> The whole world uses my Image Resource >> <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:J.M.Garg> of more than a >> thousand species & eight thousand images of Birds, Butterflies, Plants etc. >> (arranged alphabetically & place-wise). You can also use them for free as >> per Creative Commons license attached with each image. >> >> For identification, learning, discussion & documentation of Indian Flora, >> please visit/ join our Efloraofindia Google e-group >> <https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/indiantreepix> (largest in the >> world- more than 2400 members & 2,00,000 messages on 9.9.14) or Efloraofindia >> website <https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/> (with a species >> database of more than 10,000 species & 2,00,000 images). Winner of >> Wipro-NFS Sparrow Awards 2014 for efloraofindia >> <https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/award-for-efloraofindia>. >> >> Also author of 'A Photoguide to the Birds of Kolkata & Common Birds of >> India'. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "efloraofindia" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to indiantreepix+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> To post to this group, send email to indiantreepix@googlegroups.com. >> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to indiantreepix+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to indiantreepix@googlegroups.com. 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