Aquaponic in classrooms as a tool to promote system thinking

Ranka JungeZurich University of Applied Sciences, Waedenswil , ranka.junge@zhaw.ch

Sandra WilhelmUrs Hofstetter

Andreas Graber

2nd Scientix Conference

BRUSSELS, 24-26 OCTOBER 2014

Institute of Natural Resource Sciences

Biological farming

Ecological engineering

Integrative ecology

Landscape and tourism

Urban Greening

www.iunr.zhaw.ch

What is Aquaponics?

DISADVANTAGES

X Fish and plant knowledge required

X Complex system requires considerable expertise

BENEFITS

Nutrient utilization

Low water consumption

Plant production in addition to fish

Aquaculture

Hydroponics

Aquaponics – how does it work?

cleaned water

«fish water»

Fresh waterFish feed

Fish harvest Tomato harvest

Evapotranspiration

(Fish sludge)

Hydroponic with LECA

Rainwater

FishfodderFish (Perca fluviatilis)

Irrigation

Aquaponics Lab1 at ZHAW: established 2004

3 separate RAS systems of 4 m3 each

3 separate Hydroponic systems with 3 subsystems each

Research group on Aquaculture & Aquaponics

www.aquaponic.ch andreas.graber@zhaw.ch

Aquaponics Lab2 at ZHAW: established 2013

UF001 LokDepot: the world’s first Aquaponic

rooftop farm with commercial purpose

Foto: Raphi See

25.10.2014 UrbanFarmers AG 8

Which topics can Aquaponics contribute to science education?

• Fish culture: tank layout, technology, learn skills how to build your own aquarium

• Fish biology & physiology

• Vegetable growing: compare garden/soil with aquaponic/fishwater

• Plant physiology

• Chemical water monitoring & System control, Lab-Journal

• Nutrient balance: What did we produce with the fish feed?

• Energy balance of the system

• Biological pest control: predator-prey dynamics, predator insects against aphids & bugs

• System control: Oxygen, pH, temperature, pumps

• Kitchen: how to prepare this home-grown food?

• Business: calculate production costs

• Compare home-grown with market: survey what do we eat, at what price? Source of this food?

• ARTS: upgrade the BOX with soul! Express your impressions with sculptures

• AND, AND, AND ….

Aquaponic systems in educational set-up

• Small: Classroom Aquaponic

• Medium: Urban Farmers Box

• Large: Pilot-scale system / Research Plant

Requirements for Aquaponic Systems: I. Research (applied and basic)

Requirements for Aquaponic Systems: II. University Teaching (Bsc, MSc, PhD)

Requirements for Aquaponic Systems: III. Education (K1-12), VET Training,

Communication

Play with Water: Introducing Ecological Engineering to Primary Schools to Increase

Interest and Understanding of Natural Sciences

General sheme of classroom aquaponic

(modified after Albin and Bamert, 2005)

UrbanFarmers BOX

© Urban Farmers 2011

UF Box – educational setup

Zürich International School: students gave each of the 50 fish a name…

Introducing Aquaponic in VET: Tools, Teaching Units, and Teacher Training

• Development of new VET (vocational education and training) profession „Aquaponic Urban Farmer“

• Transfer of aquaponic technology into VET in Switzerland, Slovenia, Italy)

• Transfer of teaching units into VET in different countries (languages: English, German, Slovenian, Italian)

• Adaption of training resources and support of the training of VET teachers/trainers

• Piloting of the training modules for „Aquaponic Farmers“ qualification in Switzerland, Slovenia, and Italy

UF-System at Strickhof, (CH)

Aquaponic Units at Vocational Schools

Aquaponic at BC Naklo (SI)

Aquaponic Units at Vocational Schools

ISSIS Domenico Sartor, (IT)

Aquaponic Units at Vocational Schools

Culturing live plants, harvesting

Plant physiology

Pleasure – fresh & tasty, and your own

Cooking! Food! Qualitytrust your senses: smell, bite, taste…

Aquaponic & System thinking: Pilot teaching in Zürich

• School situated in agglomeration of Zurich

• 7th grade (12-14 years), 3 classes

• Total 68 pupils, 32 female, 36 male

• Language: all native german speakers

• Pupils: above average– Concluded 5th grade with an average mark of 5 (from 6) in german,

mathematics and natural sciences

– were used to autonomous work

– Demonstrated consistent ability and general interests in different issues

Evaluation of System Thinking

The pre- and post test:

A short story about a farmer and his life was outlined.

„Why did the farmer put the manure on his fields?“

The pupils answered with a drawing and / or a description of the reasons.

Eintrittstest

Oftmals, an schön lauschigen Frühlingstagen auf dem Land, wenn die Fenster offen stehen und die

Vögel ihre Frühlingsmelodien ausprobieren, schleicht ein nicht ganz angenehmer Duft durch die

offenen Fenster ins Haus. „Nein, muss das denn sein!“, ruft die Mutter entrüstet aus, „Kann der das

nicht woanders tun?! Schnell, hilf mir die Wäsche nach drinnen zu bringen, sonst beginnt sie zu

stinken!“. Was ist geschehen? Der Bauer Abacher hat wieder einmal seine Gülle und seinen Mist auf

die Felder gebracht. Jetzt zieht der unangenehme Jaucheduft durchs Dorf und lässt die Bewohner

durch den Mund atmen, um den Gestank nicht in die Nase zu bekommen.

Wieso macht der Bauer das? Welche Gründe hat er, die Gülle und den Mist auszufahren?

Skizziere und beschreibe die obige Frage auf die Rückseite dieses Blattes. Schreibe auch deinen

Namen auf das Blatt.

Method Bollmann – Zuberbühler to evaluate the answers of pre- and post test

4 indices were determined in the drawings:

• Delineation of the system („Darstellungstyp“)

• Complexity index („Komplexitätsindex“)

• Interrelation index („Vernetzungsindex“)

• Structure index („Strukturindex“)

These allow a comparison of the drawings from the pre- and post test. It is a qualitative method with quantitative results.

Bollmann-Zuberbuehler, B. (2005) Lernwirksamkeitsstudie zum systemischen Denken an der Sekundarstufe I, Lizentiatsarbeit an der Philosophischen Fakultaet der Universität Zuerich, Psychologisches Institut.

The delineation of systems became more complex in the post-test

Two examples of students’ answer to the question: “Why did the farmer put manure on his field?” Left: scenic representation from the pre-test, right: net diagram from the post-test.

Complexity of answers increased

Complexity Index (KI) == variables + arrows + chain of events + junction + feedback loops

Interconnection Index (VI) == 2 x arrows / variables

Structure Index (SI) = = (chains of events + junctions + feedback loops) / variables

Teachers conclusions: Pro and contra classroom aquaponic

Advantages

• Training in system thinking

• Training in scientific working and monitoring

• Training in planning, and implementing this plan

• Dealing with complexity

• Develop teamwork and possibility of social contact

• Independent working increases the self-esteem

• Transfer of knowledge into other school subjects

• Contact with fish and plants

Disadvantages

• Additional costs

• Some material, which is not easily available

• Additional work: Preparation, construction and maintenance of aquaponic

Links & some sourcesWASTEWATERRESOURCE Project: www.play-with-water.ch

AQUA-VET Project: http://project.zhaw.ch/de/science/aquavet.html

Research Group Ecotechnology: http://lsfm.zhaw.ch/de/science/institute-zentren/iunr-ecologicalengineering/oekotechnologie.html

Bollmann-Zuberbuehler, B., Frischknecht-Tobler, U., Kunz P., Nagel U. & Wilhelm Hamiti, S. (2010) Systemdenken foerdern: Systemtraining und Unterrichtsreihen zum vernetzten Denken: 1.-9. Schuljahr. Published by Schulverlag plus, Bern. 94 Pp. ISBN: 978-3-292-00628-8.

Graber, A. & Junge-Berberovic, R. (2009) Aquaponic Systems: Nutrient recycling from fish wastewater by vegetable production. Desalination 246:147–156. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2008.03.048

Hofstetter, U. (2008) Aquaponic im Unterricht, Diploma thesis ZHAW, unpublished.

Nagel, U. & Wilhelm Hamiti, S. (2008): Komplexitaet erproben und erleben - Elemente einer Didaktik des systemischen Denkens, http://www.umweltbildung.at/cgi-bin/cms/af.pl? contentid=10415, (07.07.2014).

Ossimitz, G. (2000): Entwicklung systemischen Denkens. Theoretische Konzepte und empirische Untersuchungen, Profil Verlag, München Wien.