Department of Life Science 生命科學系

Written by: Li Yan, Chen Yi-Hui

From August 12 to August 18, 2024, the Department of Life Sciences at our university's College of Science and the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of the Ryukyus conducted a joint English-language summer course. This year's course was taught and organized by Professor Liao Qi-Zheng, Associate Professor Chen Yi-Hui, and Assistant Professor Zeng Yi-Jie from our Department of Life Sciences. Students from the Department of Biology at the University of the Ryukyus were led by Professors Izawa Masako, Taden Tetsuro, and Assistant Professor Kobayashi Shun to attend classes in Taiwan. The field courses and presentations took place at Alibang Eco-Farm in New Taipei City. The course was designed to mix Taiwanese and Japanese students into groups and teach background knowledge on specific experimental topics. This year's theme was "The Effects of Habitat Ecological Factors on Plant Growth and Physiological Responses," exploring the relationship between environmental light, temperature, humidity, soil characteristics, and chlorophyll content and leaf morphology. The course involved field observations and data collection in groups, followed by data analysis, scientific drawing, and oral presentations, all conducted in English.
Course Flow
August 12 marked the first day of the course. Professor Liao Qi-Zheng, Associate Professor Chen Yi-Hui, Assistant Professor Zeng Yi-Jie, and course assistants and students each went to Taoyuan International Airport to greet their counterparts. After meeting the faculty and students from the Department of Biology at the University of the Ryukyus, group assignments were made, and members introduced themselves briefly. All participants took a tour bus to Tamsui Old Street, where they purchased dinner and snacks before heading to the Alibang Eco-Farm, the location for classes and fieldwork. Upon arrival, Alibang staff gave a brief introduction to the environment and safety precautions. That evening, all faculty and students gathered in the conference room for introductions and an overview of the upcoming course schedule. This course was designed to emphasize group-based learning, so the day's main activity focused on group members getting to know each other.

Group members introducing themselves (Photo by: Murakami Yuumi)

Teachers and students visiting Tamsui Old Street (Photo by: Chen Yi-Hui)

Alibang staff introducing the environment (Photo by: Zhang Qiao-Zhu)

All teachers and students introducing themselves in the conference room (Photo by: Li Yan)

Day 2 (August 13) officially began with Professor Liao Qi-Zheng explaining the differences in leaf morphology and environmental factors under varying light intensities, followed by an introduction to the main experimental process. Assistant Professor Zeng Yi-Jie then introduced the instruments used in the experiment, starting with the principles and operation of the CCM-200 plus for measuring relative chlorophyll content. The students then moved outdoors, guided by Professors Liao Qi-Zheng and Taden Tetsuro, to identify target plant species. Each group began marking plants, measuring relative chlorophyll content using the CCM-200 plus, and collecting leaf samples. After lunch, Professor Liao held a quiz session on the experimental plants, followed by Assistant Professor Zeng teaching students how to use ImageJ software to measure leaf length, width, area, and thickness, with all groups participating in hands-on practice.

Professor Liao Qi-Zheng teaching (Photo by: Li Yan)

Assistant Professor Zeng Yi-Jie teaching (Photo by: Taden Tetsuro)

Professor Taden Tetsuro instructing students on identification (Photo by: Higashi Teppei)

Groups marking plants and measuring chlorophyll content (Photo by: Higashi Teppei)

Professor Liao Qi-Zheng conducting a quiz on plants (Photo by: Higashi Teppei)

Assistant Professor Zeng Yi-Jie teaching leaf area calculation (Photo by: Zhang Qiao-Zhu)

Teachers and assistants checking each group's progress (Photo by: Murakami Yuumi)

Groups measuring leaf thickness (Photo by: Xu Zhi-Fan)

Day 3 (August 14) began with Assistant Professor Zeng Yi-Jie teaching students how to use microclimate measurement instruments. The students then moved outdoors to measure microclimate data, while the assistants used CCM300 and CCM-200 plus to measure absolute and relative chlorophyll content for subsequent data analysis. At 10 a.m., the group participated in a stream ecology exploration activity led by Alibang staff, who introduced aquatic organisms living in the stream. However, the weather changed abruptly, and a heavy rain shower drenched most of the group. Due to the weather, the afternoon schedule was adjusted, and Assistant Professor Zeng taught the principles of using a pulse meter and connecting it to a smartphone. Later, Professor Liao taught students how to use RStudio to calculate absolute chlorophyll content. As many students faced difficulties in coding and troubleshooting, teachers and assistants helped until late in the evening.

Assistant Professor Zeng Yi-Jie teaching microclimate measurement

Students measuring microclimate data (Photo by: Zeng Yi-Jie)

Assistants measuring absolute chlorophyll content with CCM300 (Photo by: Zeng Yi-Jie)

Alibang staff introducing aquatic organisms (Photo by: Li Yan)

Alibang staff introducing aquatic organisms (Photo by: Li Yan)

Professor Liao Qi-Zheng teaching RStudio data analysis (Photo by: Xu Zhi-Fan)

Teachers and assistants helping students until late at night (Photo by: Zeng Yi-Jie)

Day 4 (August 15) began with Professor Liao Qi-Zheng teaching methods to measure soil pH, temperature, and humidity, followed by hands-on practice with students measuring and recording the data. In the afternoon, groups prepared their results presentations. As students needed to integrate data for final presentation analysis, Assistant Professor Zeng and the assistants taught each group how to analyze the collected data and draw graphs. After dinner, each group prepared presentations on their results and collaborated on drafting their presentation slides, which were completed after much discussion.

Professor Liao Qi-Zheng teaching soil data collection methods (Photo by: Xu Zhi-Fan)

Groups practicing soil data measurement (Photo by: Xu Zhi-Fan)

Teachers checking each group's progress (Photo by: Li Yan)

Assistant Professor Zeng and assistants teaching data analysis (Photo by: Higashi Teppei)

Groups discussing final presentation content (Photo by: Xu Zhi-Fan)

Day 5 (August 16) was the last day of the course, during which groups delivered their oral presentations to all participants. Each group presented their results in English, followed by a Q&A session moderated by the professors. After a lunch break, the teachers and students engaged in lively academic exchanges, discussing questions raised during the presentations. The course concluded with the awarding of participation certificates and performance recognition, and the teachers hosted a farewell dinner in the evening.

Student groups presenting results (Photo by: Xu Zhi-Fan)

Teachers and students engaging in academic exchanges (Photo by: Xu Zhi-Fan)

Award ceremony (Photo by: Higashi Teppei)

Farewell dinner (Photo by: Higashi Teppei)

This course allows students to combine knowledge and practice, using scientific methods to solve problems in the field. It enhances their English communication skills and understanding of the academic field through international academic exchange and cooperation. In addition to knowledge acquisition, it promotes collaboration and deepens scientific research capabilities through group activities.