Toddi Steelman | University of Saskatchewan (original) (raw)

Papers by Toddi Steelman

Analyses of public natural resource governance in the United States have traditionally been viewe... more Analyses of public natural resource governance in the United States have traditionally been viewed as a principal-agent problem: the behavior of administrative bureaucracies to secure power and resources, and the structures, processes, and strategies to control and limit discretion of the administrative state by civil society. Over the past 20 years, the roles of non-governmental actors in US public resource governance, especially at the subnational level, have increased and evolved to the point where many lines that historically separated public, private, and civic sectors have blurred. The purpose of this paper is to examine this governance change through three analytical lenses: Collaborative Public Management, Adaptive Governance, and New Institutionalism. Each lens offers a framework of understanding and explaining certain aspects of public resource governance; collectively, the lenses provide analytical power beyond what any single lens could provide. The Collaborative Public ...

Sustainability Science

Transdisciplinary researchers collaborate with diverse partners outside of academia to tackle sus... more Transdisciplinary researchers collaborate with diverse partners outside of academia to tackle sustainability problems. The patterns and practices of social interaction and the contextual nature of transdisciplinary research result in different performance expectations than traditional, curiosity-driven research. Documenting patterns of interaction can inform project success and affirm progress toward interim outcomes on the way to achieve sustainability impacts. Yet providing credible and robust indicators of research activity remains challenging. We provide quantitative and qualitative indicators for assessing transdisciplinary practices and patterns through social network analysis (SNA). Our assessment developed four criteria to reveal how SNA metrics provide insight into (1) diversity of participants; (2) whether and how integration and collaboration are occurring, (3) the relative degrees of network stability and fragility, and (4) how the network is structured to achieve its go...

Perspectives on Public Management and Governance

The application of network perspectives and methods to study complex problem and policy domains h... more The application of network perspectives and methods to study complex problem and policy domains has proliferated in the public management literature. Network metrics are highly sensitive to boundary decisions as findings are a direct reflection of who and what was considered to be part of the network. The more complex the problem domain, the messier the network and the more challenging it is for researchers to determine network boundaries. Laumann, Marsden, and Prensky's seminal (1989) article on network bounding highlighted the theoretical and methodological significance associated with determinations of network boundaries in social network research. However, despite an expansion of network scholarship, the advancement of frameworks aimed at assisting scholars in thinking through the relative advantages and disadvantages of different boundary determinations has received limited attention. This article addresses this gap. Drawing insights from three network studies, we argue that problem domain characteristics and concerns such as formal structures, isolates, disconnected subgroups and/or the duration of the ties will be differentially emphasized with different boundary approaches. We leverage these insights to advance a framework for aiding network scholars working in complex problem domains to consider the strengths and limitations of varied bounding approaches in relation to the question at hand.

Landscape Ecology

Context Consideration of human-environment dimensions of wildfire make ecosystem services (ES) a ... more Context Consideration of human-environment dimensions of wildfire make ecosystem services (ES) a useful framework for understanding wildfire challenges and devising viable management strategies. Scientific literature on wildfire and ES is growing rapidly, but connections are disparate and evolving. Objectives We review relationships between mountain wildfire and a comprehensive list of 50 relevant ES informed by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Our conceptual framework is used to evaluate underlying mechanisms and the direction and scale of wildfire impacts on ES. Methods We focus the review on the Colorado Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, one of the best-studied landscapes in the world for understanding fire-ES relationships and evaluating how regional differences contribute to broader understanding of ES globally. We begin our review by considering key relationships, followed by a structured literature search of wildfire impacts with tabulated trends and findings. Results Key findings from the review: (1) current fire regimes mostly have negative impacts on ES, with some positive effects on cultural services, (2) changes to vegetation composition and structure are the most common mechanism, (3) mechanisms acting at local and landscape scales impact ES at broader scales, (4) intermediate services warrant attention and management resources, and (5) regional differences may provide opportunities for stronger global synthesis. Conclusions Familiarity with landscape legacies, current land use practices, and stakeholder values uniquely positions landscape ecologists to contribute to future studies of wildfire-ES connections. A framework that considers the complete suite of ES can guide researchers to seek collaborations that more completely characterize their regions. Keywords Human dimensions Á Environmental/ ecological mechanisms Á Scales of mechanisms Á Scales of impact Á Intermediate services Á Cultural services Á Landscape legacy Á ES gradient of transformation Á Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) Á Colorado Front Range

International Journal of Wildland Fire

The United States’ National Cohesive Wildfire Management Strategy aims to achieve greater social ... more The United States’ National Cohesive Wildfire Management Strategy aims to achieve greater social and ecological resilience to wildfire. It also raises the question: cohesive for whom and for what purpose? In this article, we address the wildfire response goal and what a cohesive response means. Namely, we define a cohesive response as the ability to co-manage across scales for a more effective wildfire response. Our approach is grounded in the reality of the growing complexity of wildfire – both biophysically and socio-politically. We suggest that suppression and fire operations are necessary, but insufficient in the face of this growing complexity as we seek safer and effective wildfire response. Using network-based concepts and drawing from the literature on socio-ecological resilience, we consider how scales can be matched, what can and should be communicated across scales, and what this means for creating more adaptable institutions for more effective wildfire response. Survey r...

Sustainability Science

A challenge for transdisciplinary sustainability science is learning how to bridge diverse worldv... more A challenge for transdisciplinary sustainability science is learning how to bridge diverse worldviews among collaborators in respectful ways. A temptation in transdisciplinary work is to focus on improving scientific practices rather than engage research partners in spaces that mutually respect how we learn from each other and set the stage for change. We used the concept of Nicolescu's "Hidden Third" to identify and operationalize this transformative space, because it focused on bridging "objective" and "subjective" worldviews through art. Between 2014 and 2017, we explored the engagement of indigenous peoples from three inland delta regions in Canada and as a team of interdisciplinary scholars and students who worked together to better understand long-term social-ecological change in those regions. In working together, we identified five characteristics associated with respectful, transformative transdisciplinary space. These included (1) establishing an unfiltered safe place where (2) subjective and objective experiences and (3) different world views could come together through (4) interactive and (5) multiple sensory experiences. On the whole, we were more effective in achieving characteristics 2-5-bringing together the subjective and objective experiences, where different worldviews could come together-than in achieving characteristic 1-creating a truly unfiltered and safe space for expression. The novelty of this work is in how we sought to change our own engagement practices to advance sustainability rather than improving scientific techniques. Recommendations for sustainability scientists working in similar contexts are provided.

The American Review of Public Administration

There is significant debate about the appropriate governance structure in a disaster response. Co... more There is significant debate about the appropriate governance structure in a disaster response. Complex disasters exhibit both networked and hierarchical characteristics. One challenge in the field of disaster management is how to structure a response that reconciles the need for centralized coordination among varied responders while retaining flexibility to mutually adjust operations to quickly changing conditions. A key question with both practical and theoretical relevance is, “are there patterns of relationships that are more robust, efficient and effective?” Missing from the current literature is empirical evidence and theory building concerning what actual network structures and characteristics might be associated with effective incident response to complex disasters. In this article, we collected network cognition data from 25 elite, Type 1 Incident Commanders to construct an ideal-type theoretical social network of an effective incident response network. We then analyzed this...

Ecology and Society, 2016

There are fundamental spatial and temporal disconnects between the specific policies that have be... more There are fundamental spatial and temporal disconnects between the specific policies that have been crafted to address our wildfire challenges. The biophysical changes in fuels, wildfire behavior, and climate have created a new set of conditions for which our wildfire governance system is poorly suited to address. To address these challenges, a reorientation of goals is needed to focus on creating an anticipatory wildfire governance system focused on social and ecological resilience. Key characteristics of this system could include the following: (1) not taking historical patterns as givens; (2) identifying future social and ecological thresholds of concern; (3) embracing diversity/heterogeneity as principles in ecological and social responses; and (4) incorporating learning among different scales of actors to create a scaffolded learning system.

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2016

If citing, it is advised that you check and use the publisher's definitive version for pagination... more If citing, it is advised that you check and use the publisher's definitive version for pagination, volume/issue, and date of publication details. And where the final published version is provided on the Research Portal, if citing you are again advised to check the publisher's website for any subsequent corrections.

This proceedings contains articles, posters, and abstracts of presentations from the second Human... more This proceedings contains articles, posters, and abstracts of presentations from the second Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire Conference held 27-29 April 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. The conference covered the social issues at the root of wildland fire management's most serious challenges. Specific topics included: firefighter and public safety; social acceptance of fuels treatments; community and homeowner fire hazard mitigation; public responses during fires and fire-related evacuations; fire communication and education; and the performance of fire management organizations-from operational efficiency to cost management and from community relations to risk management. The conference included 59 presentations, three special sessions, and nine poster presentations. Conference attendees included fire researchers and wildland fire management practitioners from the United

Hunting has shaped the history of wildlife conservation, but research exploring the relationship ... more Hunting has shaped the history of wildlife conservation, but research exploring the relationship between hunting and conservation is new. A decline in the popularity of hunting has spurred research on hunting participation and recruitment, but less is known about how hunting influences societal negotiation of the appropriate roles for humans and wildlife. We addressed this need with a personally administered survey to 320 college students at North Carolina State University (NCSU). The survey sampled 17 courses in eight of the nine colleges at NCSU with 100% compliance rate. Hunters were more likely to view wildlife in utilitarian, dominionistic, and naturalistic ways than non-hunters who tended to view wildlife in moralistic, humanistic, and symbolic ways. Women were more likely to view wildlife in moralistic and humanistic ways than men who tended to view wildlife in utilitarian and scientific ways. Religious respondents were more likely to view wildlife in utilitarian ways than non-religious respondents who tended to view wildlife in scientific and humanistic ways. Non-hunters overestimated the importance of hunting for sport and understated the importance of collecting meat and managing wildlife as motivations for hunters. Hunters overestimated the importance of animal rights as a key motivation for not hunting among non-hunters. These results provide preliminary guidance for tailoring college level wildlife education materials based on hunting participation, religion, and gender. Such efforts could help correct misconceptions regarding motivations for hunting and choosing not to hunt among society's future decision makers.

Masters project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Environmen... more Masters project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Environmental Management degree in the

Living with fire is a challenge for human communities because they are influenced by socio-econom... more Living with fire is a challenge for human communities because they are influenced by socio-economic, political, ecological and climatic processes at various spatial and temporal scales. Over the course of 2 days, the authors discussed how communities could live with fire challenges at local, national and transnational scales. Exploiting our diverse, international and interdisciplinary expertise, we outline generalizable properties of fire-adaptive communities in varied settings where cultural knowledge of fire is rich and diverse. At the national scale, we discussed policy and management challenges for countries that have diminishing fire knowledge, but for whom global climate change will bring new fire problems. Finally, we assessed major fire challenges that transcend national political boundaries, including the health burden of smoke plumes and the climate consequences of wildfires. It is clear that to best address the broad range of fire problems, a holistic wildfire scholarship...

Journal of Forestry, 2016

As fire management agencies seek to implement more flexible fire management strategies, local und... more As fire management agencies seek to implement more flexible fire management strategies, local understanding and support for these strategies become increasingly important. One issue associated with implementing more flexible fire management strategies is educating local populations about fire management and identifying what local populations know or do not know related to fire management. This study used survey data from three 2010 wildland fires to understand how ecological knowledge and education level affected fire management perception and understanding. Results indicated that increased accuracy in identifying ecological conditions was associated with higher proficiencies in the identification of fire management strategies used for wildfires. Education levels were not significantly related to public perception of fire management but were related to significant differences in accurately identifying ecological conditions. Results suggest that education may play a mediating role in understanding complex wildfire issues but is not associated with a better understanding of fire management.

Multi-institutional approaches to graduate education continue to emerge as a way to better prepar... more Multi-institutional approaches to graduate education continue to emerge as a way to better prepare students for collaborative work. In this article, we describe a graduate course designed to investigate application of conservation biology principles by local land use planners. "Where is Conservation Science in Local Planning?" was offered jointly by three institutions and integrated inquiry-guided, collaborative, and computer-mediated learning. Participants collaborated across universities to investigate this question and create products based on their work, including a presentation and two peer-reviewed manuscripts. We used a wiki for brainstorming and collaborative writing, a virtual classroom for work meetings, and video conferencing for building community and making complex decisions. Pre-and post-course questionnaires were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the course for improving skills in collaboration, use of collaborative technologies, and subject-area knowledge. Student development mirrored those areas where learning was required to consistently support class-wide activities. Students reported that they gained knowledge about collaboration, increased their mastery of communication skills and use of collaborative technologies, and gained knowledge about course subject matter. Students did not indicate significant changes in knowledge or activities related to leadership. Participants gained a fuller understanding of the benefits-collective creativity and enhanced accountability-and drawbacks-time required to build relationships and engage in deliberation-of collaborative research. Faculty participants suggest that future offerings continue to follow an inquiry-guided, collaborative learning approach using similar collaborative technologies, but include more explicit guidance about leadership and attempt to generate a smaller number of products.

Analyses of public natural resource governance in the United States have traditionally been viewe... more Analyses of public natural resource governance in the United States have traditionally been viewed as a principal-agent problem: the behavior of administrative bureaucracies to secure power and resources, and the structures, processes, and strategies to control and limit discretion of the administrative state by civil society. Over the past 20 years, the roles of non-governmental actors in US public resource governance, especially at the subnational level, have increased and evolved to the point where many lines that historically separated public, private, and civic sectors have blurred. The purpose of this paper is to examine this governance change through three analytical lenses: Collaborative Public Management, Adaptive Governance, and New Institutionalism. Each lens offers a framework of understanding and explaining certain aspects of public resource governance; collectively, the lenses provide analytical power beyond what any single lens could provide. The Collaborative Public ...

Sustainability Science

Transdisciplinary researchers collaborate with diverse partners outside of academia to tackle sus... more Transdisciplinary researchers collaborate with diverse partners outside of academia to tackle sustainability problems. The patterns and practices of social interaction and the contextual nature of transdisciplinary research result in different performance expectations than traditional, curiosity-driven research. Documenting patterns of interaction can inform project success and affirm progress toward interim outcomes on the way to achieve sustainability impacts. Yet providing credible and robust indicators of research activity remains challenging. We provide quantitative and qualitative indicators for assessing transdisciplinary practices and patterns through social network analysis (SNA). Our assessment developed four criteria to reveal how SNA metrics provide insight into (1) diversity of participants; (2) whether and how integration and collaboration are occurring, (3) the relative degrees of network stability and fragility, and (4) how the network is structured to achieve its go...

Perspectives on Public Management and Governance

The application of network perspectives and methods to study complex problem and policy domains h... more The application of network perspectives and methods to study complex problem and policy domains has proliferated in the public management literature. Network metrics are highly sensitive to boundary decisions as findings are a direct reflection of who and what was considered to be part of the network. The more complex the problem domain, the messier the network and the more challenging it is for researchers to determine network boundaries. Laumann, Marsden, and Prensky's seminal (1989) article on network bounding highlighted the theoretical and methodological significance associated with determinations of network boundaries in social network research. However, despite an expansion of network scholarship, the advancement of frameworks aimed at assisting scholars in thinking through the relative advantages and disadvantages of different boundary determinations has received limited attention. This article addresses this gap. Drawing insights from three network studies, we argue that problem domain characteristics and concerns such as formal structures, isolates, disconnected subgroups and/or the duration of the ties will be differentially emphasized with different boundary approaches. We leverage these insights to advance a framework for aiding network scholars working in complex problem domains to consider the strengths and limitations of varied bounding approaches in relation to the question at hand.

Landscape Ecology

Context Consideration of human-environment dimensions of wildfire make ecosystem services (ES) a ... more Context Consideration of human-environment dimensions of wildfire make ecosystem services (ES) a useful framework for understanding wildfire challenges and devising viable management strategies. Scientific literature on wildfire and ES is growing rapidly, but connections are disparate and evolving. Objectives We review relationships between mountain wildfire and a comprehensive list of 50 relevant ES informed by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Our conceptual framework is used to evaluate underlying mechanisms and the direction and scale of wildfire impacts on ES. Methods We focus the review on the Colorado Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, one of the best-studied landscapes in the world for understanding fire-ES relationships and evaluating how regional differences contribute to broader understanding of ES globally. We begin our review by considering key relationships, followed by a structured literature search of wildfire impacts with tabulated trends and findings. Results Key findings from the review: (1) current fire regimes mostly have negative impacts on ES, with some positive effects on cultural services, (2) changes to vegetation composition and structure are the most common mechanism, (3) mechanisms acting at local and landscape scales impact ES at broader scales, (4) intermediate services warrant attention and management resources, and (5) regional differences may provide opportunities for stronger global synthesis. Conclusions Familiarity with landscape legacies, current land use practices, and stakeholder values uniquely positions landscape ecologists to contribute to future studies of wildfire-ES connections. A framework that considers the complete suite of ES can guide researchers to seek collaborations that more completely characterize their regions. Keywords Human dimensions Á Environmental/ ecological mechanisms Á Scales of mechanisms Á Scales of impact Á Intermediate services Á Cultural services Á Landscape legacy Á ES gradient of transformation Á Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) Á Colorado Front Range

International Journal of Wildland Fire

The United States’ National Cohesive Wildfire Management Strategy aims to achieve greater social ... more The United States’ National Cohesive Wildfire Management Strategy aims to achieve greater social and ecological resilience to wildfire. It also raises the question: cohesive for whom and for what purpose? In this article, we address the wildfire response goal and what a cohesive response means. Namely, we define a cohesive response as the ability to co-manage across scales for a more effective wildfire response. Our approach is grounded in the reality of the growing complexity of wildfire – both biophysically and socio-politically. We suggest that suppression and fire operations are necessary, but insufficient in the face of this growing complexity as we seek safer and effective wildfire response. Using network-based concepts and drawing from the literature on socio-ecological resilience, we consider how scales can be matched, what can and should be communicated across scales, and what this means for creating more adaptable institutions for more effective wildfire response. Survey r...

Sustainability Science

A challenge for transdisciplinary sustainability science is learning how to bridge diverse worldv... more A challenge for transdisciplinary sustainability science is learning how to bridge diverse worldviews among collaborators in respectful ways. A temptation in transdisciplinary work is to focus on improving scientific practices rather than engage research partners in spaces that mutually respect how we learn from each other and set the stage for change. We used the concept of Nicolescu's "Hidden Third" to identify and operationalize this transformative space, because it focused on bridging "objective" and "subjective" worldviews through art. Between 2014 and 2017, we explored the engagement of indigenous peoples from three inland delta regions in Canada and as a team of interdisciplinary scholars and students who worked together to better understand long-term social-ecological change in those regions. In working together, we identified five characteristics associated with respectful, transformative transdisciplinary space. These included (1) establishing an unfiltered safe place where (2) subjective and objective experiences and (3) different world views could come together through (4) interactive and (5) multiple sensory experiences. On the whole, we were more effective in achieving characteristics 2-5-bringing together the subjective and objective experiences, where different worldviews could come together-than in achieving characteristic 1-creating a truly unfiltered and safe space for expression. The novelty of this work is in how we sought to change our own engagement practices to advance sustainability rather than improving scientific techniques. Recommendations for sustainability scientists working in similar contexts are provided.

The American Review of Public Administration

There is significant debate about the appropriate governance structure in a disaster response. Co... more There is significant debate about the appropriate governance structure in a disaster response. Complex disasters exhibit both networked and hierarchical characteristics. One challenge in the field of disaster management is how to structure a response that reconciles the need for centralized coordination among varied responders while retaining flexibility to mutually adjust operations to quickly changing conditions. A key question with both practical and theoretical relevance is, “are there patterns of relationships that are more robust, efficient and effective?” Missing from the current literature is empirical evidence and theory building concerning what actual network structures and characteristics might be associated with effective incident response to complex disasters. In this article, we collected network cognition data from 25 elite, Type 1 Incident Commanders to construct an ideal-type theoretical social network of an effective incident response network. We then analyzed this...

Ecology and Society, 2016

There are fundamental spatial and temporal disconnects between the specific policies that have be... more There are fundamental spatial and temporal disconnects between the specific policies that have been crafted to address our wildfire challenges. The biophysical changes in fuels, wildfire behavior, and climate have created a new set of conditions for which our wildfire governance system is poorly suited to address. To address these challenges, a reorientation of goals is needed to focus on creating an anticipatory wildfire governance system focused on social and ecological resilience. Key characteristics of this system could include the following: (1) not taking historical patterns as givens; (2) identifying future social and ecological thresholds of concern; (3) embracing diversity/heterogeneity as principles in ecological and social responses; and (4) incorporating learning among different scales of actors to create a scaffolded learning system.

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2016

If citing, it is advised that you check and use the publisher's definitive version for pagination... more If citing, it is advised that you check and use the publisher's definitive version for pagination, volume/issue, and date of publication details. And where the final published version is provided on the Research Portal, if citing you are again advised to check the publisher's website for any subsequent corrections.

This proceedings contains articles, posters, and abstracts of presentations from the second Human... more This proceedings contains articles, posters, and abstracts of presentations from the second Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire Conference held 27-29 April 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. The conference covered the social issues at the root of wildland fire management's most serious challenges. Specific topics included: firefighter and public safety; social acceptance of fuels treatments; community and homeowner fire hazard mitigation; public responses during fires and fire-related evacuations; fire communication and education; and the performance of fire management organizations-from operational efficiency to cost management and from community relations to risk management. The conference included 59 presentations, three special sessions, and nine poster presentations. Conference attendees included fire researchers and wildland fire management practitioners from the United

Hunting has shaped the history of wildlife conservation, but research exploring the relationship ... more Hunting has shaped the history of wildlife conservation, but research exploring the relationship between hunting and conservation is new. A decline in the popularity of hunting has spurred research on hunting participation and recruitment, but less is known about how hunting influences societal negotiation of the appropriate roles for humans and wildlife. We addressed this need with a personally administered survey to 320 college students at North Carolina State University (NCSU). The survey sampled 17 courses in eight of the nine colleges at NCSU with 100% compliance rate. Hunters were more likely to view wildlife in utilitarian, dominionistic, and naturalistic ways than non-hunters who tended to view wildlife in moralistic, humanistic, and symbolic ways. Women were more likely to view wildlife in moralistic and humanistic ways than men who tended to view wildlife in utilitarian and scientific ways. Religious respondents were more likely to view wildlife in utilitarian ways than non-religious respondents who tended to view wildlife in scientific and humanistic ways. Non-hunters overestimated the importance of hunting for sport and understated the importance of collecting meat and managing wildlife as motivations for hunters. Hunters overestimated the importance of animal rights as a key motivation for not hunting among non-hunters. These results provide preliminary guidance for tailoring college level wildlife education materials based on hunting participation, religion, and gender. Such efforts could help correct misconceptions regarding motivations for hunting and choosing not to hunt among society's future decision makers.

Masters project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Environmen... more Masters project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Environmental Management degree in the

Living with fire is a challenge for human communities because they are influenced by socio-econom... more Living with fire is a challenge for human communities because they are influenced by socio-economic, political, ecological and climatic processes at various spatial and temporal scales. Over the course of 2 days, the authors discussed how communities could live with fire challenges at local, national and transnational scales. Exploiting our diverse, international and interdisciplinary expertise, we outline generalizable properties of fire-adaptive communities in varied settings where cultural knowledge of fire is rich and diverse. At the national scale, we discussed policy and management challenges for countries that have diminishing fire knowledge, but for whom global climate change will bring new fire problems. Finally, we assessed major fire challenges that transcend national political boundaries, including the health burden of smoke plumes and the climate consequences of wildfires. It is clear that to best address the broad range of fire problems, a holistic wildfire scholarship...

Journal of Forestry, 2016

As fire management agencies seek to implement more flexible fire management strategies, local und... more As fire management agencies seek to implement more flexible fire management strategies, local understanding and support for these strategies become increasingly important. One issue associated with implementing more flexible fire management strategies is educating local populations about fire management and identifying what local populations know or do not know related to fire management. This study used survey data from three 2010 wildland fires to understand how ecological knowledge and education level affected fire management perception and understanding. Results indicated that increased accuracy in identifying ecological conditions was associated with higher proficiencies in the identification of fire management strategies used for wildfires. Education levels were not significantly related to public perception of fire management but were related to significant differences in accurately identifying ecological conditions. Results suggest that education may play a mediating role in understanding complex wildfire issues but is not associated with a better understanding of fire management.

Multi-institutional approaches to graduate education continue to emerge as a way to better prepar... more Multi-institutional approaches to graduate education continue to emerge as a way to better prepare students for collaborative work. In this article, we describe a graduate course designed to investigate application of conservation biology principles by local land use planners. "Where is Conservation Science in Local Planning?" was offered jointly by three institutions and integrated inquiry-guided, collaborative, and computer-mediated learning. Participants collaborated across universities to investigate this question and create products based on their work, including a presentation and two peer-reviewed manuscripts. We used a wiki for brainstorming and collaborative writing, a virtual classroom for work meetings, and video conferencing for building community and making complex decisions. Pre-and post-course questionnaires were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the course for improving skills in collaboration, use of collaborative technologies, and subject-area knowledge. Student development mirrored those areas where learning was required to consistently support class-wide activities. Students reported that they gained knowledge about collaboration, increased their mastery of communication skills and use of collaborative technologies, and gained knowledge about course subject matter. Students did not indicate significant changes in knowledge or activities related to leadership. Participants gained a fuller understanding of the benefits-collective creativity and enhanced accountability-and drawbacks-time required to build relationships and engage in deliberation-of collaborative research. Faculty participants suggest that future offerings continue to follow an inquiry-guided, collaborative learning approach using similar collaborative technologies, but include more explicit guidance about leadership and attempt to generate a smaller number of products.