Student-Centered
Learning Techniques to Convey Plant Pathology Concepts to Pre-College
Teachers
Elizabeth
Little
Department of Plant Pathology
University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
USA
Background
In Spring Semester of 2006, a new course entitled “Plant
Pathology for Teachers” was developed and taught at the
University of Georgia. Its goal is to convey plant pathological
and agricultural concepts to in-service teachers who are already
teaching and pre-service teachers who are in training in a format
that allows the concepts and laboratory exercises to be brought
back to the primary and secondary [Kindergarten (K) – 12;
students 5-18 years of age] school classroom. In-service K –
12 science teachers pursuing graduate degrees often have difficulty
finding graduate-level science content courses for which they
have the necessary pre-requisites. In addition, most courses are
offered at times or in a format that does not accommodate their
work schedules. Therefore, the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences at the University of Georgia has requested faculty to
develop science courses specifically for in-service teachers.
These courses are taught in the evenings, in the summers, or on-line.
Student-centered learning techniques allow the students in the
course to explore plant pathology-related topics and determine
what material is appropriate to take back to the classroom. The
spring semester class meets one night a week for content lectures
and lab exercises to accommodate students who teach during the
day. Course offerings on-line or during the summer, when most
K-12 schools are on break, will offer even greater flexibility
to in-service teachers. The course is supplemented with on-line
discussions and student projects. This paper discusses the use
of two student-centered learning techniques, the on-line discussions
and student projects. Both techniques incorporate distance-learning
technologies to enhance the learning outcomes.
On-line discussions
On-line discussions are an excellent format to engage the students.
Plant pathology discussion topics are selected based on the impact
of the topic on society and/or the potential for controversy.
A sample of topics includes organic vs. sustainable vs. conventional
agriculture, the scientific and legal basis of the citrus canker
eradication program in Florida, genetic engineering for pest control,
and the use of antibiotics in agriculture. The discussions take
place asynchronously using the WebCT discussion tool over a period
of 10 to12 days. Discussions are graded based on participation
and the quality of the postings. Students must stay within the
structure of the discussion, which calls for an initial posting,
responses to the postings of the other students in their group,
and a final posting based on what was learned in the discussion.
However, the students are allowed a certain amount of freedom
to take the discussion into related topics. Students often become
so excited and engaged that they will poll their peers and acquaintances
on their opinions and report their findings. The students in this
course come with diverse backgrounds and the discussion benefits
from their many viewpoints and experiences. Discussions allow
them to explore the ways that plant pathology and agriculture
touch their lives.
Student Projects
Another requirement is for each student to take a plant pathology
concept and design a learning module that can be brought back
to the K – 12 classrooms. Interactive learning is encouraged
within the contents of their projects. In-service teachers pursuing
graduate degrees must also assess their project for the state-mandated
performance standards for meeting the educational needs of their
students. Appropriate concepts for the classroom include the biology
of microorganisms (fungi, bacteria, nematodes, viruses) as well
as pesticide usage, world hunger, biotechnology, and sustainability.
The in-service teachers are generally familiar with learning theories,
state requirements, and the mechanics of designing interactive
science modules for the classroom, and are willing to assist the
students who are not familiar with designing learning modules.
The level of expertise is also considered when evaluating the
projects, given the diversity of student backgrounds. The students
submit an outline and a proposal to ensure that the plant pathology
components of their project are feasible, but the development
of the project is mostly self-directed. Students use the presentation
area on WebCT to share their projects and ideas. At the end of
the semester they present and demonstrate their project to the
class.
Conclusion
This course appears to have a wide appeal to an enthusiastic
pool of education majors. Offering this type of cross-college
course has resulted in mutually beneficial outcomes for the students
and for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
It meets the needs of in-service teachers pursuing an advanced
degree, while the College fulfills its goal of bringing agricultural
concepts to a generation of youths who are all but detached from
the science and practice of food production. The use of student-centered
learning techniques assisted in translating the plant pathology
content into a student-friendly format for the classroom. Future
directions include expanding the on-line features of the course
to further accommodate the busy schedule of the in-service teachers.
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