In spring 2016, a course at Ohio State University (OSU) was introduced to teach advanced agronomic concepts and included the option to prepare students for the Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) exams offered by the American Society of Agronomy. From 2019 to 2021, revisions in instructional methods were implemented that introduced the use of pretests…

In this study the effects of different learning environments on the promotion of decision-making competence for the socioscientific issue of genetically modified crops is investigated. The comparison focuses on direct vs. indirect instructions. Therefore on the one hand a sophisticated decision-making strategy was presented to the directly…

Writing performance of a complex recommendation report produced by student teams for an actual client during a 15-week semester was compared in a writing-intensive Agronomy 356 course and in paired Agronomy 356/English 309 courses. The longitudinal study investigated differences that existed between reports produced for each learning environment…

As part of a systematic review of the undergraduate curricula and courses, the perceptions of Purdue agronomy alumni who graduated between 1960 and 2003 were obtained. A survey was administered to assess outcomes, identify gaps in the curriculum, measure how well the program addresses current and future needs, and provide a direction for change.…

Argues that deficiencies in critical reading and thinking skills contribute to errors in problem solving and erroneous conclusions. Describes an activity that is designed to allow students to discover their own errors during an in-class analysis. (DDR)

Describes teaching techniques that facilitate the use of the systems approach. Includes explanations of the Kolb learning styles, a "job hire" exercise, mind mapping, and a technique for problem analysis. Presents information on pre-workshop materials, tables of generated competencies, and a hierarchy of rational problem-solving approaches. (RT)

This research report presents a study of the work of agronomy majors in which an extension of linear models to non-linear contexts can be observed. By linear models we mean the model y=a.x+b, some particular representations of direct proportionality and the diagram for the rule of three. Its presence and persistence in different types of problems…

Describes a computer program, Residue Management, which is designed to supplement discussions on the Universal Soil Loss Equation and the impact of tillage on soil properties for introductory soil courses. The program advances the user through three stages of residue management. Information on obtaining the program is also included. (ML)

Describes the organization of a crop production systems course for undergraduates in agriculture. Emphasis is placed on problem solving and student interaction and co-operation while working on grain farms and in the classroom. Samples of student evaluations of the course are included. (ML)

Describes a course designed to teach the relationship between science, agronomy, and society. Includes course and class description, course content, and evaluation of the course. (11 references) (MCO)

A forestry and agronomy course at Iowa State University incorporates problem-based team projects on real-world situations as a means of providing students with integrative and meaningful experiential learning. Student evaluations of these courses indicate that students recognize and appreciate the integrative nature of the problem-based team…

Presents a computer program for use in teaching ion speciation in soil solutions. Provides information on the structure of the program, execution, and software specifications. The program estimates concentrations of ion pairs, hydrolytic species, metal-organic complexes, and free ions in solutions. (Author/RT)

Demonstrates how to promote the transference of concepts and principles developed in other curricula to enhance a student's subject matter mastery in soil classification. Describes course format, critical thinking techniques, and a course evaluation. A conclusion and references are included. (Author/RT)

Explains a discipline that requires students to become problem solvers in agronomic and pest areas using computer-simulated models. Describes the seven programing areas. The program is written in BASIC totaling 182K bytes for use with MS-DOS 2.0 or an IBM PC requiring 256 K RAM, color monitor, and card. Lists availability. (RT)

Describes a problem-solving teaching method used in the Introductory Soils course at Iowa State University whereby students are assigned to groups and asked to serve as an advisor to a landowner. Using a computerized database for most data acquisition, students recommend farm usage and urban/alternate development plans. Includes the program…