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…

Reported are the results of a survey of awareness, use, and attitude of Indiana secondary school agriculture and social science educators toward soil survey reports. An analysis by teaching discipline and geographic location is presented. (CW)

Discusses procedures for teaching basic soil morphological concepts using soil cores collected along a toposequence. Describes materials and methods for collecting, laboratory use of cores, and student evaluation results. Shows a table of criteria used to describe soils for profile descriptions. (RT)

Reviewed is research which supports retesting students to enhance learning. Evaluation results, materials and methods used to implement the procedure are described. Included are tables on student responses concerning involved groups and the value and benefits of retakes. (RT)

Offers perspectives and an overview of 35 years of teaching an elementary course in soils at Mississippi State University. Discusses the nature of and changes over the years in course content, teaching methods, and student characteristics. Explains the principles that guided instruction in the course. (ML)

Explains the use of a cropping systems project to teach agronomic principles and crop management techniques, and to enhance communication skills. Provides a sample progress report instructions sheet which was used for the project. (Author/RT)

The advantages and disadvantages of poster sessions vs. oral talks are reviewed. Front-end and secondary planning, materials, and follow-up needed for poster sessions are outlined. An example session and a check list are included. (Author/CW)

Presented is a successfully implemented active learning project and results of a survey to assess the success of the project. Materials and methods are discussed, and an example of one project is provided. (Author/CW)

Summarizes the capabilities of a computer program related to forest fertilization. Provides a description of input parameters, some sample exercises, software specifications, and availability information. Additional references are listed. (Author/RT)

Described is a technique for taking a large monolith for the purpose of teaching soil structure. Materials and procedures are detailed. A survey of 93 students indicated that the larger monolith was preferred over the commonly used narrow ones. (CW)

Describes a combined field and laboratory exercise suitable for teaching concepts of tillering and yield component compensation which is adapted to climatic conditions where extensive class fieldwork is not possible. Provides information on materials and methods, pedagogical aspects, evaluation, and conclusions. (Author/RT)

Describes a lecture manual for an introductory soil course, how it is used by students, and how it affects student learning. Students indicated that the manual and its condensed lecture material, exam schedule, and grading procedures were beneficial to their learning in the course. (ML)

Presented is a comprehensible structural representation of humic substances. A number of important roles of soil organic matter, including contribution to the cation-exchange capacity, binding of pesticides, and formation of complexes with micronutrient cations, are illustrated. (Author/CW)

Describes the procedures, organizational pattern and design of basic soils course used by teaching assistants. Cites studies which support small-group discussion for promoting higher levels of intellectual functioning. Presents tables showing survey evaluation results of this method. (RT)

Compared are the estimates of students and professional field soil scientists. Results indicate that with three weeks of practice and the availability of good reference samples, students can attain a level of proficiency comparable to professional soil scientists. Suggestions for grading evaluations are provided. (Author/CW)