Enrollment by students in degree programs other than traditional horticulture, agronomy, and soil science has increased in basic plant and soil science courses. In order to broaden the appeal of these courses to students from majors other than agriculture, we developed a hands-on laboratory exercise relating the basic concepts of a soil energy…

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)

Discusses procedures used to evaluate and enhance the journal's effectiveness. Presents survey methods and information on membership perception, results, a background discussion, and recommendations for changes. Tables on production and subscription data, survey attitudes of department heads and reviewers, and topics for review articles are…

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)

Reports that students with soil science background performed better on a diagnostic examination; no relationship existed between exam performance and country of origin, degree sought, or undergraduate class quartile. Concludes that exam results, the grade received in a beginning graduate-level course and the cumulative graduate grade-point average…

Traces the history of soil mechanical analysis. Evaluates this history in order to place current concepts in perspective, from both a research and teaching viewpoint. Alternatives to traditional separation techniques for use in soils teaching laboratories are discussed. (TW)

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)

Describes a study used to determine differences in exam reliability, difficulty, and student evaluations. Indicates that when a fourth option was added to the three-option items, the exams became more difficult. Includes methods, results discussion, and tables on student characteristics, whole test analyses, and selected items. (RT)

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)

Described is a support program that guides prospective college teachers in teaching an introductory soil science laboratory course. Ideas are presented about the preparation for teaching and concerns of teaching assistants. A table citing classroom observation protocol is included. (RT)

Outlined are procedures used in a techniques class designed to develop communication skills in graduate students. The use of feedback in sessions, value of the class, student evaluations, and conclusions are explained. Tables include evaluation form, student opinion results, and mean scores on evaluation of major projects and assessment of the…

Discusses the advantages of using a pretest in introductory agronomy courses. Provides a pretest that has been developed for use in an introductory crops course taught at Southern Illinois University. Includes 25 definitions, 17 true-false and multiple choice questions, and 6 short answer questions. (TW)

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)