Innovative didactive strategies such as online learning and flipped classroom can improve student performance while maximizing university resources and personnel. Assessing how students perceive courses designed using these strategies, as well as perform within them, is becoming increasingly important. An introductory soil science course at a…

The application of charcoal to soils to increase carbon stocks has been of great interest recently. To gain a better understanding of the long-term effects of charcoal presence in soils, historic charcoal production sites at Catoctin Mountain Park, Maryland were studied for organic carbon content and compared to nearby unaffected soils. Soil…

This study investigates the impact of instructional methods based on a one-day informal science field experience comparing a teacher-centered methodology versus a student-centered (inquiry-based) methodology. The 5E learning cycle was selected as the framework for implementing the inquiry-based learning for the treatment groups as it provides the…

As the use of plastics expands, microplastic concentrations increase in aquatic environments and negatively impact water, soil, and animals inhabiting these areas. Microplastic research frequently incorporates citizen science to assist in data collection and environmental education. These projects provide opportunities for greater societal…

Hydraulic fracturing is a major process for oil and natural gas production in the United States, and sand mines in Western Wisconsin provide highly desirable sand for the fracturing industry. After being mined, sand is wet-sieved to isolate economical-size fractions. Polyacrylamide is used as a flocculant to settle out the fine particles,…

In this study, high school students' perceptions about the concept of soil were tried to be determined through metaphors. The phenomenological design was used in the research. Data from the study was collected from 451 students studying in four different types of high schools in the central district of Kütahya. As part of the study, students were…

Experiments are an important way of working in the geography classroom. They promote and require numerous geographic skills. At the same time, experiments are only used comparatively rarely in geography lessons in Germany. In order to increase the frequency of experiments in the classroom and to better exploit their potential, GeoBoxes have been…

The rising cost of textbooks is a barrier to higher education for many students. Open textbooks are one potential solution, though few open textbooks exist for agriculture and natural science disciplines. Here, I present a case study examining my selection of assigned reading material for a college course on soil and water conservation. Potential…

Basic quantitative and population genetics topics are typically taught in introductory plant breeding courses and are critical for success in upper-level study. Active learning, including simulations and games, may be useful for instruction of these concepts, which rely heavily on theory and may be more challenging for students. The statistical…

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) is one of the most commonly used analytical techniques for the measurement of metals in environmental matrices. However, one of the drawbacks of ICP-OES is interference, viz., spectral and nonspectral (due to transport effects) interference. In this simple laboratory experiment,…

A laboratory exercise was developed for the study of the effect of three cations (Al, Ca, and Na) on the flocculation and dispersion of soil particles. The exercise was designed for Soil Science undergraduate students in the second-course in the Agricultural Engineering and Environmental Sciences department at the University of Vigo. The students'…

The annual National Collegiate Soils Contest (NCSC) has long been anecdotally recognized as a beneficial event for participating students to practice soil profile descriptions and landscape interpretations. The objective of this study was to quantify student learning outcomes and to identify how students' perspectives shifted over the course of…

This paper describes a reading assignment that resulted in students completing 80-90% of the assigned reading in a content-heavy science course taught in a flipped format. Students reported almost unanimously that the assignment was valuable in helping them learn the material, and a majority reported that other professors should adopt a similar…

Water movement in soil is often difficult for students to understand, particularly when soil texture changes within the profile. Students in introductory soil science courses may be able to define concepts of water movement, but not be able to apply the information in real scenarios due to reliance on intuition rather than fundamental concepts. To…

By exposing students to the concept of digital agriculture earlier in their lives, they will be able to develop the proper mindset to advance the field further when they enter the professional world. Engaging students in activities such as the one described here, which center on the Grand Engineering Challenges and socially relevant contexts, may…