ASHS 2025 Conference

In today’s rapidly evolving digital world, education has undergone a significant transformation. By utilizing Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, educators can offer personalized learning experiences, generate adaptive content, and provide real-time support to students. This study integrated Generative AI tools into the HORT 431 Nursery Production and Management course to develop and enhance the “Nursery Business Plan” assignment. The objective was to improve student brainstorming and writing skills through AI-assisted processes while fostering critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, and reflective practices. Students worked in teams to develop their nursery business plans, utilizing tools like ChatGPT and Copilot to generate ideas and create structured outlines. Each team also developed a logo for their proposed business, adding a creative dimension to the assignment and allowing exploration of branding and marketing concepts. Multiple rounds of feedback from AI tools enabled students to refine their drafts and improve the quality of their writing, emphasizing the importance of revision and continuous improvement. Teams submitted reflections on their experiences with AI tools, including what worked well, the effectiveness of different prompts, and the role of human oversight. At the end of the semester, teams submitted their finalized nursery business plans and defended them through oral presentations. Overall, this project provided a holistic learning experience aimed at preparing students for their future careers.

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in educational settings has transformed traditional teaching methods, offering enhanced personalization and efficiency. However, ensuring the safe and ethical use of AI among college-level learners remains a critical challenge, particularly in specialized fields like horticulture. This study explores the implementation of AI practices in the classroom with 15 two-year (associates degree) horticulture students, focusing on cultivating technical competence, ethical awareness, and industry relevance. Students were asked about their previous experience with AI and if they could detect which bodies of text were AI-generated versus human-generated. Students were then analyzed via an exercise by their ability to detect fact accuracy, depth of the topic, bias, and awareness of content ownership. Data was taken by observation and data collection. Results indicate that structured guidelines and instructor-led interventions significantly improve students' ability to responsibly use AI while understanding its limitations and potential biases. The study highlights the importance of embedding AI literacy within horticulture curricula to build student success of using the technology appropriately and fostering a culture of ethical AI utilization. These findings can be used to influence the introduction and usage of AI as a tool in two-year program horticulture curriculum.

There has been increased interest in Virtual Reality (VR) applications in academic settings. Instructors aim to create and enhance tangible experiences for students in their courses, especially for online classes. These VR applications can be of significant interest for horticulture courses, considering many core curriculum courses include laboratory or hands-on learning components. Including VR applications for online students to experience these activities has the potential to increase engagement and learning outcomes. Feedback from students in the online HORT 260 Plant Propagation course at Colorado State University indicated accessibility challenges with materials and the ability to successfully execute course assignments taught online. More specifically, they noted the unit on greenhouse mist systems was not as comprehensive or tangible as they needed to complete an assignment on designing mist systems. With this in mind, we developed a VR mist system media component for the course using ThingLink software and annotated 360° images. For our study, students received static, annotated images in a PowerPoint presentation and the VR 360° images which the students could review. Assessment quizzes were created with one pertaining to the static images and the second to the VR 360° images. Five questions in each quiz were identical and asked about mist system concepts, and each quiz had 2 to 3 questions about the ability to understand concepts using the media. The second quiz also asked students to compare the two approaches, their general experience with VR in the classroom, and an open-ended feedback question. In total, 47 students participated between the Spring 2024 (n=7) and Fall 2024 (n=40) semesters. The questions included in both surveys did not yield statistical differences when their answers were compared. When asked about their perceptions of VR material, 66% of the respondents indicated that the VR material made concepts easier to visualize. Students were surveyed about their overall use and experience with VR in the classroom. Of the respondents, 42% had experienced VR before and 81% indicated they would like more VR material incorporated into the curriculum. Additionally, common themes were observed in the open-ended responses, including the desire for further improvement of VR material, an appreciation for increased visibility of concepts, and the desire for access to many forms of media like VR videos. Considering students’ perceived comprehension and confidence in the course concepts, further VR implementation in the course would be a worthwhile pursuit.

Generative AI has the potential to transform instruction, especially in the online environment. As technology continues to change the educational paradigms we have been accustomed to, we need to understand how students utilize AI in the classroom. We describe results from self-reported student surveys in an online plant physiology course. Students could use AI or not to complete their work, however, regardless they had to report after each assignment. The discussions and lab reports are part of the course’s normal assessment activities. Additionally, students reported the time spent completing the assignment, and wrote a summary to include: (1) how did AI help you complete the assignment? (2) What did you do to revise or further improve it? (3) Did you cross-check the AI-generated information, i.e. factual and references? Of the AI tools students reported using, ChatGPT was used most (80%), followed by CoPilot, Gemini, and Google image search. The most common reason for AI use was to help with concept understanding (43%), followed by draft a script or outline (17%), proofreading and improve writing (11%), generate ideas (8%), and identify plants (5%). In fewer than 1% of the cases, students reported that AI helped them with troubleshooting. Students cross-checked the AI-generated information 76% of the time. There was no significant difference in time spent completing an assignment between students who reported that they used AI compared to the ones that did not use AI. Implementation of any new tool in education requires thoughtful planning, consideration, and support. Schools and educational institutions should provide robust training programs to equip teachers with the necessary skills and knowledge to use AI tools effectively and confidently. This guidance should include not only the technical aspects, but also ethical considerations, potential limitations, and best practices to integrate it into their instruction methodology.

As horticulture careers increasingly demand adaptability, communication, and cross-cultural understanding, developing soft skills is essential for preparing future professionals. This study examined how participation in a faculty-led horticulture study abroad program influenced student growth in interpersonal and professional competencies. The program, Flowers and Photography in Europe, combined visits to botanical gardens, public green spaces, and production facilities across Spain, France, and Italy. Students engaged in group travel, horticultural site visits, and guided cultural immersion while completing reflective prompts centered on navigating unfamiliar environments and understanding cultural perspectives. Pre- and post-program surveys assessed student confidence in these areas, while reflective writing provided qualitative insights. Results indicated that navigating diverse environments and interpreting horticultural practices abroad fostered stronger communication skills, cultural awareness, and confidence in professional interactions. Students also reported greater appreciation for the social role of horticulture in global settings. These findings suggest that integrating intentional reflection into experiential learning abroad can help students connect horticultural content with essential career skills, offering a well-rounded model for global horticulture education.

Previous research has indicated that exposure to indoor plants can reduce stress, improve air quality, and enhance cognitive function. This study builds upon this foundation by specifically examining the classroom environment. In the spring of 2024, the study was conducted to investigate the effects of indoor plants on student well-being and academic performance in university classrooms. Two similar classrooms were used: Room 101 (experimental group, with plants) and Room 105 (control group, without plants). A total of 105 students took a survey at the beginning of the study (Feb 2024) and 91 took the end survey (Apr 2024) with a 78.1% completion at the beginning and 86.8% completion at the end. Demographics presented an unbalanced distribution of gender (66% female, 34% male) and majority of academic year falling into freshman classification (54%). Most participants were aged 18-24 years. Students completed surveys of self-reported depression, anxiety and stress levels using the DASS-21 4-pt Likert scale, and classroom satisfaction. Data set reliability showed a 0.81 Cronbach’s alpha score. After Wilcoxon/Kruskall Wallis analysis, results displayed students in Room 101 reported lower overall DASS scores (p < 0.05) with significantly decreased stress levels (p = 0.025) compared to Room 105. A statistical analysis using Spearman's ρ correlation coefficient revealed no significant relationship between depression and anxiety scores in relation to room types. However, a significant correlation was found between stress scores and room types (p = 0.0498). Common factors in student satisfaction were the lab instructors and the green wall in room 101. These results have important implications for classroom design and educational policy, suggesting that the simple addition of indoor plants and artificial greenery could significantly enhance the learning environment and student outcomes in higher education settings.

Greenhouse Management (HORT 310) at Colorado State University equips students with the skills and knowledge necessary to manage a greenhouse production facility, which 88% of students reported is their career plan (n=156). However, based on historic grades, students struggle with heating and cooling principles, which involve calculations of standard heating and cooling needs given a particular structure and climate. In Spring 2023, a Design Project (DP) was implemented as a learning opportunity to apply the principles and skills gained in the class in a context that matters to students. Over the course of the semester, students research and write about a greenhouse operation that they are designing, detailing their production strategies and citing current research. According to Social Practice Theory, learning is intimately intertwined with context, meaning that one’s identity, with which they are emotionally attached, guides participation. Thus, having the agency to choose relevant locations and crops suggests that they would have greater investment and engagement with the DP because the learning matters, or is meaningfully connected, to their own lives. A DP pre- and post-assessment was administered in Spring 2024 (n=36) to better understand if students’ relationships with the DP improved confidence and learning of fundamental HORT 310 principles, specifically greenhouse heating and cooling. In the post-assessment, 98% of respondents felt the DP assisted in their learning, and of respondents that included a free response (n=20), 20% indicated that they enjoyed the DP. Additionally, pre- and post-assessments revealed improved participant performance on questions pertaining to cooling principles following DP implementation, while performance on heating principles was unchanged. Together, these results support the use of Social Practice Theory as a framework for the development of assignments, such as the DP, that foster student learning and engagement by connecting content to student motivations and interests.

The objective of this study was to survey student perceptions of mastery of learning outcomes in the 100% online asynchronous course Nutritional Management taught at the University of Florida. There are many ways to perceive if students have mastered learning outcomes in a course. Quizzes are one way to measure if students understand concepts and terminology. However, in online courses there is the concern that students may ‘cheat’ and a quiz is not an effective measure of student achievement. Online instructors need to look for other assessments, like assignments that ask students to apply what they have learned to solve a problem. This is easy to measure in-person classrooms and laboratories but more challenging online. This study conducted a mid-term survey to students in the spring 2025 offering of Nutritional Management. The survey asked students about their perceived learning and mastery of course learning outcomes based on two quizzes and two authentic challenge assignments. This study was deemed IRB exempt.

A forum for discussion of potential collaborations with regards to technology in horticulture – i.e. biotechnology, UAVs, cameras, sensors, artificial intelligence, etc.

The Technology Applications in Horticulture Interest Group will meet at this session.