Plant production is challenged by a variety of stressors that limit system health and economic outcomes. Efficient integrated crop management practices have the potential to reduce the impact of these challenges. Application of effective plant protection strategies requires knowledge of the identity of the stressor. A case-study based course was developed providing students with training and experience in the process of plant diagnostics. The goal for the course is to integrate student knowledge of plant biology, soil science, insect pest management, and plant pathology to allow for effective identification of plant health challenges under conditions they will practically experience in a professional setting. Students are challenged to engage in the process of plant diagnostics and management plan development through case studies based in diverse plant production systems. Students additionally gain experience in communicating their results to non-academic audiences. Course participants indicate increased confidence in identification of plant health challenges and communication, as well as increased skill in problem solving in plant systems.
The growing complexity and challenges faced by the US Agriculture industry demands a new generation of highly skilled agricultural professionals equipped with both technical proficiency and practical knowledge. There is also a pressing need to recruit talented students to pursue a degree in plant agriculture and provide quality, hands-on education for those students. Studies indicate that experiential learning activities are a great tool to encourage young people begin careers in agriculture. We established a live crop library on the university farm consisting of agronomic and horticultural crops of Texas. This includes a wide range of vegetable, fruit, herb, grain, and fiber crops. Tropical fruit crops were installed in ground-beds within a greenhouse. This crop library is envisioned as a place for experiential learning, scholarly research, and agricultural outreach activities. The crop library has become a hub for experiential learning activities for both undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in multiple disciplines including plant science, agribusiness, and animal science. Outreach activities geared toward both youth and adults, such as field days, are also being enhanced through the crop library. Quantitative and qualitative data collecting methods are utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of the crop library in enhancing participant’s learning outcomes. Overall, this project provides a stimulus for high school and college students to enhance their knowledge of plant agriculture in Texas. Adult learners gain understanding of new ways to income or assist others in improving their agricultural income. The findings will continue to contribute to ongoing efforts to improve learning outcomes in multiple educational settings.
Pedagogy strategies that include students in the course curriculum can increase student engagement and success. One student-based pedagogy involvement example is involving students in the assignment implementation. This method was adapted after feedback from student evaluations indicated that the topic selection method for semester-long course projects was challenging in the HORT 260 Plant Propagation course at Colorado State University. The course curriculum includes two projects that focus on students writing propagation protocols on specific plant species of their choice. The selection process became a stressor for assignment completion due to the paradox of choice. With this in mind, we revised the assignment, testing topic selection methods for the Spring 2024 and 2025 semesters. The study trialed three topic selection methods (treatments): find their plant independently, choose from a list, or be assigned a plant. Each student experienced two of the three treatments, one treatment type per assignment. We obtained student feedback through voluntary pre- and post-surveys to assess their experiences and satisfaction. The pre-survey was administered after they selected their topic plants, and the post-survey was disseminated after the submissions of the projects’ final drafts. In Spring 2024, 28 students participated in the pre- and 24 in the post-survey. Of the 18 students who participated in both surveys, the post-survey resulted in a preference for selecting a plant from a list rising 11% and preferences for methods where students independently found their topic plant or were assigned a plant both dropped 5%. When students were asked why they chose a plant as their topic, 61% chose based on familiarity, 25% on unfamiliarity and desire to learn more, 11% for “other reasons”, and 3% selected plants they thought would be the easiest to write about. In the post-survey, students noted in the open response that they felt that plants selected from a list were easier to find information needed to complete the assignment and 39% of respondents suggested that picking from a list should be the method in the future. The other most reoccurring comment was that 32% of respondents said interest in the topic plant made the project easier to complete. Based on our observations for Spring 2024 and initial data from 2025, providing a list to select from is the most fruitful way to give students the opportunity for choice while minimizing the possibility of topic choice paralysis.
The annual meeting of the American Society for Horticulture Science is over, and you presented great data. Now what? Publish your data with ASHS. We have three highly respected journals: The Journal of the American Society for Horticulture Science (JASHS), HortScience, and HortTechnolgy. Many people who attend the meeting look forward to seeing the paper related to what was presented at the meeting. There are many reasons to publish with ASHS including this is our national society and these journals are the outreach for our society; we have open access publications; the publishing costs are reasonable compared to other open access platforms; the society has improved the submission and review process; reviews are completed in a timely manner; and the journals continue to have increased impact factors. In fact, JASHS impact factor had increased from 0.95 in 2019 to 1.53; HortScience has increased from 1.10 to 1.87; and HortTecnology has increased from 0.67 to 1.39. This poster will outline the process of presenting at the meeting to publishing the results. It also will compare costs with other open access publications and show the improved submission and review process.
Curriculum mapping is a valuable tool for visualizing how course content and learning activities align with program-level learning outcomes. In higher education, this method enables faculty to design cohesive curricula that foster integrated learning experiences across a student's academic career. While individual course outcomes are routinely assessed, program-level mapping offers a broader view that supports continuous improvement and ensures graduates possess the skills and knowledge required for professional success. At a midwestern land-grant university, the undergraduate Horticulture major program participated in a university-wide pilot project to map and evaluate its curriculum during the 2024–2025 academic year. The initiative was supported by several institutional learning units and a dedicated team of assessment and curriculum specialists. Faculty collaborated to analyze course goals, identify where embedded learning outcomes are being met, and develop a program-wide curriculum map and accompanying narrative. The mapping process focused on identifying where learning outcomes are introduced, reinforced, and mastered throughout the curriculum. Special attention was given to senior-level capstone courses, where embedded outcomes are being assessed through targeted assignments and artifacts. Analysis of specific courses across the map and across academic years will highlight gaps, redundancies, and alignment with employer expectations for graduates. The resulting curriculum map and supporting documents serve as dynamic tools for ongoing evaluation. They guide future assessment efforts, support accreditation needs, and inform curriculum planning at the university, college, and departmental levels. The methodology used to align course- and program-level outcomes with institutional, college and departmental goals will be shown, along with the products of the process, and future plans and strategies for further data collection and analysis will be shared.
