Presented by: Cari Cearley
Oklahoma State University
Authored by: Cari Cearley | Tyler Price | Dr. Lauren Lewis Cline
Oklahoma State University | Oklahoma State University | Oklahoma State University 

Changing demographics, in both the field of agriculture and the world at large, have increased the need for multicultural coursework to ensure the success of students entering the workforce. Colleges across the United States acknowledge this importance and offer a variety of multicultural courses. Previous studies found students enrolled in a multicultural course show improvement in their overall attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs and demonstrate increased critical thinking skills upon completion. The purpose of this study was to analyze the perceptions of students completing a multicultural course in the context of agriculture. A convenience sample of 23 undergraduate students enrolled in AGLE 2403 Agricultural Leadership In A Multicultural Society was utilized. A qualitative content analysis of two assignments was conducted to identify patterns and themes to explain changes in student perceptions of the course. Open and axial coding revealed five themes: (a) Required but Worth It; (b) Understanding Diversity Consciousness; (c) Homegrown Worldview in a Digital Age; (d) Diverging Views of Diversity and Personal Success; and (e) Expanding Worldviews. Findings suggest the multicultural course in agriculture generated and walked students through cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance occurred through the exposure to topics and concepts they perhaps did not receive prior to college experience and started their journey of developing diversity consciousness. Students' access to technology is helping to expand their worldview beyond their hometown. Student perceptions also support the argument for required multicultural courses in college. Even if students took the class to check a box, they still communicated value for the course by the end of the semester. Multicultural courses in agriculture can be required, while also being perceived as important by students. Future research should investigate the impact of the use of social media in shaping diversity consciousness. Additionally, the transformative learning process of students enrolled in a multicultural course in agriculture should be assessed. 

Presented by: Kellie Johnson
Virginia Tech
Authored by: Kellie Johnson | Tiffany Drape | Joseph Oakes | Joseph Simpson | Anne M. Brown | Donna Westfall-Rudd | Susan Duncan
Virginia Polytechnic and Institute State University | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Virginia Polytechnic and Institute State University | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Virginia Polytechnic and Institute State University 

The value of internship experiences of undergraduate students in the interdisciplinary field of cyberbiosecurity programs are explored. This study takes a case study approach to analyze an experiential learning course and subsequent internship experience where students trained and developed their technical and professional skills to equip and apply their skills to grow the cyberbiosecurity workforce. Participation in this experiential learning course granted students the opportunity to apply to a 10-week summer internship with industry partners. Experiential learning guided this work to conceptualize students' perceptions of their internship experiences. Interns met bi-weekly to discuss their experiences and progress over the span of their internships. Students reported their day-to-day operations and responsibilities, the technical and professional training and development gained, and recommendations for coordinating future interns and future internship programs. Results have shown that providing students with internship experiences through the course influenced students' ability to apply the learned transferable knowledge and skill to their internship field experiences. Additionally, through the experiential learning "learn by doing" process students can make greater meaning of their internship experiences through engagement and reflection.

Presented by: Matthew W. Gorton
Oklahoma State University
Authored by: Matthew W. Gorton | Adel Pezeshki
Oklahoma State University | Oklahoma State University 

The COVID-19 pandemic and the return to in-person learning have significantly impacted the learning and study habits of many students in higher education. This study aimed to collect the students' opinions on what would help to improve their learning experience after returning to in-person classes following COVID-19 restrictions. An anonymous, web-based survey with 4 demographic and 6 perception questions was conducted in Principles of Animal Nutrition course (n=139) at Oklahoma State University. The survey was open during November 1 to 7, 2022. A total of sixty students participated voluntarily. The participants comprised of 26.7% males (16) and 73.3% females (44). Of the participants, 26.7% (16) were 18-19 years old, 66.7% (40) were 20-21, 5% (3) were 22-23, and 1.7% (1) were 26+. Although 56.7% (34) responded that their academic performance has improved since returning to in-person classes, 41.7% (25) disagreed. 28.3% (17) of participants would prefer to have in-person classes, 10% (6) online, 20% (12) hybrid and 41.7% (25) prefer recorded in-person lectures. 95% of the students (57) indicated that they preferred the lecture to be recorded for later review. Moreover, 68.3% of participants (41) admitted to coming to class while feeling sick/unwell as the lectures were not recorded. Of the participants, 90% (54) of students watched the recorded review sessions prior to exams. In conclusion, the majority of students participated in this study indicated that their academic performance has improved since returning to face-to-face course structure and preferred to add the option of audio-visual recordings for their later review.

Presented by: Erin N. Alava
University of Findlay
Authored by: Erin N. Alava
University of Findlay 

The objectives were to determine the functionality and student acceptance of collaborative learning activity in lieu of a comprehensive final exam. It is well documented that collaborative learning can be an excellent tool to improve student engagement and retention of course material. The activity titled "Stump Your Partner", was implemented into a 200-level Animal Products course, and was conducted during the last week of the semester. Students (n=28) were required to draft four questions per lecture, for a total of 88 questions, with the intention of being able to stump a classmate. It was treated as a head-to-head double elimination style tournament until one student remained. Points were granted for creation of the questions in addition to a sliding scale of points based on elimination status. Instruction on the game-play was provided multiple times preceding the activity to maintain organization. The 50-minute class period provided sufficient time to complete with this class size. Student acceptance was evaluated using a six-question survey at the conclusion of the activity. Students in the course agreed or strongly agreed that comprehension and learning was improved (26/28, 93%); less time was spent preparing (vs. comprehensive exam; 18/28, 64%); engagement with the course material was improved (25/28, 89%); ability to utilize course material outside of the classroom was improved (24/28, 86%); and this activity should be adopted in the future as a replacement for a comprehensive final exam (26/28, 93%). Additionally, 86% (24/28) of the students strongly disagreed or disagreed that the activity was not a valuable use of class time. In conclusion, the activity can be a functional and well accepted replacement activity for a comprehensive final exam.

Presented by: Samantha Lyle
Iowa State University
Authored by: Grant L. Thompson | Cynthia L. Haynes | Samantha A. Lyle
GENUS Landscape Architects | Iowa State University | Iowa State University 

Plant identification courses are a key component of horticulture, botany, ecology, and most agriculturally-focused curriculums. These courses often prove challenging to students who must memorize and recall scientific names and key morphological features to identify and distinguish plants. There is great potential to use botanical scanning to complement other commonly used learning aids in these courses such as cut or live specimens, pressed and dried herbarium vouchers, and photographs. Botanical scans are made using high-resolution flatbed scanners that have a larger scanning area and make higher quality scans than traditional office-grade scanners. Plant cuttings are placed on the scanner bed and may be placed in any arrangement and feature multiple plant parts such as leaves, stems, flowers, etc. A framework is placed around the scanner to suspend a black background cloth above the cuttings to create a dark scanning environment. Digital scans may be shared, manipulated, composed, and otherwise provided to students for study materials and used in assessments. Compared to other common study aids, botanical scans offer some complimentary benefits. Live specimen samples are challenging to maintain as they may age unreliably for students to use as study material and are subject to seasonality. Scanning does not press down on, dry, distort, or discolor the plant material the way that mounted herbarium specimens can. Botanical scans may be useful to create high-quality learning aids that offset some limitations of other more common study tools used in plant identification courses. A database of botanical scans was implemented as a study tool in Herbaceous Ornamentals (HORT 330), a plant identification course, in the Fall semester of 2022, and was evaluated positively by students in end of semester reflections. 

Presented by: Mac Burgess
Montana State University
Authored by: Mac Burgess
Montana State University 

Numeracy–how mathematical ideas are used to meet the “mathematical demands of ...adult life”–at the undergraduate level appears to be in decline. Numeracy has been correlated with employability, wages, and life satisfaction. Paralleling "the math you need" work in the geosciences (e.g., SERC), we support supplemental instruction but also believe numeracy should core disciplines such as Soils and Agronomy. We analyzed >600 student responses to open-ended prompts such as “Craft a multiple-choice, soil erosion math question (and then solve it)” in a 2xx-level soils course and follow-up questions assessing transferable skills involving crop yields and fertilizer calculations in 3xx-level agronomy and soil fertility courses. These word problems revolve around manipulations of mass, volume, and/or their quotient, density; where soil erosion rates and some agricultural inputs (e.g. manure) are presented in masses per area per time, we encourage students to convert these dimensions into lengths per time (e.g., mm y-1) by dividing a mass (e.g., tons) by density to obtain a volume. These approaches can also be generalized to other agricultural applications where we expect students to identify reasonable answers to within an order of magnitude. Student responses were scored for correctness twice; during a first evaluation, ~80% obtained full credit as scored by teaching assistants. When we re-evaluated all responses, we determined <50% should have received full credit. These results have implications for student (and public) understanding of soil health claims, many of which are unsupported mathematically. Our finding that a majority of students are unable to frame and solve a coherent question on their own leads to our recommendations to scaffold TA and student learning through progressively more challenging, autograded practice quizzes as well as supplemental instruction in small groups.

Presented by: Brian Schutte
New Mexico State University
Authored by: Brian Schutte
New Mexico State University

At the conclusion of an introductory weed science course, students develop management recommendations for specific weed species in a particular setting. In this assignment students obtain and communicate information on: 1) identification and lifecycles of specified weeds, 2) preventative, cultural, mechanical, and chemical tactics that are likely to suppress or control the specified weeds, and 3) when management tactics should be implemented and when targeted weeds emerge and potentially reproduce. Because the management recommendation assignment involves student proficiency on multiple topics presented across the semester, I, the instructor, reviewed management recommendations from students across three semesters to identify course topics for which teaching improvements are required. My review indicated students were generally able to communicate information for identifying weeds. Student proficiency was also relatively high for chemical weed control as many students provided comprehensive recommendations for appropriate herbicides. Student proficiency was relatively low for preventative tactics, which was the only course topic taught without active learning. Deficiencies were also found in timelines integrating management tactics with emergence and reproduction of weeds. These observations indicate: 1) the benefits of classroom activities requiring students to discuss and solve problems, and 2) the need for class activities that provide students opportunities to combine management schedules with pest phenology. Teaching strategies derived from this review may promote learning in all courses that engage students with the decision-making process for managing pests.

Presented by: Joy Morgan
North Carolina State University
Authored by: Joy Morgan
North Carolina State University 

According to American Farm Bureau (2022), approximately 36% of United States farmers are women and approximately 56% of all farms have at least one female decision-maker. As the numbers continue to increase for females involved in agriculture, it is important that our university classes and Extension programs also acknowledge the need to recruit and retain females who have goals of returning to the farm or entering into agricultural careers. One simple strategy that has significant impacts and benefits is the addition of guest speakers and field trip locations that showcase women in the spotlight. Within the Agricultural Leadership Program, females comprise 50% of the cohort. The cohort which is made up of early and mid-career agriculturalists traveled to Brazil for their international agricultural study tour. At the request of program leaders, the tour guide established at least one visit per day where a female was directly involved in the operation. One participant stated "As the number of female farmers rises in the US, it was inspiring to see that in Brazil as we were able to visit multiple farming operations run by sisters. I loved being able to relate to other women in agriculture that are facing similar situations as my sister and I are in our family and our farm." During an in-state undergraduate agricultural study tour, program leaders selected visits to commodity organizations, agricultural education programs, and businesses that also had strong female leadership. A junior majoring in Agricultural Science stated "I never imagined that I could see someone like me leading a commodity organization. Wow, that opened up my eyes and has given me a new goal." As educators, we must provide our students and program participants with learning opportunities that further increase their self-confidence and increase their leadership potential.

Presented by: Joy Morgan
North Carolina State University
Authored by: Joy Morgan
North Carolina State University 

Today many of our students pursuing agricultural-related degrees do not come from farms or have the agricultural background knowledge that is needed for their future careers. While students enroll in university courses and many contain labs, these experiences often only offer a glimpse into the real-world component. Immersive experiences with farms, ag ed programs, Extension programs, and agricultural industries allow students to connect content knowledge with real-world opportunities and perspectives that can be integrated into extension programming and curriculum development. Immersive field trips provide an experience that is unattainable within the classroom while strengthening them personally and professionally (Bruening et al., 2002). Further, it is important that the most up-to-date agricultural practices are known and future educators share these experiences with their students (Luckey, 2012). Through a discussion of the impact of an in-state study experience, the presentation will discuss how a seed-to-grocery store concept was explored. After securing grant funding, team leaders reached out to farmers, Extension agents, agriculture teachers, and industry representatives to develop a schedule that highlighted all sectors of agriculture. Emphasizing the hands-on component, visits allowed students an opportunity to experience equipment and technology. Visits included both small and large family farming operations, processing facilities, farm markets, agricultural education programs, Extension programs, research facilities, and commodity organizations. All students indicated that the experience opened their eyes to what goes into farming while expanding their knowledge and awareness of agriculture. Student A stated, "It was my first time in a cotton picker. I was amazed at the technology and the process involved from the field to our clothes." Another individual was surprised at the challenges that farmers experience, yet their dedication and devotion to the profession are unwavering. 

Presented by: Brent Lamons
University of Tennessee
Authored by: Brent Lamons | Jennifer Richards
University of Tennessee | University of Tennessee 

In an effort to deepen student intellectual engagement, enhance the connection between explicit curriculum and life-long learning, and foster innovative faculty course design, this case study presents the process of one department's journey to create intentional programmatic student learner outcomes. The central goal of this process was to develop transformational, rather than transactional, student learner outcomes within Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communications (ALEC) undergraduate coursework at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Both students and faculty observed that intentionality in curriculum development and in student learner outcomes within the program was lacking. The ALEC faculty has expanded rapidly over the last three years; growing from four to a team of 12 tenure-track and non-tenure track faculty. With this rapid expansion, courses were added piecemeal according to new faculty expertise and with little regard for the existing student learner outcomes. In Summer 2022, the faculty decided to critically examine all aspects of the department's curriculum, starting with the development of transformational learning outcomes that more accurately capture the broadened scope of the department. Current and historical ALEC student learning outcomes were examined, a review of peer aspirational department student learner outcomes was conducted, and we surveyed our students and faculty. From this data, key performance indicators (e.g. knowledge, skills, and dispositions) were developed and presented to faculty and students for feedback. Additionally, a workgroup explored innovative pathways to tie explicit learner outcomes and performance indicators to NACE career readiness competencies. The result of this process was the establishment of student learning outcomes that are intrinsically tied to workforce readiness and create a framework through which meaningful curricular decisions can be made.

Presented by: Endy Lopes Kailer
Kansas State University
Authored by: Endy Lopes Kailer | Charles W. Rice
Kansas State University | Kansas State University 

Hands-on activities are vital components for teaching Agronomy and Soil Science courses. They bring the subject to life, promoting engagement and connection between the students and the instructor. Complex subjects can be turned into enjoyable activities that are more memorable and impactful than a regular lecture. The objective of this Teaching and Learning poster is to illustrate how the use of hands-on activities, as the use of epoxy resin blocks, can be a powerful tool for teaching agronomy and soil science courses. We made several epoxy resin blocks for preserving plant/soil structures to demonstrate important soil microbiology concepts in our lectures. This approach allows students to examine fresh-looking soil aggregates, lichens, mushrooms, soybean nodules, plant roots, and ectomycorrhizal structures all year long. The resin is a strong and durable polymer known for its excellent mechanical and chemical resistance that keeps plant/soil structures intact for decades, being a powerful tool for generating class demonstration materials. These clear, glossy finish resin blocks can be shaped to any format and encapsulate a wide range of biological structures. Our students have shown great appreciation for the interactive materials that have been illustrating our lectures and we believe that this technique can bring numerous benefits for teaching classes in virtually any agriculture field.

Presented by: Monica K. VanKlompenberg
University of Maryland
Authored by: Monica K. VanKlompenberg
University of Maryland 

Being able to create a work product related to course content is a meaningful and authentic assessment tool in upper-level courses. Google sites is a useful platform to use to accomplish this task for projects such as Wiki Guides to Reproduction and Farm Business Websites in two different Animal Science courses. The Google Sites application is free, provides templates to design webpages and integrates with other applications on the Google Platform. This platform has been successfully used for group projects so that all students on a team have access to the shared website and can work simultaneously. Students are provided with specific requirements of content to address on their site, the type of audience and then given independence to create the site using any combination of media that they would like. Students complete the website in an iterative approach to help them get feedback and improve the design and organization of their sites. Students are encouraged to use tools such as tables, headings, and hyperlinks to connect ideas. They use a combination of videos, drawings, images and text to demonstrate their understanding of the course material. Students have commented that they learned a tremendous amount from this approach and enjoyed being able to collaborate together. Some students did require extra support and tutorials about design mechanisms, but this platform does not require students to have programming skills. There are also freely available how to videos available that students can consult to learn how to use the platform. Overall, students using this approach are able to clearly articulate learning from the semester and get the opportunity to create different types of media in the process.

Presented by: Shayne White
Texas Tech University
Authored by: Shayne Jay Berklund White | Courtney Meyers | Chrsity Bratcher
Texas Tech University | Texas Tech University | Texas Tech University 

The past two decades have seen an overall increase in the number of students pursuing a graduate degree in the United States. Gaining a more nuanced understanding of what impacts how graduate students navigate the academic, personal, and professional challenges of post baccalaureate education will help programs better support them and ensure student success. With validation theory serving as the theoretical framework, the purpose of this study was to explore the graduate student experience within a college of agriculture at a southwestern university. This study focused on three aspects: resources students use, challenges they have experienced, and additional needs for support. Data for this phenomenological study were collected using focus groups with 24 students, representing all seven departments. Analysis of the data found students utilized a variety of resources including online content, peers, and the library's document delivery service. Another emergent theme recognized the significant role communication plays between faculty members and students. Participants emphasized the need for communication efforts to foster mutual understanding between faculty and graduate students. The final theme focused on solutions to support better communication and collaboration efforts. Several participants suggested creating a graduate student organization to help identify issues, propose solutions, and make improvements. They also voiced the need for more networking opportunities with fellow graduate students at the university and agricultural industry representatives. The findings support the need for academic and interpersonal validation to support graduate student success. Several specific recommendations are provided to improve how validated graduate students feel in their academic pursuits. Future research should gather faculty perspectives to help shape professional development opportunities that would create enhanced graduate student mentoring.

Presented by: Gaea Hock
Kansas State University
Authored by: William Brown | Gaea Hock | Brandie Disberger
Kansas State University | Kansas State University | Kansas State University 

Courses offering hands on activities result in higher scores, enhanced student perception of learning outcomes, and increased interest in the subject material. Various methods have been utilized in dairy-specific courses to enhance student learning, but these methods have focused on a single strategy of laboratory instruction over a semester, such as a computerized simulation program or students operating a university farm. Our objective was to assess student perception of the value of specific laboratory activities in a limited 7-week introductory dairy science course (N = 89) at Kansas State University. Using a Likert scale (1=poor; 2=fair; 3=good; =excellent) students (n = 37; 41% response rate) rated laboratory activities for their value in helping them learn about dairy science. Observational activities were generally rated highest by the students (dairy farm tour, M = 3.29; rumen cannulated cow, M = 3.37). Activities that required collecting and interpreting data with easy to visually observe measurements were generally rated as good by students (tracking production of assigned university dairy cow, M = 2.95; total mixed ration particle size evaluation, M = 2.97; colostrum quality determination, M = 2.97). Activities that measured biochemicals or moisture which were not visible to the naked eye were rated between fair and good for their perceived educational value (feed dry matter determination, M = 2.71; milk somatic cell count quantification M = 2.39; blood based rapid pregnancy diagnosis, M = 2.53). Overall, the results indicate students in an introductory dairy science laboratory perceive value in several activities used to demonstrate principles of dairy production. Teachers should continue to look for opportunities to integrate novel activities to increase student learning motivation. More research is needed to understand how to enhance learning value for laboratory activities that are highly relevant to the dairy industry yet are difficult to visualize and require interpretation.

Presented by: Pamela N. Martinez
New Mexico State University
Authored by: Pamela N. Martinez | Matheus Cezarotto | Barbara Chamberlin
New Mexico State University | New Mexico State University | New Mexico State University 

Online educational products provide learning opportunities for traditional classrooms, distance or hybrid learning, and informal education. Instructors bring these materials to students in various ways: as group activities, individual assignments, pre-labs, or to address prerequisite knowledge. These products help learners develop conceptual understanding of key topics, including contextualizing science content in agricultural contexts in creative, visual, and applied ways. The Learning Games Lab at New Mexico State University offers free access to its extensive catalog of learning products relating to agricultural science. These apps, games, videos and interactive websites are created through a design process that draws on the expertise of researchers, content experts, and instructional designers working alongside professional animators, artists, game designers, and programmers. This presentation will highlight college-level learning products, including the Science of Agriculture collection, addressing key concepts in soil, environmental, food and animal sciences. These products support an inquiry-based approach and the construction, not just transmission, of knowledge. They are designed to support change in the learner - such as a change in knowledge, action, or belief - by offering ways to engage with the content that lead to that change - such as questioning what is known, being surprised by new information, or understanding content in a new context. The team conducts research into best practices to enhance accessibility and DEI of educational games and online interactives for all audiences: these considerations are integrated into the design process and throughout development and testing with audiences. Learning Games Lab interactive modules related to agricultural science exceeded half a million plays in 2022, while animated videos related to agriculture were viewed 96,922 times on YouTube. Mobile apps on these topics were downloaded 48,334 times. Overall, college-level digital media tools related to agriculture were used 654,432 times in 2022. They are available free at learninggameslab.org

Presented by: Shari Moxley
University of Arkansas
Authored by: M. E. Betsy Garrison | Shari Moxley | Kathi Jogan | Isabelle Caldwell
University of Arkansas | University of Arkansas | University of Arkansas | University of Arkansas 

Mental health challenges are growing in the U.S, including for students in college. The purpose of the presentation is to illustrate the integration Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training into animal sciences at institutions of higher education. A MHFA pilot course was taught by two instructors to several students and an instructor from an Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT) course, in a single session on a Sunday in fall 2022. To investigate the effectiveness of MHFA training, all students in the EAAT course completed, during class time, paper versions of a pre- and post-test about Mental Health Knowledge (MHK) based on the Multiple-Choice Knowledge of Mental Illnesses Test (MC-KOMIT) prior to the completion of MHFA pre-work and then at the end of the semester. As indicated in its name, the MC-KOMIT comprises 33 multiple-choice test questions about mental health disorders. Student scores by question for correctness were entered into SPSS and a total score was computed for the pre- and then post -test. Sixteen students completed both the pre- and post-tests. The mean of the pre-test percentiles was 51% (SD = 0.14). The mean of the post-test percentiles was 50% (SD = 0.15). To test the difference in MHK between students who were trained in MHFA and those who were not, a change score variable was computed and then a t-test analysis conducted. The results indicated that MHFA training made a difference (t = 1.91, p = 0.04). In general, these results suggest that students in the Animal Sciences could benefit from more information being taught about mental health in their degree programs as the highest score from the MHK would have yielded a letter grade of C, on a 10-point grading scale. Although more research is needed, the results also suggest that MHFA training improves students MHK.

Presented by: Ma. Gweneth Abit
Oklahoma State University
Authored by: Ma. Gweneth Abit | Beatrix Haggard | Ifekristi Ogunwobi
Oklahoma State University | Oklahoma State University | University of Florida 

Introductory courses have a lasting impact on students entering all higher education institutions. Many of these courses act as a moment in a student's career to realize they are now in charge of creating their study material. This is important, but it is also critical that students have the necessary skills to transition from high school to college. One crucial step is the ability to take notes. Discussions with students concerning poor exam performance before and after the COVID-19 pandemic had brought changes to the educational approach worldwide, it is consistent that they do not feel comfortable taking notes and do not know how to study. Hence, this research was conducted to determine if students believed they were more prepared for taking notes if they had an outline of notes, and 2) that the course notes helped them in class. A survey was conducted for PLNT1213 an introductory course in Agronomy at OSU, with 300 total respondents. It was revealed that 32.41% of the students felt that they had adrenaline taking notes by hand and 24.25% felt anxious while taking notes at average writing speed (48.28%). To help them write notes and cope with the lecture, many of them (47.69%) prefer a mix of provided notes and a handwritten note-taking system. Moreover, with the structure of PLNT1213 course notes, most of the students prefer to have guided notes where the heading and subheadings are printed, and they will be the ones who will fill in their notes in the blanks provided during class. Based on the responses gathered, we can conclude that writing notes by hand could impact students by causing them to feel anxious. As a result, a combination of provided notes can assist students in taking important notes.

Presented by: Jason Dossett
University of Florida
Authored by: Jason Dossett | Heather Nesbitt | R. G. (Tre) Easterly III
University of Florida | University of Florida | University of Florida 

Professional learning communities (PLC) have become an integral piece of professional development for teachers. A PLC is a group of teachers sharing and interrogating their practice in an ongoing, reflective, collaborative, inclusive, learning-oriented, growth-promoting way. The Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAPs) are Florida's standard for effective teaching. According to the FEAPs, "the effective educator consistently examines and uses data-informed research to improve instruction and student achievement." Because University of Florida agriculture preservice teachers meet for reflection throughout the student-teaching semester, university supervisors implemented a PLC to make the use of the meeting time more purposeful. The PLCs were held periodically throughout the semester while preservice teachers were interning. The PLC was introduced before student teaching, then the preservice teachers participated in two PLCs. Preservice teachers were given a topic to discuss during their PLCs, including formative assessment, motivating students to learn, and problem-based learning. The objective of this qualitative case study was to determine students' perceptions of the PLC process. A focus group was conducted at the conclusion of the PLC experience where students were asked questions related to their experience in the PLC. Three themes emerged. The themes were working with peers toward a common goal, understanding PLC use in their professional career, and deeper understanding of the topics studied in groups. Two changes are being implemented to the PLC process. Moving forward, guest speakers will be invited to the PLC. Student teachers will also have more control of selecting topics for the PLC. We recommend that others utilizing this approach make it an integral part of the student teaching experience.

Presented by: Mary Mahan
Tennessee Tech University
Authored by: Mary Mahan | Dennis Duncan | Ciana Bowhay
Tennessee Tech University | Tennessee Tech University | Tennessee Tech University 

A plethora of research has been conducted to gauge which "soft skills" are most highly valued by industry leaders of new hires. Additionally, numerous investigations have sought to determine if and how higher education institutions are responsible for aiding college students in developing "soft skills" - more specially - critical thinking dispositions and skills that prepare them for the global workforce. This study aimed to determine how industry leaders perceive the critical thinking dispositions of their early-career (21-35 years) employees. Participants were chosen based on their current positions and relationship with the School of Agriculture at state university. A modified version of the University of Florida - Engagement, Cognitive Maturity, and Innovativeness (EMI) instrument captured early-career employees' critical thinking dispositions. Preliminary data suggest that early-career employees strive to be well informed (3.9/5.0), can get along with people who do not share the same opinions (3.9/5.0) and are looking for opportunities to solve problems (3.6/5.0). However, they are lacking in their ability to find multiple solutions to problems (3.0/5.0), relate to a wide variety of issues (3.1/5.0), and consider the facts and not let biases affect their decisions (3.1/5.0). Therefore, developing courses and/or pedagogical strategies and encouraging/requiring internships at higher education institutions that promote critical thinking skills and more importantly focus on the variables in this study that ranked lower will assist students in becoming more valuable contributors to the global workforce.

Presented by: Paige Luck
North Carolina State University
Authored by: Jessica L. White | Paige Luck
North Carolina State University | North Carolina State University 

The food manufacturing industry is facing labor shortages, which were further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Introduction to Food Science course offered by North Carolina State University's Department of Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition Sciences is aimed at providing undergraduate students with a clear understanding of food science and a variety of career tracks in the food industry. The course materials utilize traditional classroom tools such as in-person and flipped lectures, videos, and quizzes. Interactive food safety investigation scenarios and career videos of individuals working in food science were added to increase inquiry-driven learning in a large 200-person, mixed in-person and asynchronous online course. This research project evaluated the efficacy of interactive learning tools to both engage students in the course materials and pique their interest in food science careers. The study results clearly demonstrated that the level of knowledge about food science increased for most students, including topics like career opportunities in the food industry, food product marketing and sensory characteristics, interaction between ingredients in food systems, and chemical, microbiological, and engineering principles used in food preservation and processing. Students also say they have a better understanding of the governmental regulation on food labeling and food industry marketing as well as an understanding of the global food market compared to the US market. More than half of the students say they have strengthened their critical thinking and communication skills throughout the course and around three-fourths of students confirmed they could describe the diversity of career opportunities in the food industry after the course. The interactive food safety investigations and career videos are successful teaching tools to increase student engagement and further fuel student interest in food science careers.

Presented by: Hannah C. Parker
The Ohio State University
Authored by: Hannah C. Parker
The Ohio State University

Educators recognize the importance of intrinsic motivators. However, facilitating student autonomy within the classroom poses more challenges, when historically, motivators have been extrinsic (grades, rewards, deadlines). Autonomy is a central explanatory concept under Self Determination Theory that describes an individual’s power to use one’s will, volition, and self-endorsement during their own behavior regulation and initiation. Autonomy-supportive instructional behaviors (ASIB), provide opportunities for student choice and differentiated instruction, leading to increased student motivation. School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) offers a unique educational context to provide autonomy-supportive teaching. This study aimed to explore the ways Ohio SBAE teachers used ASIB to support student intrinsic motivation and internalization. The objectives of this study sought to explore how Ohio SBAE teachers perceived how they used and demonstrated autonomy-supportive instructional behaviors within a total agriscience program. This qualitative case study was bound by Ohio SBAE teachers who express student-directed, autonomous programs. Six teachers participated in semi-structured interviews and three teachers were purposively sampled for program observation and Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) document analysis. Three themes emerged from the data: (1) Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk: Modeling Program Culture of Autonomy, (2) Perceived Autonomy-Support and (3) Individualized Development Before Award Recognition. It is recommended that SBAE teachers model autonomy-supportive behaviors to establish a program culture of autonomy. Further, teacher educators can also adopt and model ASIB within a college context when teaching preservice teachers. Teacher educators are encouraged to develop lessons which focus on ASIB and guide reflections after microteachings and lesson plan evaluations that include strategies to support student autonomy. Future research should explore students' perspectives on teacher autonomy-supportive instructional behaviors. Understanding student interests can guide instruction and offer greater opportunities for students to experience true autonomy. 

Presented by: Bryan A. Reiling
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Authored by: Bryan A. Reiling | Nathan W. Conner | Taylor K. Ruth | Christopher T. Stripling
University of Nebraska-Lincoln | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | University of Tennessee 

Ability of agriculture to supply an abundance of inexpensive food is interconnected to science. Yet, two-thirds of 2019 high school graduates, who completed the ACT, did not meet college readiness science benchmarks, and agricultural science is not considered an attractive career option despite a shortage of graduates for agricultural career opportunities. The pedagogical concept of inquiry-based learning (IBL) is designed to make students think rather than memorize. By asking students to hypothesize, test and collect data, then analyze and draw conclusions from that data, students learn to solve problems. In addition, by providing real-world context, we stimulate interest and engage youth in science and related agricultural career opportunities, imperative for long-term agricultural sustainability. Through receipt of a USDA-PDAL (Professional Development, Agricultural Literacy) grant, six IBL activities were developed to showcase six different Animal Science disciplines that simultaneously demonstrated at least one scientific principle of biology, chemistry, or physics that is commercially applicable and used in agriculture and/or the food industry. Thirty-two secondary agriculture and science teachers from Nebraska and Tennessee then participated in one of two 5-day workshops where teachers played the role of students as they actively engaged with the 6 different IBL activities. Upon completion of each IBL activity, group discussion focused on classroom implementation strategies and management. Then, as teachers became more comfortable in utilization of IBL pedagogy, 16 pairs of teachers were further challenged to develop their own IBL activity and lesson plans for incorporation into the classroom. Upon conclusion of the 5-day workshop, participating teachers were tasked with implementing each of the 6 program-developed IBL activities, plus their own teacher-developed IBL activity, into their high school curriculum throughout the 2022-23 academic year.

Presented by: Dusti Ingles
Iowa State University
Authored by: Dusti Ingles | Michael Retallick
Iowa State University | Iowa State University

Reflection is integral to the experiential learning process (Kolb, 1984). Experiential learning supports reflection and transfer of learning, providing foundational skills that contribute to lifelong learning (American Association of Colleges & Universities, 2009). Preflection, Experience, Reflection, and Transfer (PERT) operationalize the experiential learning process in teaching (Retallick, 2010). 4-H popularized "Do, Reflect, Apply" as a reflection cycle for delivering the Experiential Learning Model to learners (Diem, 2001). Together, PERT and the 4-H Experiential Learning Model align to implement Experiential Learning Theory in formal education. Science with Practice (SWP) exemplifies these principles as an experiential learning program and academic course at Iowa State University (Retallick et al., 2009). PERT was used in curriculum design with "Do, Reflect, Apply" prompts providing structure for student reflection. Students in SWP generate a learning agreement detailing a description of the planned experience and their expectations (preflection). They construct a portfolio including journal entries in the form of biweekly reflections (formative reflection), and a final reflection (summative reflection). The purpose of this study was to compare preflection, early/late formative reflection, and summative reflection in SWP portfolios. Reflective writing was assessed for content and quality of reflective practice. Findings document development of reflective practice over time with an emphasis on the importance of examining types of reflection and the intentional guidance of reflection. Students effectively reflect on their experience with the use of prompts. They recognize growth and development throughout the course when reviewing the learning agreement and journal reflections. Executing the "Do, Reflect, Apply" reflection model is an effective strategy for completing the PERT experiential learning process and developing lifelong learning skills. The duration of the course, one semester, was a limiting factor in measuring depth of reflection and extent of student transformation.

Presented by: Geovani Ayala
University of Georgia
Authored by: Geovani Ayala
University of Georgia 

It has been 40 years since the decline in the production of minority scientists, known as the leaky pipeline, was identified as an educational and workforce problem. The leaky pipeline has been studied by researchers and academics working to diversify and sustain interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (S.T.E.M.). Agricultural-related Studies and the workforce have not been sheltered from student retention issues and suffer from the same leaky pipeline. The [University] developed an intervention that prepares teachers to recruit and retain underrepresented minority (URM) students in the agricultural and life sciences. The Urban Agricultural and Life Sciences Academy (U.A.L.S.A.) is a federally-funded residential professional development program aimed at training agriculture teachers from three urban schools to write and implement culturally responsive lessons in their classrooms. Through an online questionnaire made up of 49 Likert-type and open-ended questions, participants were asked to evaluate their experience during the 4-day summer program that focused on training teachers to implement culturally responsive pedagogy. The following research objectives guide the study: 1) Describe teachers' perceived knowledge about culturally responsive pedagogy; 2) Describe teachers' understanding of culturally responsive pedagogy; 3) Describe teachers' confidence levels using culturally responsive pedagogy. In both 2021 and 2022, 11 participants responded that they were satisfied or highly satisfied with the culturally responsive trainings. In addition, participants responded that they were satisfied or highly satisfied with all but one field experience. Participants also provided short answers on what they learned. Overall, participants were slightly confident they could implement culturally responsive pedagogy but needed more time to write lessons and practice strategies in order to be more confident. The U.A.L.S.A. will continue in the subsequent year but will add more time for engagement in culturally responsive practices. Implications of these findings for teachers and students are also discussed.

Presented by: Patricia Marie Cordero-Irizarry
Mississippi State University
Authored by: Patricia Marie Cordero-Irizarry | Carley C. Morrison
Mississippi State University | Mississippi State University 

Asynchronous courses have proliferated amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Many students prefer the flexibility of these courses because it gives them the liberty of distributing time on their terms. However, the key to students' success in this unconventional format relies on the clarity of course expectations and the instructors' timely feedback. As a result of the pandemic, we restructured a 16-week, face-to-face presentation-heavy course to be delivered asynchronously online, during a new 5-week term offered over the winter break, to meet the needs of students who are unable to attend class in a traditional manner. One challenge for the students enrolled lies in balancing the workload with the holiday festivities. Therefore, we focused on building rapport with them by sending weekly assignments reminders and tips for success, and individually contacting students to help keep them on track. The course was designed to guide students with modules and assignment instructions pre-uploaded. Each weekly module was structured in two sections, the first contained all resources needed to successfully complete the assignments for that week, and the second contained all assignments required to complete the module requirements. Moreover, students were required to interact with each component of the individual module for the next module to be accessed. Assignments were thoroughly detailed, strategically timed, and graded with abundant feedback. The successful delivery of the course is supported by positive student comments stating that the instructors were, "great at grading assignments in a timely manner with plenty of feedback to improve"¦work". We encourage faculty who are transitioning into asynchronous delivery to consider this format as the "setup worked perfectly. It was easy to navigate in Canvas and made it easy to know what was expected". If we want our students to succeed, it is crucial that we clearly communicate what is expected.

Presented by: Hongwei Li
Windward Community College, University of Hawaii
Authored by: Hongwei Li | Teena Michael
Windward Community College, University of Hawaii | Windward Community College, University of Hawaii

Agripharmatech is a STEM-rich CTE program at Windward Community College that provides students a unique learning experience in both academic and CTE education, and aims to promote student transfer to 4-year institutions and development of workforce skills. The program offers Certificates of Achievement with two specializations, (1) Plant Biotechnology that focuses on the tissue culture-based plant propagation and molecular techniques for microbiological analysis of plants and foods, and (2) Ethnopharmacognosy that focuses on the analysis of nutritional and medicinal values of plants and development of value-added foods and bioproducts. Over 90% of courses that are offered by the program and fulfill the requirement for the Certificates of Achievement are STEM courses in Botany, Microbiology, and Biology. To enhance student learning in CTE and promote workforce skill development, the following strategies were adopted in our teaching: (1) align the techniques and hard skills developed from the hands-on activities in the STEM courses with the industry recognized standards and/or duties in the job description of related occupations; (2) use the research-based and project-based learning to bridge the gap between the traditional STEM course learning outcomes and the skill sets required for workforce; (3) engage students in the work-based learning through practicum, internships, industry tours, and student-led enterprises; (4) encourage students to participate in the events organized by education or industry partners, local communities and professional societies. The integration of heavy STEM curriculum in CTE not only promotes student's better understanding of their career pathways, but also makes the STEM contents more applicable and relevant, which increases student's interest in both CTE and STEM education.

Presented by: Nathan Conner
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Authored by: Becky Haddad
University of Nebraska-Lincoln 

As a teacher preparation team, we have struggled to support our students in adopting sustainable planning processes that they implement beyond their pre-service program. To promote broader planning adoption and create additional synergy between our methods and program planning courses, we redesigned our lesson planning template and aligning feedback mechanism. Our aim was to support sustainable planning practices and provide more useable and processable feedback. We recognized the need for pre-service teachers to utilize provided feedback to grow, but we saw a discrepancy in how teachers processed rubrics and subsequently implemented changes in their planning for instruction. We maintained core components of lesson planning, including context/set, essential question/objective, learning activity, summary, and closure/review. One significant goal of our planning template was to push pre-service teachers to engage active learning processes in their classrooms; while modeled, we found our pre-service teachers often defaulted to direct instruction in their facilitation. To accomplish this, we added columns to each learning activity asking our pre-service teachers to elaborate what they would do and what their students would do. A secondary goal was supporting pre-service teachers in developing their technical teaching skill, including using transitions and incorporating review. To support advancing in these structures, we added "where have you been" and "where are you going" questions above each context/set component. We also added summary and transition spaces between learning activities and subsequent context. Our adapted rubric now aligns more closely with the specific elements needed to advance each component of the lesson plan by using supporting questions that promote continued reflection and development even after the feedback is given. The lesson planning and feedback processes outlined above can support others in their development of pre-service educators or in their own teaching and peer review processes.