Presented By: Chelsea Arnold, West Texas A&M University

Junior and senior level agribusiness courses are often strongly focused on the preparing of students for entrance to their future careers. This project presents an explanation of the restructuring of the course Advanced Agribusiness Management, a senior level course. It was restructured from the conventional pedagogical methodologies to embrace an innovative approach centered around experiential learning and building a classroom community of peers. Historically, this class and its lectures with PowerPoint slides, quizzes, and exams were the foundation of the course with one end-of-the semester group project; while students still succeeded in this format, a new approach was introduced.

In this restructured course, every class meeting was based on interactive activities, small and large group discussions, casual debates, and mini case studies to engage students and allow them to connect to the material both on a personal and professional level. The shift in focus was a deliberate move to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, aligning the learning process with the complexities and intricacies of the agribusiness industry. The absence of traditional PowerPoint lectures, quizzes, and exams allowed for a more fluid and dynamic learning environment. Daily, students were actively involved in applying advanced concepts to authentic agribusiness challenges. Allowing students to focus on their collaborative and problem-solving skills, preparing them for the demands of careers in agribusiness sector.

This project will showcase the innovative instructional strategies employed, illustrating how each class session became a forum for hands-on learning experiences and include commentary from previous students that participated in the class and are now in their career fields. Attendees will gain insights into the benefits of this learning approach, including increased student motivation, improved retention of knowledge, and enhanced readiness for real-world agribusiness scenarios.