Hybrid/virtual field trips created for introductory and advanced soil science courses Students found the hybrid/virtual field trips informative, interesting and enjoyable Students liked the flexibility of the virtual format 42% preferred a virtual field trip while 39% preferred an in-person field trip Virtualizing Soil Science Field Trips

COVID-19 restrictions required a transition of our Soil Science and Forest Soils courses to an online format. A pre-transition survey found that ∼10% of students enrolled in our courses lacked high-speed internet capable of streaming videos and/or computers compatible with the applications in our Learning Management System (LMS). To ensure that students with limited internet or technology were not left behind, we adopted a low-tech/bandwidth delivery (slides + transcript with LMS-delivered assessments) of all lectures and recitation activities. Students could also complete either a low-tech/bandwidth (lab slides + transcripts) or hightech/bandwidth lab option (delivered via video). Upon completion, students were surveyed to assess preferences and perceptions which are vital in understanding how our approach impacted student motivation, engagement with the material, and overall course satisfaction. Despite 90% of the students having access to high-speed internet, ∼45% of the students used the low-tech solutions either exclusively or half the time, even when high-tech options (such as video) were available. Overall, students felt the low-tech/bandwidth delivery of the lecture (∼87%) and recitation (∼76%) material was effective. Students (∼74%) also reported that online delivery of the lab material effectively supported their learning and was an effective replacement for the in-lab learning experience. Students preferred in-person to online delivery (63 vs. 17%) with 20% undecided. Noting the flexibility and organization of the course, 69% of the students felt the online delivery of our courses was more effective than their other courses despite, or perhaps because of, the lack of high-tech delivery. Our experience demonstrates one approach to adapting an in-person course to a virtual environment that considers inequities in broadband and technology access. Despite being perceived as effective by our students, low-tech options were less preferred than inperson instruction suggesting that, while effective, it was not viewed as equivalent.

Beginning abruptly in the second half of the Spring 2020 semester at Purdue University, we modified our teaching approach in Introductory Soil Science and Forest Soils courses (AGRY 255/270) with a combined annual enrollment of ∼370 students to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. In that semester, we went to entirely virtual lecture, lab, and discussion sessions with limited instructor-to-student interaction to reduce the spread of COVID-19. From Fall 2020 to Spring 2022, we re-instituted many of our pre-COVID-19 practices, with some COVID-19 modifications, as we adjusted to the new normal. These modifications included (1) an introductory video released at the start of the semester to explain the course structure and expectations for students who begin the semester ill or in quarantine and could not attend the first lecture in-person or live virtual, (2) lectures and exam reviews delivered in multiple formats (i.e., in-person, live over Zoom, and recorded/pre-recorded) to increase student access to these materials throughout the semester, (3) allowing early access to weekly online lab materials at the completion of the previous week (instead of after the next week's lecture) to allow students 3 more days to complete the online portion of the lab, and (4) creating digital versions (photographs and videos) of the hands-on lab materials and virtual field trips for students in quarantine or with excused absences. When activities were primarily virtual, we found email reminders were needed to make sure that students stayed on task and met course deadlines. Adjustments necessary during the early days of the pandemic that were not continued include (1) an assigned and supervised 1-h lab time (rather than unscheduled and self-guided student access to the lab) and (2) online live exams.