No abstract

The purpose of the qualitative study was to investigate instructors’ experiences of engaging non-traditional learners in eCampus. Online education was rapidly growing in many higher education institutions, especially during the pandemic. However, a high attrition rate could negatively impact student success. Research findings showed that engagement was a significant factor to increase students’ online retention. Due to the flexibility and accessibility of online education, there was a high demand among non-traditional learners. However, limited research has been conducted to explore instructors’ experiences while engaging non-traditional learners in eCampus. In the general qualitative study, twelve online instructors were recruited, and interviews and document analysis were used to collect data. The findings showed that instructors faced both challenges and opportunities while increasing engagement among non-traditional learners in online programs. These indicated the need for the diversity of course design, relationship and community building, the flexibility of engagement criteria, and the unpredictability of emotional engagement. Institutional support and resources were recommended to improve the future teaching practices and the success of online learners with underrepresented backgrounds.

Bacterial soft rot is one of the most destructive diseases of taro (Colocasia esculenta) worldwide. In recent years, frequent outbreaks of soft rot disease have seriously affected taro production and became a major constraint to the development of taro planting in China. However, little is known about the causal agents of this disease, and the only reported pathogens are two Dickeya species and P. carotovorum. In this study, we report taro soft rot caused by two novel Pectobacterium strains, LJ1 and LJ2, isolated from taro corms in Ruyuan County, Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province, China. We showed that LJ1 and LJ2 fulfill Koch’s postulates for taro soft rot. The two pathogens can infect taro both individually and simultaneously, and neither synergistic nor antagonistic interaction was observed between the two pathogens. Genome sequencing of the two strains indicated that LJ1 represents a novel species of the genus Pectobacterium, for which the name “Pectobacterium colocasium sp. nov.” is proposed, while LJ2 belongs to Pectobacterium aroidearum. Pan-genome analysis revealed multiple pathogenicity-related differences between LJ1, LJ2, and other Pectobacterium species, including unique virulence factors, variation in the copy number and organization of Type III, IV, and VI secretion systems, and differential production of plant cell wall degrading enzymes. This study identifies two new soft rot Pectobacteriaceae (SRP) pathogens causing taro soft rot in China, reports a new case of co-infection of plant pathogens, and provides valuable resources for further investigation of the pathogenic mechanisms of SRP.

No abstract