Refined teaching methods, systems thinking, and experiential approaches enhanced students learning through COVID‐19

Abstract

The Soil Nutrient Relationships course serves juniors and seniors with a major or minor in agronomy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Pre-pandemic enrollment averaged 65 students. In 2021 and 2022, course enrollment was 42 and 55, respectively. The course was adjusted to a flipped design in 2017. Moving into 2021, the Soil Nutrient Relationships course underwent a major overhaul by changing the content source materials and organization of lab activities while maintaining the flipped delivery format. While responding to the COVID-19 pandemic limitations, the redesign was intended to focus limited face-to-face meetings (in person or webconference) on problem-solving activities. This paper reports on course redesign emphasizing changes for and since the pandemic. Surveys were used in both 2021 and 2022 to assess students' learning and reception to the course design. In surveys, students responded that they gained knowledge in all course learning objectives and increased both problem-solving and systems approach skills. The overall responses were similar between 2021 and 2022; however, one difference was that students placed a higher value on the in-person discussion and lecture in 2022 relative to Zoom discussion or video lecture in 2021. Despite working on similar problem-solving activities, 81% responded that discussion helped with problem solving skills when done via Zoom in 2021 while 88% responded that in person discussion helped with problem-solving skills in 2022. Smaller group sizes used in 2021 seemed to improve student opinions of learning; this is the one change that instructors plan to use in the future.

Unearthing green potential: Assessing the state of managed urban landscape curricula in Minnesota's higher education institutions

“…Solutions to such complex problems as those caused or exacerbated by climate change rarely lie solely within one domain of knowledge or expertise but rather incorporate aspects that combine social, ecological, and technological factors (Branny et al., 2022). There is a strong need then to facilitate and foster the growth of interdisciplinary and critical thinking as it is “pivotal for the training and success of future leaders and decision makers,” working with managed urban landscapes (Ortez et al., 2023). Another complicating factor is related to the significant need for workers responsible for managed urban landscapes with an estimated growth rate of 9% between 2018 and 2028, outpacing many other occupations (BLS, 2019).…”