prepared to solve ill-structured problems because they rarely are required to do so during their education or training. Recognizing the need for students to develop competencies in problem-solving, current trends in pedagogy emphasize student
Interest in horticulture in Wyoming increases each year. The vast size of the state, coupled with its low population, make travel to individual sites around the state difficult. Distance education and communication are keys to a successful horticulture Extension education program. Every summer since 2000, the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service has sponsored a series of horticulture question and answer sessions. These sessions are carried out using the Wyoming compressed video system, linking campus-based specialists with Extension educators, Master Gardeners, industry, and occasionally the public, around the state. The number of sites linked with campus has varied from six to 11, depending on the year. The number of sessions held each summer has also varied, from the current six to a high of nine in 2000. Each session is 50 minutes long. The objective of these sessions is to allow personnel off-campus to show samples, ask questions, and get assistance from campus-based specialists in diagnosing various plant problems. Evaluations are done annually to determine several things: if the programs should be run again the next year, which days of the week and time of the day are best, if attendees are utilizing the information learned in the sessions, and if they feel more comfortable with their own diagnoses after the sessions. Responses vary with year, but typically 100% say the programs should continue, and greater than 75% use the information they learn and are more comfortable with their responses and their abilities to solve plant problems.
Historically horticulture students have received excellent scientific and technical training through their degree programs but they must rely on internships to develop the implementation skills and “hands-on” experiences necessary to be successful. With the use of creative term projects, many problem solving opportunities can be integrated into the curriculum enhancing synthesis level decision making. At Texas Tech this is accomplished by identifying a campus interiorscape requiring renovation. Interior Plants students are then asked to develop a design solution which utilizes existing plant materials. The designs are evaluated and the best one is selected. The class then installs the design providing them the chance to select estimate and source materials within a limited budget, work with clients, comply with state operating procedures, and coordinate with various campus work units. The project provides the students with the transition experience from lecture to implementation while instilling self-confidence.
Horticulture graduates entering the landscape industry will be faced with a multitude of complicated management decisions where they will need to integrate their understanding of plant science, site constraints, state and federal environmental regulations, and the human impact on the built landscape. To help students develop and refine their problem-solving skills, an interactive online case study was created. The case study was used in two different landscape horticulture courses at Iowa State University and Oregon State University. The case study centers on a residential backyard with eight landscape problem scenarios. Each scenario is identified on the clickable landscape map of the area and contains links to audio files, PDF documents, images, and Internet links. After investigating each scenario, students submit an analysis, diagnosis, and recommendation about the landscape problem via WebCT or Blackboard, depending on the institution. Student evaluation of the case study as a teaching tool was positive (3.5, where 1 = poor; 5 = excellent). Students answered additional questions using a scale where 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree. As a result of using this teaching tool, students felt that they were able to summarize the data (3.9), diagnose the landscape problem (3.9), and make a recommendation to the homeowner (3.6). Further, they felt this teaching tool was an effective way to deliver information (3.9); the interactive format aided their learning (3.7); that they were comfortable using a web-based format (4.2); and they liked learning using case studies (4.1). Our goal is to make the case-study framework available to other teaching colleagues who can then add their own data.
The Home and Garden Information Center was established in 1989 to provide accurate and up-to-date environmental horticulture information to the general public. Maryland residents can speak to trained horticultural consultants 5 days per week via a toll-free number and have 24 hour per day access to pre-recorded tapes covering 23 subjects. The original automated phone system was replaced in May 1995 with a more sophisticated system. The newly designed and implemented system is the first of its kind in the United States. The AT&T Conversant Phone System includes a MAP (multi-application platform), which handles incoming calls and uses advanced speech recognition technology. Other system components include a monitor, keyboard, printer, UPS, and software. The new phone system menus were designed by the authors; the software was written by engineers at AGT International. The menus design is logical and subject-driven. Callers can move quickly through the system using a combination of touch tone and voice input. Clients can speak with a consultant at any time by pressing “0” and can access information and self-help problem diagnostic tapes by entering the four-digit tape number or by navigating menus. Subject tips are also available and are updated every 2 weeks. As of Dec. 1995, >270,000 calls were handled. More than 150,000 callers were assisted by Center staff.
Abstract
Horticultural research exists for one purpose - to gain through basic or applied investigations knowledge useful to man in growing and using plants as food and to improve his environment.
Over the past decade, the University of California Statewide IPM Project has been extending pest management information electronically to farmers, pest management consultants, landscapers, and home gardeners. During this session we will demonstrate the Project's web site (http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu) and a CD-ROM developed to assist horticulture advisors, Master Gardeners, retail nursery personnel, and others who help gardeners manage pest problems. We will discuss considerations in using these programs for extending information, keeping the programs up-to-date, and integrating them into educational programs. The CD-ROM covers 40 vegetables and tree fruits, allowing users to specify visual symptoms, describe a situation, or look at color photos, video images, or line drawings to help identify the problem. Twenty-five to 35 different pests are included for each crop, with thousands of photo images. An ornamentals module will be added in 1998. Once the problem is identified, the system provides screens to confirm pest identity, learn about biology and damage, and choose management practices. For instance, users can view several common natural enemies for a pest, look up the relative toxicity of pesticides, or get details on how to prune to avoid stressing a tree. Choices focus on methods to reduce pesticide use. The program is being developed with cooperators at Oregon State University and Washington State University, and with guidance of end users. The UC IPM web site includes information on biology and management of hundreds of insect, pathogen, weed, and nematode pests on 35 crops and in landscapes and gardens with thousands of color photos linked through hypertext. Other databases on the site include weather databases, pesticide use data, and phenology databases for pests.
are doing well at training our students technically, but our graduates require more training in communications, critical thinking/problem solving, and leadership/management to be competitive in the job market. Matteson et al. (2016) noted that in the
), listening, time management, collaboration and team work, leadership, etiquette, and problem solving ( Andrews and Higson, 2008 ; Crosbie, 2005 ; Heckman and Kautz, 2012 ; Robles, 2012 ). Industry employment need surveys have identified a demand and
's shoes: Decide what test(s) you would run to sort out the problem. Justify your decision to run each test and keep track of the costs by completing the TMBF. The goal is to solve the problem while spending the least amount of money, but time is of the