Wednesday, November 15, 2006 - 2:00 PM
226-1
Fostering Autonomous Learning in Production Agriculture.
The Illinois State University Crop Production and Marketing Contest incorporates the four components of the Kolb model to enhance student learning. The contest was based upon pedagogical research that supports the theory that student comprehension is increased through critical thinking exercises and application of course concepts to real-world situations. The contest was designed to enhance learning by requiring students to develop and implement crop production and marketing strategies on a two-hectare plot of University farmland, which encouraged critical evaluation of classroom instruction. To evaluate whether participation in the contest enhanced learning, the decisions and reflections made by two participants were qualitatively evaluated. Students kept a journal to record their decisions throughout a growing season. Reflection was achieved by having the students review their decisions and discus them with fellow participants, professionals in the agriculture industry, and faculty members. Students indicated that participation in the contest had positively impacted their knowledge of agricultural practices, increased their self-confidence when interacting with farmers and agribusiness personnel, and improved their leadership skills.
Recorded presentation