Agricultural Service Laboratory Based Learning in Soil Science Education.

The Agricultural Service Laboratory in Clemson, SC provides analytical agricultural tests, including soil testing. We have developed a hands-on exercise utilizing the laboratory that gives college students an opportunity to collect their own soil samples, fill out submission forms and experience a guided tour of the Agricultural Service Laboratory to visualize soil testing procedures. Seventy one Clemson University students from various fields (forestry, wildlife biology, and environmental science) had a field trip and a hands-on experience with the laboratory during FNR 204: Soil Information Systems course taught in the fall 2009. Students were then asked to fill out a survey providing answers to 11 questions related to their learning experience and helpfulness of the laboratory in their preparation for the class quiz and exam, as well as their overall satisfaction with the Agricultural Service Laboratory. Eighty seven percent of the students had never visited the Agricultural Service Laboratory prior to this field trip and 24 percent of the students did not know about the Laboratory’s existence. Ninety percent of the students thought that the visit to the laboratory would be helpful with preparation for class quizzes and exams, and 70 percent of the students would recommend that their friends visit this laboratory in their free time. Overall, student responses to the questionnaire about their experience at the Agricultural Service Laboratory were positive, indicating that incorporating laboratory-based learning can enhance soil science education.