Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/15
Outputs
Target Audience:This project resulted in experiential learning in plants sciences through the development ofaugmented reality games that were played on a smartphone or tablet by students in a plant progagation course at the University of Minnesota. The primary audience was undergraduate students in HORT 1001 Plant Propagation at the University of Minnesota in year 2013 (120 students) and 2014 (120 students). The secondary audience was graduate students at the University of Minnesota who were teaching assistants in applied plant science courses who learned to develop augmented reality games and integrate them into courses to enhance active learning. Two graduate students were engaged with developing augmented reality games in 2012 and 2013, and 6 additional students developed other active learning assignments as a result of this project in 2015 for courses where active learning assignments of the type developed through this project had not been previously used. Finally the tertiary audience for this project was applied plant science instructors who became engaged with the project through three workshops (approximately 30 instructors) during the life of the project or who worked with the TAs to integrate new active learning exercises into their courses. Changes/Problems:I was late with my final report due to teaching and research workload. Thank you for your patience. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Three seminars were presented in the Department of Horticultural Science to acquaint faculty, graduate students and staff with experiential learning exercises using online technologies, and in particular the use of gaming in learning. These seminars were reported in the publications section under "other". InJune 2015 we matched six graduate students with six faculty mentors who were teaching courses in academic year 2015-16. Over the course of four workshops held from June -August 2015 the graduate students worked with each other and with six faculty mentors to develop active learning exercises for the courses taught by the mentors. The projects, courses, and number of undergraduate students engaged in the projects were reported in the section on how the project goals were accomplished. This strategy, of matching graduate students with faculty mentors, engaging the graduate students in the development of exercises that were then used by the faculty in their courses, was a highly effective way of actually moving the ideas developed by this project into action. Through this strategy we actively engaged234 undergraduate students, 6 graduate students and 6 faculty in active learning exercises based on findings from this project. And even better, since these exercises were successful it is quite likely they will be used in these classes again next year and on into the future! Next time I will base my training and professional developement approach on this model of engaging graduate students as a way of integrating activites into courses. Faculty are just too busy, in many cases, to take on the extra effort required to develop and integrate these new approaches. But graduate students are eager to try new approaches, and I find that faculty trust them to develop solid active learning exercises. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have reported our findings through several conferences at professional societies as reported in the Publications section. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Three active learning exercises using augmented reality gameplay were developed for use in an undergraduate Plant Propgation courseat the University of Minnesota. Each exercise used a different approach. One was a virtual field trip where students visited a display and trial garden on campus where they accessed a map ontheir smartphone or tablet, visited stations identified on the map, received video instruction about the morphologic characteristics of plants at that site, posted their own findings to online social networks, and passed a plant morphology quiz. A second exercises focused on experimental design and challenged students to arrange experimental units (pots of turfgrasses) in ways appropriate to various experimental designs. The third exercise required students to find and post pictures and descriptions of examples on trees of wound healing from accidents (eg mower deck abrasion), predation (rodent chewing), pruning or grafting. The posts were associated with map coordinates so other students could identify the tree location and access the student comments. These three exercises were assigned to students in 2012, 2013 and 2014 to roughly 120 students each year for a total of 360 students. One active learning exercise was assignedin a turfgrass class in 2013 that required students to develop their own augmented reality game. Six active learning exercises were developed by graduate students in 2015 for use in six undergraduateapplied plant science courses. Approximately 70 students used their smartphone cameras to document plants in aCrops, Environment, and Society class. Students seemed to enjoy collecting plants through images rather than physical collections. There were some difficulties utilizing a mapping application. The lab notebooks/reports appeared to be of higher quality than in previous semesters. In a Plant Breeding class, 42 students were placein groups and assigned atype of produce that is commonly sold in local grocery stores. Groups visited localgrocery stores and documented, using an onlinesocial media application,the different varieties of thatparticular type of produce that are sold in the Twin Cities. The project is still ongoing, but initial student reactions are positive. 30 students utilized an organic certification record keeping software tool to learn the requirements for organic certification. After the exercises the students participated in a discussion that confimed the benefits of completing the exercise using the record keeping application and suggested improvements for the next time the exercise was offered. In a fruit production and viticulture course 20 students developed a system plan for a farm that includes substantial fruit production. Google Maps application was used to draw and present the different components of the farm. After the project, students learned toexamine a selected area of land for diversified fruit production and visualize data for better decision making. Forty-two students in a woody crops identification course used an online website, accessed through their smartphones or tablets, tolocate, identify, and learn the morphological and environmental characteristics of gymnosperms common in the upper Midwest. Most students found that the website and map of plants was moderately useful for studying and it was moderately helpful to see fellow student's posts. Some found the site difficult to navigate, so changing the format to a Google map or some other common mapping application may be a better option. In an organic crop production course 30 students are showcasingtheir understanding of winter cover crop practices in the Upper Midwest by producing video case-study of a local farm that utilizes cover crops. This project is still in progress; at this point students seem to be fully engaged and the project is proceeding successfully.
Publications
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Watkins, E. 2014. Teaching horticulture by augmenting reality. In A. Anders and J. Moses (eds). Stories from faculty fellows: Adventures in technology-enhanced learning. Cultivating Change Series, Volume 3. Retrieved from https://cultivatingchange.wp.d.umn.edu/ffp/.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Watkins, E., and T. Michaels. Experiential learning in horticulture through augmented reality. Horticultural Science Department Seminar. April 15, 2015.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Watkins, E., R. Swenson, A. Smith, R. King. Panel discussion on experiential and
interdisciplinary learning. An Engaged College: Experiential, Interdisciplinary, and Intercultural Learning in CFANS. April 4, 2014.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2012
Citation:
Watkins, E. Teaching with technology at the U. Horticultural Science Department
Seminar. October 10, 2012.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2012
Citation:
Watkins, E., and T. Michaels. The potential of augmented reality for teaching
horticulture. Mobiles: An OIT Pecha Kucha event. April 12, 2012.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Guzey, S., T. Michaels, and E. Watkins. 2015. Experiential learning in the plant sciences through augmented reality. National Association for Research in Science Teaching Annual International Conference. Chicago, IL.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Watkins, E., T. Michaels, S. Guzey, J. Friell, and C. Dabney III. 2014. Horticulture instruction with augmented reality . ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meeting, Long Beach, CA.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2012
Citation:
Michaels, T. E. 2012. Strategies for Using An Active Learning Classroom: The Edible Landscape As a Case Study. In Rhodus, T. Changing the Pace - Adopting a Pechakucha Approach to Presentations. iBook accessed at http://ashsmedia.org/ibooks/
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2012
Citation:
Michaels, T. E. 2012. Strategies for Using An Active Learning Classroom: The Edible Landscape As a Case Study. ASHS Cooliris interactive 3D Wall accessed at http://tinyurl.com/2dbubh2.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2012
Citation:
Michaels, T. E. and C. Cisneros. 2012. Using student feedback to develop an active learning class format. National Forum on Improving Undergrad Education through Active Learning Spaces. Minneapolis, 4 August 2012 (workshop summary).
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Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/13
Outputs
Target Audience: Augmented reality (AR) field experiences were under development during this reporting period. One of us (Michaels) presented a seminar, “Active learning and augmented reality” for the 2012 Department of Horticultural Science Seminar Series where the target audience was faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota. Two of us (Watkins and Michaels) held a consultation with Dr. David Gagnon of the University of Wisconsin-Madison to address updates to Augmented Reality in Story-Telling (ARIS) software. This AR authoring software was developed by Dr. Gagnon’s team and used by us when developing our AR field experiences. Changes/Problems: An additional augmented reality field experience is planned for students in HORT 1014 The Edible Landscape for student enrolled in Spring 2014 using Google Maps rather than ARIS as the learning software used in the experience. This experience will be added as a way of assessing the use of field experiences in other courses and utilizing other software. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? We shared our experiences in developing the augmented reality field experiences with faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota through a departmental seminar We also held a consultation with Dr. David Gagnon of the University of Wisconsin-Madison to address updates to ARIS, the augmented reality software developed by Dr. Gagnon’s team and used by us in developing our AR field experiences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? We shared our experiences in developing the augmented reality field experiences with faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota through a departmental seminar. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? In Fall 2013 we will assign the two of the AR field experiences to students in HORT 1001 Plant Propagation. Examination and survey data regarding the students’ experiences with the technology and with the learning strategy will be collected. We will compare the responses of students in Fall 2013 to the multiple choice questions given to students in the Spring 2013 offering of HORT 1001 Plant Propagation (prior to the introduction of the augmented reality field experiences) as one way of determining whether the field experiences were effective in improving student learning.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We developed two AR field experiences using ARIS software for use in the Fall 2013 offering of HORT 1001 Plant Propagation. To ensure that all students had access to computing devices needed to complete the field experiences, we purchased twenty iPad Mini handheld computing devices and initiated a student check-out system so that students who did not already have access to an iOS could borrow one and use it to complete the field experience. We developed a set of multiple choice exam questions addressing student understanding of course content that was to be the subject of the AR field experiences. These questions were included in midterm examinations of students in the Spring 2013 version of HORT 1001 Plant Propagation - a semester when the augmented reality field experiences were not yet available to students. The same questions will be included in midterm examinations for students the Fall 2013 version of HORT 1001 Plant Propagation when the AR field experiences are to be assigned as homework. Responses to these questions from the two groups of students will be one way that we evaluate student learning from AR experiences. We shared our experiences in developing the augmented reality field experiences with faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota through a departmental seminar.
Publications
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