Source: ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
AUGMENTATION OF LANDSCAPE DESIGN CURRICULUM THROUGH THE INCORPORATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY PARADIGMS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0201306
Grant No.
2004-38820-15136
Cumulative Award Amt.
$161,061.00
Proposal No.
2004-02468
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 15, 2004
Project End Date
Sep 14, 2008
Grant Year
2004
Program Code
[EP.P4]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY
4900 MERIDIAN STREET
NORMAL,AL 35762
Performing Department
PLANT & SOIL SCIENCES
Non Technical Summary
Most of the students that attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities are high risk-individuals often coupled with specific learning requirements. In order to retain and graduate these students in programs where minorities are particularly underrepresented (agriculture and science disciplines) we intend to incorporate new technologies into our Landscape Design curriculum including utilizing video-streaming, online chats, discussions boards, and landscape design software to produce Ornamental Horticulture graduates who are more business oriented and technologically competent.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90360993020100%
Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
Goal 1: The proposed project will develop effective technology integrated curricula via UDL framework principles focused on students individual learning styles. Objective 1: To establish a library of multimedia resource material. A) This will be accomplished by video taping interviews of professional and industry personnel and provide online video-streaming access of these resources to students. B) To provide complete online supplementation of all Landscape Design core courses within three years. C) Evaluate student learning styles and utilize UDL principles to design teaching modalities. Information obtained from evaluations and questionnaires will be collected, collated, and transferred into a statistical database for analysis. Objective 2: A) To incorporate at least 20 hours of internships with industry businesses for each core course. B) To establish a Landscape Design CAD core curriculum course and integrate industry software and technology into other Landscape Design courses. Our existing landscape design class provides the students with the essential basic skills in design, installation, and maintenance of landscapes. The incorporation of a computer aided landscape design course would greatly enhance and complement our existing landscape design class. By training students to utilize current software and technology currently used in the Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design industry, our students will have the competitive edge in an area of agriculture where minorities are so underrepresented. Goal 2: The proposed project will demonstrate successful collaborations with federal agencies, HBCUs, local industry, and professional organizations to provide related support services and incorporate new technologies into the classroom for the benefit of the unique student base we serve at Alabama A&M University. Objective 1: To enlist the services of federal, HBCUs and local industry to conduct, videotape, and provide class resource material for the proposed project. Objective 2: A) To collaborate with local businesses and industry through the establishment of course associated internships. B) Establish an advisory committee to assist with class material selection. The goals and objectives mentioned are consistent with the specific objectives of The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), 1890 Institution Teaching and Research Capacity Building Grants Program (CGB) with the emphasis on: (1) Attract more students from underrepresented groups into the food and agricultural sciences, (2) expand the linkages among the 1890 Institutions and with other colleges and universities, and (3) strengthen the teaching and research capacity of the 1890 Institutions to more firmly establish them as full partners in the food and agricultural science and educational system.
Project Methods
Goal 1/Objective 1a: Industry, USDA, and University collaborators as well as others will be interviewed by the instructor of the course or collaborators to establish a library of multimedia resource material. In addition to these on-line class supplementation resource materials, Landscape Tip-of-the Month and Ornamental Plant-of-the-Month video-streaming programs will be developed and available via Alabama A&M University Comcast Channel 78 and Tegrity Weblearner. Interview questionnaires will be developed by the project leaders and used for all interviews. Materials will be uploaded to the appropriate courses for video streaming. These tapes will be cataloged and maintained and the online material will be kept available for students of current and future classes. Objective 1b: All core course information syllabi, assignments, discussion boards, quizzes, and exams will be available through Blackboard courseware. Multimedia e-learning online will be accomplished by the Tegrity Weblearner system at Alabama A&M University Office of Education and Information Technology Services (EITS). CAD systems and industry related software will be made available online for student use. Courses will be updated with additional material and revised to accommodate new technology and learning styles each time the course is offered. Objective 1c: There are numerous learning style evaluators online. At least 10 of these will be tested for accuracy and relevancy to horticulture and a minimum of three will be chosen for each student to complete. Results of these evaluations will be studied by each instructor during the first week of the course and any course modifications or implementations indicated will be included as a teaching modality. Objective 2a: Currently there are six businesses working with professors and students on the intern program. Students taking courses away from the campus will be encouraged to develop an intern contact. Each course will require a minimum 20 hour internship with a business related to the course the student is taking. Internships will be evaluated by the student, instructor and cooperators. Activites of the actual internships will be shared by students in discussion boards on Blackboard. Objective 2b: The Landscape Design CAD course will utilize computer aided design software currently used in the industry. The software will be available during class for the students through a computer server. Blackboard software and Tegrity Weblearner system currently available at Alabama A&M University will allow faculty to provide all online course supplementation of course information syllabi, assignments, discussion boards, quizzes, exams, multimedia e-learning lectures etc. Goal 2/Objective 1: To enlist the services of federal, HBCUs and local industry to conduct, videotape, and provide class resource material for the proposed project. (Refer to Goal 1, Objective 1a) Objective 2: To collaborate with local businesses and industry through the establishment of course associated internships. (Refer to Goal 1, Objective 2a)

Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05

Outputs
Multimedia production equipment as well as a Tegrity Weblearner System were purchased during the first year. Course materials for three landscape design curriculum courses have been integrated into the Tegrity Weblearner System as well as Blackboard for online class supplementation. Three programs of Plant-Tip-of-the-Month (PTM) have been successfully produced and are being broadcast on the Universitys Comcast public channel 78 and AAMU campus channel 2. Three more PTM programs are scheduled for filming and production during Spring 2006. Filming and production for Landscape-Tip-of-the-Month is scheduled for late-Spring 2006 and Summer 2006. One M.S. level graduate student was supported by this project during the first year. The graduate student took part in the development of material, filming, directing, production, and post production of the first three PTM programs. The graduate student also took part in the production of the Shade Tree Identification and Use in the Landscape program for the Ornamental I Woody Ornamentals course. This program is being broadcast on channel 78 and campus channel 2 as well. With the assistance of this grant program, the graduate student developed and successfully implemented a short-course training curriculum on Plant Material Pruning and Maintenance for University Grounds Personnel. This served as the graduate students M.S. project. The graduate student successfully completed her M.S. degree in the Summer 2005. One manuscript is currently under development for submission to HortTechnology, a refereed journal. The loss of our USDA collaborator early last year, (Dr. Miesenbach) did result in a minor set back in the development of learning styles questionnaires. Fortunately, AAMUs Office of Institutional Planning Research and Evaluation has agreed to provide their assistance for the development and implementation of a learning styles evaluation. Learning styles evaluation questionnaire development is currently underway. Multimedia resource material of required student internships for the course Floral and Garden Center Management have been recorded and is under post production for broadcast on channel 78 and Tegrity. Course objectives and content for a Landscape Design Computer-Aided Design course were developed. Formal submission and review to the University Curriculum Board will be conducted Spring 2006. PRODUCTS: Course materials for three landscape design curriculum courses have been integrated into the Tegrity Weblearner System as well as Blackboard for online class supplementation. Three programs of Plant-Tip-of-the-Month (PTM) have been successfully produced and are being broadcast on the University's Comcast public channel 78 and AAMU campus channel 2. One M.S. level graduate student was supported by this project during the first year. The graduate student took part in the development of material, filming, directing, production, and post production of the first three PTM programs. The graduate student also took part in the production of the Shade Tree Identification and Use in the Landscape program for the Ornamental I Woody Ornamentals course. This program is being broadcast on channel 78 and campus channel 2 as well. With the assistance of this grant program, the graduate student developed and successfully implemented a short-course training curriculum on Plant Material Pruning and Maintenance for University Grounds Personnel. This served as the graduate students M.S. project. The graduate student successfully completed her M.S. degree in the Summer 2005. One manuscript is currently under development for submission to HortTechnology, a refereed journal. OUTCOMES: Since the initial broadcast of the PTM programs, public inquiries about the program have increased. Viewers have responded positively to the programs and have asked for more information or were excited about having more of these programs available. It is too early to determine if horticulture recruitment is a positive result of the PTM programs. Feedback from the Physical Facilities Director and ground crews have been very positive about our short-course training curriculum on Plant Material Pruning and Maintenance. The Physical Facilities Department has expressed their willingness to participate in additional training workshops. In addition, the introduction of this program with AAMUs ground crew has facilitated a closer working relationship between the Horticulture program and the Department of Physical Facilities. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Three programs of Plant-Tip-of-the-Month (PTM) have been successfully produced and are being broadcast on the University's Comcast public channel 78 and AAMU campus channel 2. A PTM program currently airs three times a day. Comcast channel 78 reaches 45,000 households in this area. One manuscript is currently under development for submission to HortTechnology, a refereed journal. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Three more PTM programs are scheduled for filming and production during Spring 2006. Filming and production for Landscape-Tip-of-the-Month is scheduled for late-Spring 2006 and Summer 2006. Course objectives and content for a Landscape Design Computer-Aided Design course were developed. Formal submission and review to the University Curriculum Board will be conducted Spring 2006. The Physical Facilities Department has expressed their willingness to participate in additional training workshops.

Impacts
A PTM program currently airs three times a day. Comcast channel 78 reaches 45,000 households in this area. Since the initial broadcast of the PTM programs, public inquiries about the program have increased. Viewers have responded positively to the programs and have asked for more information or were excited about having more of these programs available. It is too early to determine if horticulture recruitment is a positive result of the PTM programs. Feedback from the Physical Facilities Director and ground crews have been very positive about our short-course training curriculum on Plant Material Pruning and Maintenance. The Physical Facilities Department has expressed their willingness to participate in additional training workshops. In addition, the introduction of this program with AAMUs ground crew has facilitated a closer working relationship between the Horticulture program and the Department of Physical Facilities. As a direct result, their department has hired a fulltime landscape designer. Aside from her duties as the universitys landscape designer, she also serves as a liaison between our two departments and helps coordinate horticulture curriculum student intern campus projects. Student responses to online course supplementation has been very positive. Class participation has increased as well as test scores. Actual numbers of test results are currently being statistically analyzed and will be reported during next years report.

Publications

  • Umstaedter, C., R.O. Pacumbaba, Jr., C.A. Beyl. 2006. Bridging the Gap between a University Horticulture Center and Physical Facilities Grounds Operations. HortTechnology. (manuscript in progress)
  • Pacumbaba, Jr., R.O. and Umsteadter, C., producers. Umsteadter, C., director. 2005. Plant Tip of the Month Butterfly Bush [DVD]. Dept. of Plant and Soil Science, producer. [Normal, AL]: Alabama A&M University. 1 DVD: 9 min, sound, color.
  • Pacumbaba, Jr., R.O. and Umsteadter, C., producers. Umsteadter, C., director. 2005. Plant Tip of the Month Hydrangea [DVD]. Dept. of Plant and Soil Science, producer. [Normal, AL]: Alabama A&M University. 1 DVD: 9 min, sound, color.
  • Pacumbaba, Jr., R.O. and Umsteadter, C., producers. Umsteadter, C., director. 2005. Plant Tip of the Month Ornamental Grasses [DVD]. Dept. of Plant and Soil Science, producer. [Normal, AL]: Alabama A&M University. 1 DVD: 11 min, sound, color.
  • Sabota, C. and Umsteadter, C., producers. Umsteadter, C., director. 2005. Dept. of Plant and Soil Science SPS 423/523 Ornamentals I: Street Trees and Shade Trees [DVD]. Dept. of Plant and Soil Science, producer. [Normal, AL]: Alabama A&M University. 1 DVD: 16 min, sound, color.