Progress 05/15/17 to 04/05/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The target population was high school students from eight different high schools (Scott County, Fleming County, Owen County, Eminence Independent, Russellville, Jessamine Career and Technology Center, Western Hills, and Danville) in Kentucky. Eight teachers were involved in the project and there were four biology teachers and four agriculture teachers total. Six of the eight high schools were selected since they are located within 30 miles of Kentucky State University and considered in the service counties (any public schools located in counties that touch Franklin County). The PD selected two high schools outside the local area, one from western Kentucky and the other from eastern Kentucky in order to build a broader pipeline with K-12 school systems who reside outside the Service County local area and select and collaborate with additional rural/small town and urban-agricultural education schools in Kentucky. Approximately 30 students from each high school (240 total; eight different student groups) were engaged in authentic real-world aquaculture discovery learning activities inside and outside the classroom during the spring semester throughout the duration of the project. Further, several high schools also participated in the program during the fall semester throughout the duration of the project. It should be noted that this research project only focused on the population that is represented in the sample and the population list or sampling frame were only for those students and teachers participating in the program. The researchers did not include others from outside this population list, which includes students who attended the same schools who were not involved in the program. Hence, the researchers will not be able to report that the data are meant to represent the attitudes of all students or any population of elements greater than those sampled. Changes/Problems:The current COVID-19 pandemic caused major problems in fully implementing the APBI unit in the classroom this past year. Teachers had to partially implement the unit due to the pandemic. Unfortunately, many of the hands-on activities could not be implemented since teachers had to faciliate virtual learning instruction. Thus, the PD did not engage in participant field observations in the classroom to gain knowledge by observing student behavior or seek patterns and trends. Likewise, the in person Open House Ag-STEM Day Event AND the EERC demonstration tours (objective 2 and 4) had to be cancelled due to the pandemic this past year. In addition, the PD had to cancel all student field trips to KSU's Aquaculture Research Center due to the current pandemic situation. The PD had intentions to present research data from this grant project at the annual STEM/STEAM Education Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii (May 2020) and Aquaculture America Conference (February 2021). Unfortuanely, both trips were cancelled due to the current pandemic situation. It should be noted that the PD plans to present research data this coming August 2021 at the Aquaculture America Conference, San Antonio, Texas (Aquaculture Education and Extension session). What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This four year project provided teacherseducational/professional development opportunties (i.e., teacher workshops and one-on-one training sessions) to implement the Aquaponics Project-Based Investigation (APBI) unit in the classroom (Obj. 3). Hence, the teachers who participated in the program were provided opportunities to help develop the unit materials, learn the content, and had direct experience implementing the APBI intervention over a period of time while working with different student groups containing mixed abilities. It was crucial that all teachers were prepared by the PD and Co-PD's prior to facilitating an aquaculture/aquaponics PBI unit. The PD also provided the teachers numeous non-technical publications on various topics related to the program for content knowledge in conjuction with seven short video-based lecture resource. Likewise, seventeen benchmark lessons and multiple formative hands-on activities were provided to each teacher and their students for additional content knowledge, which was effectively utilized during project-based instruction. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results from this project have been disseminated to the research and academic communities by presentations at professional meetings, such as the World Aquaculture Society, National Aquaponics Association Conferences, and STEM/STEAM and Education Conference. In addition, results have been highlighted in the annual AgKnowledge issues that presents KSU's Cooperative Extension Program accomplishments and local newspapers where the schools are located. Results have been disseminated to the public by local and statewide news media, emails, the Legislative dinner on KSU campus, and KSU ARC website, and social media outlets with the assistance of KSU's Agriculture Communications team. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This four year project has provideda nice framework for future aquatic ecosystem instruction in the high school level classroom. The project provided authentic exploratory experiences and the intervention provided science/STEM that articulates Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and A Framework for K-12 Science Education. Students were motivated to learn STEM concepts and career pathways after exposed to the authentic exploratory intervention (Obj. 1). Student participants were provided contextualized Project-Based Investigation (PBI) instruction in the secondary school classroom that was relevant and meaningful to their lives and community and also helped learners to integrate ideas, connect the information, and thus, make it stick as compared to traditional instructional practices. It is apparent that collaboration between KSU and secondary schools played a critical role in order to implement these types of interventions in K-12 classrooms. Overall, the intervention utilized in this project promoted a more sucessfull STEM learning experience and students gained a foundational understanding of the target concepts during the inquiry process. This project demonstrated that contextualizing PBI can play a powerful role in facilitating student learning through both motivational and cognitive means.Student participants were actively engaged in practical, hands-on authentic tasks that focused on real-world problems they investigated in the classroom and provided learners unique experiential learning opportunities. Students investigated, analyzed, and communicated their carrying capacity findings in an aquaculture context. In doing so, students were able to get in touch with basic STEM concepts and skills as they connected with aquaculture and aquaponics which is a unique and sustainable method of growing plants and fish together in a closed recirculating loop system. These super-efficient systems provided students in the program opportunities to develop their critical thinking and problem solving skills as the created and managed a living ecosystem while studying the interactions of fish, plants, and bacteria. Likewise, students were given opportunities to work in small groups and were assigned a job similar to what a STEM worker might do in the field. Weekly job rotations also allowed students to experience and master tasks assigned to each job. These experiences allowed students to practice teamwork and develop their communication skills and gain responsibility. Overall, students who participated in the program took ownership of their learning while investigating, exploring, analyzing, interpreting, and reflecting amongst their peers the tasks at hand which fostered postive learning outcomes (Obj. 1). Overall, the implications of this four year project suggest that APBI models create authentic science learning environments that promote student learning of scientific concepts while piquing their interest in STEM related disciplines and/or career pathways. The intervention design created from this four year project may provide educators new insights and ideas on how to incorporate and use contextualized, aquaponics project-based instructions as a teaching and learning tool and thereby, develop appropriate curricula for secondary K-12 classrooms while adhering to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS; Obj. 1). It is important to mention that the KSU's Environmental Education Research Center (EERC) demonstration tours were cancelled thispast year due to COVID-19 (Obj. 4). Students from each participating school were to engage in hands-on, experiential learning activities at the EERC. Similarly, the OPEN HOUSE Ag-STEM Day Event to help broaden participants awareness of KSU's CACE and AFE education programs was also cancelled this past yeardue to the current pandemic (Obj. 2).
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Thompson, K.R., Pomper, K.W. Tidwell, J.H. 2021. With help of KYSU, high school students get hands-on aquaculture education. KSU publication highlighting Eminence High School in Henry County.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Thompson, K.R., Pomper, K.W., Tidwell, J.H. 2019. Eminence high school students dive in to aquaponics. Henry County Local. November 13th.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Thompson, K.R., Pomper, K.W., Tidwell, J.H. Agriculture in the Classroom. KYSU Extension works with Russellville high school to create aquaponics greenhouse and new class. Featured Story; AgKnowledge Cooperative Extension Program.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Thompson, K.R., Pomper, K.W., Tidwell, J.H. 2018. Local high school teaches students sustainable indoor fish farming. Russellville, Kentucky WBKO news; September 28th.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Thompson, K.R., Pomper, K.W., Tidwell, J.H. 2018. KSU takes aquaculture into area high schools. State Journal (Franklin County); April 4th.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Thompson, K.R., Pomper, K.W., Tidwell, J.H. 2018. Taking the Bait. Aquaculture class hooks Eminence students. Henry County Local; March 21st.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Thompson, K.R., Pomper, K.W., and Tidwell, J.H. (October 16) 2020. STEM Education Project: Designing and implementing a hands-on project-based aquaponics intervention in the high school classroom. 2020 Aquaponics Association Virutal Aqua Conference, Run The World; Education Track.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Thompson, K.R. (October 16) 2020. Expanding Aquaponics in Schools. STEM Education Panel. 2020 Aquaponics Association Virtual Aqua Conference, Run The World; Education Track
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Thompson, K.R., Pomper, K.W., Tidwell, J.H. 2019. KYSU Extension shapes the future through USDA-funded agriculture education partnership. Frankfort High School students install an aquaponics system. AgKnowledge Cooperative Extension Program.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Thompson, K.R. 2021. Aquaculture STEM Curriculum for K-12 students. Professional Development presentation virtually to KSU 4-H staff and faculty; February 9th.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Thompson, K.R., Pomper, K.W., and Tidwell, J.H. (September 20-22) 2019. Designing and implementing a hands-on project based aquaponics unit for high school students in Kentucky (STEM/Schools/Research Session). 2019 Aquaponics Association's Conference, Frankfort, KY.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Thompson, K.R., Pomper, K.W., Tidwell, J.H. (June 5-7) 2019. Exploring student perspectives and experiences in a project-based aquaponics unit utilizing NGSS. Hawaii University International Conferences. 2019 STEM/STEAM and Education Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Thompson, K.R., Pomper, K.W., Tidwell, J.H. 2018. Evaluation of a mentorship program in aquaculture: A qualitative study to identify high school students' perceptions and experiences. Aquaculture America, Las Vegas, Nevada, February 19-22.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Thompson, K.R., Krall, R.M., Pomper, K.W., Tidwell, J.H. 2021. Teacher Curriculum Manual. KYSU internal publication that will be distributed to teachers across the state.
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Two teachers in the NIFA/USDA Capacity Building Grant project share student success stories. KYSU Land Grant Program Newsletter (The Almanac), May 18th.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Thompson, K.R., Krall, R.M., Pomper, K.W., Tidwell, J.H. Internal Review. Assessing the effects of an authentic project-based intervention on secondary students' understanding of ecosystems. Journal of Agricultural Education.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Thompson, K.R., Krall, R.M., Pomper, K.W., Tidwell, J.H. Internal Review. Assessing the effects of an authentic project-based intervention on secondary students' attitudes toward and interests in STEM. Journal of Agricultural Education.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Thompson, K.R., Krall, R.M., Pomper, K.W., Tidwell, J.H., Internal Review. Designing project-enhanced aquaculture environments: high school students investigate carrying capacity and nitrogen cycle. World Aquaculture Magazine.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Thompson, K.R., Krall, R.M., Pomper, K.W., Tidwell, J.H. Internal Review. Engaging secondary students in experiential learning opportunities and introduction to the concept: The scholarship of engagement. World Aquaculture Magazine.
|
Progress 05/15/19 to 05/14/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The target population was high school students from eight high schools (Scott County, Fleming County, Owen County, Eminence Independent, Russellville, Jessamine Career and Technology Center, Western Hills, and Danville) in Kentucky. Eight teachers were involved in the project. Six of the eight high schools were selected since they are located within 30 miles of Kentucky State University and considered in the service counties (any public schools located in counties that touch Franklin County). The PD selected two high schools outside the local area, one from western Kentucky and the other from eastern Kentucky, to build a broader pipeline with K-12 school systems outside the service counties and to collaborate with additional rural/small town and urban-agricultural education schools in Kentucky. Approximately 30 students from each high school (240 total) were engaged in authentic real-world aquaculture discovery learning activities inside and outside the classroom during the spring 2020 semester. Furthermore, four high schools (approximately 120 students total) participated in the project during the fall 2019 semester. Changes/Problems:In terms of the data-gathering techniques, the PD did not engage in participant field observations in the classroom to gain knowledge by observing behavior or seek out patterns and trends. Instead, the teachers wrote weekly reflections of what they were hearing and seeing in the classroom and reported these observations to the PD. Teacher reflections will be read, organized, and assigned codes to reveal basic patterns and trends and grouped into specific categories after the school year ends. This is not considered a major change in approach. The PD cancelled all student field trips to KSU's Aquaculture Research Center and EERC (spring 2020) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students participating in the project during the next reporting period will hopefully be given opportunities to visit these KSU education ag-STEM centers and be engaged in hands-on, interactive STEM-related activities. The PD intended to present research data from this project at the annual STEM/STEAM Education Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii (May 2020). Unfortunately, this trip was cancelled due to the pandemic. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The PD provided the teachers lay publications on various topics related to the program for content knowledge in conjunction with seven short video-based lecture resource. Likewise,17 benchmark lessons and multiple formative hands-on activities were provided to each teacher and their students for additional content knowledge, which was effectively utilized during project-based instruction. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results from this project have been disseminated to the research and academic communities by presentations at professional meetings, such as the 2019 Aquaponics Association's Conferenceand the Kentucky Aquaculture Association Conference. In addition, results have been highlighted in KSU's annual AgKnowledge magazine which presents KSU's Cooperative Extension Program and research accomplishments. Results have been disseminated to the public by local and statewide news media, email, at the Legislative dinner on KSU campus, via the KSU ARC website, and social media outlets with the assistance of KSU's Agriculture Communications team. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The plan for the next reporting period includes analyzing the data collected during the next reporting period. This information will document student learning outcomes and benefits of incorporating an authentic hands-on, project-based aquaponics intervention in the agriculture and/or science classroom; presenting the findings at professional meetings; and publishing results in peer-reviewed scientific journals in education as well as lay publications (i.e., Extension/outreach articles). Hence, student outcomes will be exploredto accomplish the goals outlined in the proposal (Objective 1). The PD also plans to complete the Teacher/Practitioner Curriculum Manual that utilizes NGSS and collaborate with KSU's communication/design team (i.e., Mrs. Ashley Bates, Director) to ensure that it is of high quality. On Saturday, July 25, 2020, KSU may (i.e., depending on the pandemic) host the third annual Open House agriculture-STEM Day, which will broaden awareness of KSU's CACE, the AFE program, WAVE Foundation, and Alltech, and will meet goals outlined in the proposal (Obj. 2). Participating teachers will meet with the PD via Zoom to participate in the group Teacher Workshop and discuss the overall impact of the program and how to improve going forward (Obj. 3). The PD plans to work with a new group of students this fall and introduce them to this unique opportunity. Quantitative and qualitative data were being collected during spring 2020 semester until the pandemic. The PD plans to present data at the Aquaculture America Conference in 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. The PD also planned to coordinate a hands-on education discovery tour at the EERC for participating students during the spring 2020 semester (Obj. 4), but the pandemic prevented this.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We strengthened student learning experiences in aquaculture and aquaponic education in and outside the classroom and provided 17 benchmark lessons, multiple formative assessment activities, visualization-based education training modules, and on-site demonstrations. Students participating in the project were active learners in the science and agriculture classroom and embraced curricula that fostered student-centered learning in authentic, problem-based environments. This approach helped students develop a deeper and more connected understanding of scientific concepts rather than focusing on scientific facts. The project created an environment that was practical to help students understand the ecological concepts better and gain a deeper insight into agriculture STEM, particularly aquaculture/aquaponics. Students had sustained interest and curiosity and the project provided opportunities to apply what they learned in school to real-life situations. This project offered secondary schools a potentially powerful learning model in aquaculture in agreement with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013) that reformed science education to focus on making sense of natural phenomena and applying scientific understanding to solve authentic, real-world problems. Specifically, students gained experience in engineering, system design, and maintenance; defined problems and designed solutions for engineering closed recirculating aquaponics systems; planned and performed investigations related to the phenomenon of carrying capacity while learning about ecological relationships; investigated growth performance of fish and plants and feed efficiency; made appropriate calculations of these parameters while gaining experience in performing real-life mathematics applications in the classroom; monitored the nitrogen cycle (nitrification process) and water quality aspects weekly; analyzed and interpreted real-life quantitative and qualitative data in the classroom; acquired skills in making charts and graphs; collaborated with their peers and presented their findings orally in a group setting; and acquired much-needed skills and techniques to operate aquaculture-STEM research instruments used by aquaculture scientists. As a result, students became proficient in performing scientific tasks and gained an understanding of the scientific research process. Notably, student experiences promoted their understanding of basic concepts in aquaculture, aquaponics, and ecological relationships. Students engaged in these scientific inquiry experiences demonstrated curiosity and some expressed an interest in pursuing a career in a STEM-related field, such as aquaculture, after completion of the project. Furthermore, the program helped prepare participants for college and subsequent careers in STEM-related fields upon graduation due to their hands-on research engagement experiences. Students utilized critical thinking, problem solving, decision-making, and communication skills while working collaboratively with their peers and received new learning opportunities while engaging in real-world science-inquiry practices in the classroom. Overall, students' hands-on experiences in a live situation that was practical in nature and aligned with project-based science instruction fostered positive learning outcomes (Obj. 1). The program appears to be broadening the student experience using aquaculture and aquaponics as an interactive teaching tool for STEM education. Ultimately, findings from this project may be useful to help transform K-12 classrooms by integration of real-world aquaculture/aquaponics-related projects into science and/or agriculture curricula. The project seamlessly integrated STEM disciplines to create a transdisciplinary intervention where learning ecological, mathematical, and technical content and skills was oriented around the goal of successfully maintain the systems. Students became proficient in performing scientific tasks and extended their understanding of the scientific research process upon conclusion of the project. We strived to strengthen the student learning experience by using authentic aquaculture/aquaponics intervention models (e.g., physical objects for rearing living and moving things) to foster their native interests while learning by doing via hands-on experiences in the classroom. We examined if students' inquiry-based experiences in a "real-life" situation fosters positive learning outcomes based on evidence. Student participation in real-world phenomena and their authentic research-engagement experiences in the classroom were to serve as a vehicle for learning through high school and beyond. A long-term overarching goal of the project is that numerous science and agriculture teachers implement this curricula unit at their high schools and offered the material as a dual-credit college course for 9-12th grade students. Furthermore, teachers who participated in the project will continue to use their aquaponics systems in their classrooms to teach several topics in the future. Students participating during this reporting period visited Kentucky State University's Aquaculture Research Center (field trip #1) to increase their interest, curiosity, knowledge, and awareness of the field of aquaculture/aquaponics and discover why it is important. The tour increased awareness of career opportunities in agriculture-STEM fields and what KSU specifically offers students if they wish to pursue a field related to agriculture and STEM in college (Obj. 1). One group of students also visited a central Kentucky farm that produces Australian red claw crayfish.Toursof KSU's Environmental Education Research Center (EERC) scheduledfor the spring 2020 semester were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Another major accomplishment of the project has been a continual modification of the intervention (unit) design participating teachers implemented in the classroom, which consists of a driving research question students must try to answer, specific student tasks, a description of students investigation of carrying capacity, group presentation protocols, connections to cross-cutting concepts within the unit, a description of student investigations of mini-ecosystems, creation of written reports, collaborative tasks with peers, culminating product ideas, benchmark lessons, and information on specific STEM practices within the project-based curricula unit. Prior to this project, it was not known how educators use aquaponics for teaching and learning. Thus, the project personnel are currently documenting actual use of aquaponics as a teaching and learning tool to expand this type of education and developing curricula for secondary K-12 classrooms while adhering to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Students are studying a living ecosystem and engaged in agriculture in the classroom activities while learning various concepts and ideas, such as hydroponics and aquaculture, the nitrification process, water quality, and interactions of living organisms. Teachers and the PD met in July 2019 to discuss how to improve the unit (Obj. 3). Another major accomplishment during this reporting period was the Open House STEM Day hosted at the KSU Aquaculture Research Center on July 21, 2019. The WAVE Foundation, Alltech, and KSU collaborated and organized a successful one-day community outreach event that resulted in over 150 local community members of all ages attending. They participated in various STEM-related interactive activities and hands-on demonstrations (Obj. 2).
Publications
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Thompson, Kenneth Rolland. (2020). Assessing the effects of an authentic project-based intervention on secondary students understanding of ecosystems and their attitudes toward and interests in STEM. Theses and Dissertations--Education Science. 64. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/edsc_etds/64
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Thompson, K. R. (2019). Designing and Implementing a Hands-On Project-Based Aquaponics Unit for High School Students in Kentucky. Kentucky Aquaculture Association (KAA) Conference, Frankfort, KY, September 20-22, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Thompson, K. R. (2019). Overview of High School Hands-on STEM Curriculum and Experiences. Kentucky Aquaculture Association Conference, Elizabethtown, KY, December 14, 2019.
|
Progress 05/15/18 to 05/14/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The target population in this study was high school students from six high schools (Scott County, Fleming County, Owen County, Eminence Independent, Russellville, and Jessamine Career and Technology Center) in Kentucky. Eight teachers were involved since Fleming County High School and Jessamine County had two teachers participating in the program, while the other schools had only one. Four of the six high schools were selected since they are located within 30 miles of Kentucky State University and considered in the service counties (any public schools located in counties that touch Franklin County). The PD selected two high schools outside the local area, one from western Kentucky and the other from eastern Kentucky in order to build a broader pipeline with K-12 school systems who reside outside the Service County local area and select and collaborate with additional rural/small town and urban-agricultural education schools in Kentucky. Approximately 30 students from each high school (160 total) were engaged in authentic real-world aquaculture discovery learning activities inside and outside the classroom. It should be noted that this research project only focused on the population that is represented in the sample and the population list or sampling frame were only for those students and teachers participating in the program. The researchers did not include others from outside this population list, which includes students who attended the same schools who were not involved in the program. Hence, the researchers will not be able to report that the data are meant to represent the attitudes of all students or any population of elements greater than those sampled. Changes/Problems:In terms of the data-gathering techniques, the PD did not engage in participant field observations in the classroom to gain knowledge by observing behavior or seek out patterns and trends. Instead, the PD had the teachers write weekly reflections (i.e., teacher logs) of what they were hearing and seeing in the classroom and report these observations in a Google Drive folder. Teacher reflections will be read, organized, and assigned codes to reveal basic patterns and trends and grouped into specific categories after the school year ends in May 2019. This is not considered a major change in approach. The PD believes teachers are the best source for reporting student behaviors and attitudes in the classroom since they are facilitating the project-based unit on a daily basis. Dr. Tamara Sluss, listed as a Co-PD in the original proposal, has left the university. As a result, students participating in the program during the spring 2019 semester did not visit the EERC for field trip #2. The EERC was originally used since the aquatic boat vessel is currently not available for educational tours and due to the fact that the EERC provides more opportunities for hands-on, interactive, STEM-related activities. The PD had to cancel field trip #2 until the College of Agriculture, Communities, and the Environment finds a suitable replacement. Students participating in the project during the next reporting period will be given other opportunities to visit the EERC and be engaged in similar interactive STEM-related activities. Hence, Dr. Sluss leaving the university should not impact project activities going forward. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The PD provided the teachers lay publications on various topics related to the program for content knowledge in conjunction with seven short video-based lecture resources. Likewise, six benchmark lessons created by aquaculture and aquaponics experts from Colorado were provided to each teacher and their students for additional content knowledge, which was effectively utilized during project-based instruction. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results from this project have been disseminated to the research and academic communities by presentations at professional meetings, such as the World Aquaculture Society and STEM/STEAM and Education Conference. In addition, results have been highlighted in the annual AgKnowledge 2018 and 2019 issues that presents KSU's Cooperative Extension Program accomplishments. A short news item about the project was reported in the 2018 AgKnowledge Cooperative Extension Program publication from Kentucky State University, College of Agriculture, Communities, and the Environment, which is read by numerous stakeholders in the Commonwealth. A featured story, "Agriculture in the Classroom, KYSU Extension works with Russellville High School to create Aquaponics Greenhouse and New Class" was published in the 2019 AgKnowledge issue. A news article, "Local High School Teaches Students Sustainable Indoor Fish Farming" was posted by WBKO.com on Friday, September 28, 2018, which is stationed in Russellville, Kentucky. In addition, the local WBKO news crew who visited the classroom aired the story on the local news that evening. Results have been disseminated to the public by local and statewide news media, emails, the Legislative dinner on KSU campus, and KSU ARC website, and social media outlets with the assistance of KSU's Agriculture Communications team. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The plan for the next reporting period includes: analyzing the data generated during the spring and fall 2019 semesters and documenting student learning outcomes and benefits of incorporating an authentic hands-on, project-based aquaponics intervention, presenting the findings at professional meetings, and publishing results in peer reviewed scientific journals in education as well as lay publications (i.e., Extension/outreach articles). Hence, student outcomes will be explored during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals outlined in the proposal (Objective 1). The PD also plans to create a Teacher/Practitioner Curriculum Manual that utilizes NGSS and collaborate with KSU's communication/design team (i.e., Mrs. Blair Hess, Director) to ensure that it is of high quality. On Saturday, July 20, 2019, KSU will host the second annual Open House agriculture-STEM Day, which will broaden awareness of KSU's CACE, the AFE program, WAVE Foundation, and Alltech, and will meet goals outlined in the proposal (Obj. 2). Teachers will meet with the PD on Wednesday, June 26, 2019 to participate in the group Teacher Workshop and discuss the overall impact of the program and how to improve going forward (Obj. 3). The PD plans to work with a new group of students this fall and introduce them to this unique opportunity. Quantitative and qualitative data are being collected as the program will continue until the school year ends; data will be analyzed this summer. The PD plans to give an oral presentation containing data collected from this reporting period at the 2019 Hawaii University International Conferences on STEM/STEAM and Education, June 5-7 in Honolulu, HI. In addition, the PD plans to present data collected this spring semester at the Aquaculture America Conference in 2020. The PD also plans to coordinate a hands-on education discovery tour at the EERC for participating students during the spring 2020 semester (Obj. 4).
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We strengthened student learning experiences in aquaculture and aquaponics education in and outside the classroom and provided participants appropriate scaffolding (six benchmark lessons, visualization-based training modules, and on-site demonstrations). High school students gained experience in engineering, system design, and maintenance; defined problems and designed solutions for engineering closed recirculating aquaponics systems; planned and performed investigations related to the phenomenon of carrying capacity while learning about ecological relationships; investigated growth performance of fish and plants and feed efficiency; made appropriate calculations of these parameters while gaining experience in performing real-life mathematics applications in the classroom; monitored the nitrogen cycle (nitrification process) and water quality aspects weekly; analyzed and interpreted real-life quantitative and qualitative data in the classroom; acquired skills in making charts and graphs; collaborated with their peers and presented their findings orally in a group setting; and acquired much-needed skills and techniques to operate aquaculture-STEM research instruments used by real-world aquaculture scientists. As a result, students became proficient in performing scientific tasks and gained an understanding of the scientific research process. Notably, student experiences promoted their understanding of basic concepts in aquaculture, aquaponics, and ecological relationships. Students engaged in these scientific inquiry experiences demonstrated curiosity and some expressed an interest in pursuing a career in a STEM-related field, such as aquaculture, after completion of the project. Furthermore, the program helped prepare participants for college and subsequent careers in STEM-related fields upon graduation due to their hands-on research engagement experiences. Students utilized critical thinking, problem solving, decision-making, and communication skills while working collaboratively with their peers and received new learning opportunities while engaged in real-world science-inquiry practices in the classroom. Overall, students' hands-on experiences in a live situation that was practical in nature and aligned with project-based science instruction fostered positive learning outcomes (Obj. 1). The program appears to be broadening the student experience using aquaculture and aquaponics as an interactive teaching tool for STEM education. Ultimately, findings from this project may be useful to help transform K-12 classrooms by integration of real-world aquaculture/aquaponics-related projects into science and/or agriculture curricula. Teachers who participated in the project will continue to use their aquaponics systems in their respective classrooms to teach biology, sustainable foods, and inquiry-based instruction and share their knowledge and experiences with others, which is a long-term goal of the project. Furthermore, another long-term outcome of the project is to ensure that this curriculum, that is hands-on by design, can be offered as a dual-credit college course for 9-12th grade students in Kentucky. Students from each of the six participating schools during this reporting period visited Kentucky State University's Aquaculture Research Center (field trip#1) for a behind-the-scenes, hands-on demonstration tour to increase their interest, curiosity, knowledge, and awareness of the field of aquaculture/aquaponics and discover why it is important. The tour increased awareness of career opportunities in agriculture-STEM fields and what KSU specifically offers students if they wish to pursue a field related to agriculture and STEM in college (Obj. 1). Students also visited KSU's Environmental Education Research Center (EERC) during May 2018, which took the place of the aquatic vessel river ecology education discovery tour (Obj. 4). Dr. Tamara Sluss facilitated hands-on experiential learning activities for each school on separate days. Students used benthic macroinvertebrates to assess the health of Little Six Mile Creek at the EERC. Students sampled and identified benthic macroinvertebrates and performed a calculation to determine the stream quality index value rated on a spectrum of poor, fair, good, or excellent. Students predicted stream health and then compared results with their predictions. Another major accomplishment of the project has been the creation of the intervention design that teachers have implemented in the classroom, which consists of: driving research question students must try to answer, specific student tasks, a description of students investigation of carrying capacity, group presentation protocols, connections to cross-cutting concepts within the unit, a description of students investigations of mini-ecosystems, creation of investigation written reports, collaborative tasks with peers, culminating product ideas, benchmark lessons, and information of specific STEM practices students engage in within the project-based curricula unit. Prior to this project, it was not known how educators use aquaponics for teaching and learning. Thus, the project personnel are currently documenting actual use of aquaponics as a teaching and learning tool to help expand this type of education and developing curricula for secondary K-12 classrooms while adhering to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Students are studying a living ecosystem and engaged in agriculture in the classroom activities while learning various concepts and ideas, such as hydroponics and aquaculture, the nitrification process, water quality, and interactions of living organisms. Teachers and the PD plan to meet as a group in summer 2019 to discuss how best to improve the unit going forward (Obj. 3). Another major accomplishment during this reporting period was the Open House STEM Day hosted at the KSU Aquaculture Research Center, Frankfort, KY on Saturday, July 14, 2018. The WAVE Foundation, Alltech, and KSU collaborated and organized a successful one-day community outreach event that resulted in over 300 local community members of all ages in attendance. They participated in various STEM-related interactive activities and hands-on demonstrations (Obj. 2).
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Thompson, K.R., Pomper, K.W., and Tidwell, J.H. (2019). Designing Inquiry-Based, Project-Enhanced, Interdisciplinary Learning Environments in the High School Classroom using Aquaponics. Aquaculture 2019 Triennial Conference in New Orleans, LA, March 7-11,02019. Abstract #1084.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Thompson, K.R., Pomper, K.W., and Tidwell, J.H. (2018). Integrating Aquaculture In and Outside the Classroom: A Qualitative Study to Identify High School Students Attitudes and Experience. 4th Annual Project Director (PD) Meeting for the 1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program in Washington, DC, July 10-11, 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Thompson, K.R. (2019). Exploring Student Perspectives and Experiences on a Project-Based Science Instruction Unit in Aquaponics. Spring Research Conference Research to Practice: Pursuing Vision and Values in Education, University of Kentucky Gatton Student Center, Lexington, KY, March 2, 2019.
|
Progress 05/15/17 to 05/14/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The target population in this study was high school students from sixhigh schools (i.e., Scott County, Fleming County, Owen County, Eminence Independent, Russellville, and Locus Trace) in Kentucky. Seven teachers in total were involved since Fleming County High School had two teachers participating in the program, while the other schools had only one. Four of the six high schools were purposefully selected, since they are located within 30 miles of Kentucky State University and considered in the service counties (e.g., any public schools located in counties that touch Franklin County). The Project Director selected two high schools outside the local area, one from western Kentucky and the other from the eastern part of the state. Approximately 30 students from each participating high school (180 total) were engaged in authentic real-world aquaculture discovery learning activities inside and outside the classroom. It should be noted that this research project only focused on the population that is represented in the sample and the population list or sampling frame were only for those participating students and teachers in the program. The researchers did not include others from outside this population list, which includes students who attended the same schools but were not involved in the program. Hence, the researchers will not be able to report that the data are meant to represent the attitudes of all students or any population of elements greater than those sampled. Changes/Problems:In terms of the data-gathering techniques, the project director did not engage in participant field observations in the classroom to gain knowledge by observing behavior and seek out patterns and trends. Instead, the PD decided to have the teachers write weekly reflections of what they were hearing and seeing in the classroom and report in a Google Drive folder. Teacher journal reflections are currently being read, organized, and assigned codes to reveal basic patterns and trends and grouped into specific categories. This may not be considered a major change in approach. The Project Director believes that the teachers are the best source for reporting student behaviors and attitudes in the classroom since they are facilitating the project-based unit on a daily basis. The Project Director and Co-Project Director (Dr. Tamara Sluss) decided to have the students and teachers from each school visit the Environmental Education Research Center (EERC) for field trip #2 instead of the aquatic boat vessel tour on the Kentucky River because the boat is currently not available for education tours. It is also believed that the EERC provides more opportunities for hands-on, interactive, STEM-related activities. Students are currently using benthic macroinvertebrates to assess the health of Little Six Mile Creek at the EERC. Students are sampling and identifying benthic macroinvertebrates and performing a calculation to determine the stream quality index value that they rate in a spectrum of poor, fair, good, and excellent. Students are predicting stream health and then comparing actual results with their predictions. It should also be noted that grant funds were not available to the Project Director until the summer of 2017. In fall 2017, the PD focused solely on ordering materials and supplies and making preparations to start the aquaculture program in the Spring 2018 semester. Dr. Vikas Kumar, listed as a Co-PD in the original proposal, has left the university. This should not impact project activities. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Project Director provided the teachers lay publications on various topics related to the program for content knowledge in conjunction with the short video-based lectures. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The plan during the next reporting period is to analyze the data generated during the Spring 2018 semester and present the findings. Results may suggest that aquaculture, when implemented into a traditional secondary science or agriculture classroom, may foster creativity through an active, hands-on activity learning culture and that students' experiences are meaningful to their lives. Student outcomes will be explored further at the conclusion of the program in late May and efforts will continue during the next reporting period to accomplish the projects goals. On Saturday, July 14th 2018, KSU will host an Open House agriculture-STEM Day event, which will broaden awareness of KSU's CAFSSS, the AFE program, WAVE Foundation, and Alltech, and will meet the goals outlined in the proposal (e.g., objective two). As mentioned, teachers will also meet with the Project Director during the summer to participate in the Teacher Workshop and discuss the overall impact of the program and how to improve going forward. The Project Director plans to work with a new group of students this fall and introduce them to this unique opportunity. Quantitative and qualitative data is currently being collected as the program will continue until the school year ends. Data will be analyzed this summer. The Project Director plans to present a poster containing preliminary data at the 4th Annual Project Director Meeting for the 1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program for July 10-11, in Washington, DC. In addition, the PD plans to present the data collected the Aquaculture America Conference in New Orleans, LA in 2019. It should be noted that the Aquaculture Workshop for Teachers (e.g., objective three) described in the proposal will be conducted later this summer (before the new school year begins in August 2018). This will provide teachers with much needed training and professional development going forward in efforts to integrate aquaculture in the science and agriculture secondary classrooms.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The first task for students in the classroom was to design and engineer a 270-gallon indoor recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) containing an in-tank biofilter. Students worked in small groups and developed a design to test; modifications were made until everyone was satisfied and the system was running optimally. After one month of allowing the beneficial bacteria to become established in the biofilter, students from each high school in the program worked in small groups and stocked approximately 75-100 juvenile koi and/or tilapia and recorded initial weights, individual lengths, and total number of fish stocked in their personal data logbooks. Students engaged in the following tasks: feeding fish two to three times daily, monitoring fish behavior daily, analyzing water quality twice weekly (more frequently, if needed), siphoning as needed, monitoring and maintaining the RAS daily, and calculating overall fish growth performance, feed efficiency, and percent survival at the conclusion of the program. Students worked in small groups and were assigned a specific water quality parameter to learn, master, and then teach their peers. These hands-on activities were integrated in an active project-based unit developed by the researcher containing several benchmark lessons and facilitated by the teachers from each participating high school. Students received direct, hands-on project-based learning (PBL) opportunities inside and outside the classroom. Students learned how to use scientific instruments such as a Hach Water Quality FF1A field fish farming test kit that measures total ammonia nitrogen, nitrite, and alkalinity; and two different portable hand-held water quality meters that measure dissolved oxygen and pH in real-time. Students also collected and analyzed real-world growth performance data from the RAS. This provided students opportunities to perform real-life mathematics, such as calculating for weight gain percentage, specific growth rate (%/day), final average weight, initial average weight, percent survival, feed conversion ratio, and grams per fish fed. Students are currently working in small groups and learning how to perform specific calculations and share their knowledge with their peers. Thus, the project-based unit is currently providing interactive "hands-on" learning activities that enable students to develop integrated, meaningful understanding, which aligns with the major goals of the project. The project presents real-world problems that students can understand, see, and relate to within their everyday lives. A major goal of the project-based unit is to ensure that students know the practical importance of aquaculture and to give them experiences that are vivid and hold significance to their lives. Overall, students are receiving new learning opportunities while engaged in real-world science-inquiry practices which encourages them to use their critical thinking, problem solving, decision-making, and communication skills. Likewise, the unit is providing opportunities for students to work collaboratively with their peers. Participants also visited Kentucky State University's state-of-the-art Aquaculture Research Center (field trip #1) for a behind-the-scenes, hands-on demonstration tour with the aim to increase their interest, curiosity, knowledge, and awareness of the field of aquaculture and discover why it is important to their lives. The aquaculture demonstration tour also increased awareness of the career opportunities for students in agriculture-STEM fields and also what KSU offers students if they wish to pursue a field related to agriculture- and STEM in college (e.g., objective one). Students also visit KSU's Environmental Education Research Center, which took the place of the aquatic vessel river ecology education discovery tour (e.g., objective four). A signature goal of the program is to provide hands-on experiential learning opportunities in the classroom while exposing students to STEM research instruments and data collection techniques; these goals have been accomplished for the targeted audience. Another accomplishment has been the completion of short video-based aquaculture lectures that have been edited for the teachers to use in the classroom (e.g., objective one). These 30-minute, lecture-based videos provide much-needed content in various topics including aquaponics, koi production, tilapia production, recirculating aquaculture systems, water quality, and water quality testing. Videos contain PowerPoint lectures with embedded action videos. The program appears to have broadened the student experience using aquaculture as an interactive teaching tool for STEM education. Findings from this project may be useful to help transform K-12 classrooms by the integration of real-world aquaculture projects into science and/or agriculture curricula.
Publications
|
|