Asynchronous Continuing Education for Iowa’s Green Industry Professionals

A collaborative two-part project between Iowa State University Horticulture Extension and the Iowa Nursery and Landscape Association (INLA) resulted in an online, asynchronous training program to prepare green industry professionals for the Iowa Certified Nursery Professional (ICNP) exam, and to provide advanced training through webinars. Since 2008, members have accessed a set of 20 training modules that cover plant identification and content on the written portion of the certification exam. In the 6 years since the modules have been used, the pass rate for the written portion of the exam has increased from 57% (2005–07, 18 participants) to 85% (2008–13, 49 participants). A survey administered to participants between 2008 and 2013 gathered information on participant demographics, interest in learning in an online format, usefulness and applicability of information in preparing for the exam, module usability, and how the modules impacted their learning. Participants felt that the modules were an effective way to deliver content (4.45 out of 5) and reported they were comfortable using a web-based format to learn (4.89 out of 5). Advanced training was delivered to members through three webinar series: five webinars in 2011 and four webinars each in 2012 and 2013. Although attendance to the live webinar sessions was limited, the archived versions have been accessed a number of times.

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A Collaborative Effort to Train Green Industry Professionals

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.16.1.0143 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 143-145 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ann Marie VanDerZanden ◽

Linda R. McMahan ◽

Neil Bell ◽

Paul Ries ◽

Patty Williams ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Professional Organizations ◽

State University ◽

Collaborative Project ◽

Green Industry ◽

Seminar Series ◽

Overall Evaluation ◽

And Behavior ◽

Educational Seminar ◽

Oregon State University ◽

Industry Professionals

A collaborative project between the Oregon State University Extension Service, and the green industry and allied professional organizations resulted in an educational seminar series for landscape professionals. In 2003 and 2004, the seminar series consisted of seven 3.5-hour sessions covering a range of horticultural topics and capitalized on expertise of extension personnel and green industry professionals. After the 2004 series, a survey was sent to all participants to determine attendance, overall evaluation, usefulness and applicability of information, participant learning, and behavior change as a result of the seminars. The response rate was 31%. Overall, participants gave the seminars a positive rating. A majority (83%) of respondents reported they had applied information learned at the seminar(s), and showed a significant increase in understanding of a subject as a result of participating in the seminar(s). Further, 98% of those who applied this information reported making multiple changes to their practices or recommendations to clients in the 6 months following the seminars.

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An Interactive Online Case Study to Improve Problem-solving Skills of Landscape Horticulture Students

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.41.4.974d ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 41 (4) ◽

pp. 974D-974

Author(s):

Ann Marie VanDerZanden ◽

David R. Sandrock

Keyword(s):

Problem Solving ◽

Student Evaluation ◽

Teaching Tool ◽

State University ◽

Iowa State University ◽

Web Based ◽

Problem Solving Skills ◽

Audio Files ◽

Strongly Agree

Horticulture graduates entering the landscape industry will be faced with a multitude of complicated management decisions where they will need to integrate their understanding of plant science, site constraints, state and federal environmental regulations, and the human impact on the built landscape. To help students develop and refine their problem-solving skills, an interactive online case study was created. The case study was used in two different landscape horticulture courses at Iowa State University and Oregon State University. The case study centers on a residential backyard with eight landscape problem scenarios. Each scenario is identified on the clickable landscape map of the area and contains links to audio files, PDF documents, images, and Internet links. After investigating each scenario, students submit an analysis, diagnosis, and recommendation about the landscape problem via WebCT or Blackboard, depending on the institution. Student evaluation of the case study as a teaching tool was positive (3.5, where 1 = poor; 5 = excellent). Students answered additional questions using a scale where 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree. As a result of using this teaching tool, students felt that they were able to summarize the data (3.9), diagnose the landscape problem (3.9), and make a recommendation to the homeowner (3.6). Further, they felt this teaching tool was an effective way to deliver information (3.9); the interactive format aided their learning (3.7); that they were comfortable using a web-based format (4.2); and they liked learning using case studies (4.1). Our goal is to make the case-study framework available to other teaching colleagues who can then add their own data.

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Outreach Opportunities Using the Instructional SEM at Iowa State University

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100164520 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 54 ◽

pp. 412-413

Author(s):

L. S. Chumbley ◽

M. Meyer ◽

K. Fredrickson ◽

F.C. Laabs

Keyword(s):

Materials Science ◽

State University ◽

Digital Cameras ◽

Audio Signals ◽

Iowa State University ◽

Cornell University ◽

Sem Image ◽

Local Schools ◽

Materials Science And Engineering ◽

Video And Audio

The development of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) suitable for instructional purposes has created a large number of outreach opportunities for the Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) Department at Iowa State University. Several collaborative efforts are presently underway with local schools and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) at ISU to bring SEM technology into the classroom in a near live-time, interactive manner. The SEM laboratory is shown in Figure 1.Interactions between the laboratory and the classroom use inexpensive digital cameras and shareware called CU-SeeMe, Figure 2. Developed by Cornell University and available over the internet, CUSeeMe provides inexpensive video conferencing capabilities. The software allows video and audio signals from Quikcam™ cameras to be sent and received between computers. A reflector site has been established in the MSE department that allows eight different computers to be interconnected simultaneously. This arrangement allows us to demonstrate SEM principles in the classroom. An Apple Macintosh has been configured to allow the SEM image to be seen using CU-SeeMe.

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The Instructional SEM Laboratory at Iowa State University

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100164441 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 54 ◽

pp. 396-397

Author(s):

L. S. Chumbley ◽

M. Meyer ◽

K. Fredrickson ◽

F.C. Laabs

Keyword(s):

Materials Science ◽

Computer Network ◽

Energy Dispersive Spectrometer ◽

Computer Control ◽

State University ◽

Iowa State University ◽

Internet Server ◽

Schematic Layout ◽

Hands On ◽

Improve Instruction

The Materials Science Department at Iowa State University has developed a laboratory designed to improve instruction in the use of the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The laboratory makes use of a computer network and a series of remote workstations in a classroom setting to provide students with increased hands-on access to the SEM. The laboratory has also been equipped such that distance learning via the internet can be achieved.A view of the laboratory is shown in Figure 1. The laboratory consists of a JEOL 6100 SEM, a Macintosh Quadra computer that acts as a server for the network and controls the energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), four Macintosh computers that act as remote workstations, and a fifth Macintosh that acts as an internet server. A schematic layout of the classroom is shown in Figure 2. The workstations are connected directly to the SEM to allow joystick and computer control of the microscope. An ethernet connection between the Quadra and the workstations allows students seated there to operate the EDS. Control of the microscope and joystick is passed between the workstations by a switch-box assembly that resides at the microscope console. When the switch-box assembly is activated a direct serial line is established between the specified workstation and the microscope via the SEM’s RS-232.

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