The World Foliage Plant Industry - Acta Horticulturae

Figure 2. Teaching tree anatomy by electronic distance learning. Picture by courtesy of Dr. Julie
Young and Myerscough College, UK.
modules that are completed in a regulated
manner. Progress is measured by the fulfilment
of course work assignments and end of year
examinations. Details of the courses can be
obtained from: www.myerscough.ac.uk
At a higher level still the University of
Melbourne, Australia offers masters courses in
agribusiness by distance learning. These are
especially suited to students who have several
years experience and may be reaching the ranks
of middle and upper management (Anon,
2004; McSweeney, 2005).
Alternatively single courses may be designed to
achieve more limited but specific targets within
a larger program. This provides an easy and
effective means of teaching crop yield and density
relationships to distance students. It enables
students to examine a wider range of production
variables that impact on crop yield than if
real crops were grown. VirtualCarrots is an
online tool designed to improve students’
understanding and lecturers’ teaching of yielddensity
relationships in field crops (MacKay et
al., 2005, email: b.mackay@masey.ac.nz). With
VirtualCarrots (Fig. 3) students “grow” crops of
carrots under a range of production variables
Figure 3. Teaching plant density x yield relationships using the Virtual Carrot. Picture by
courtesy of Dr. Bruce MacKay and Massey University, New Zealand.
(e.g. required marketable size, time of year,
location and density). VirtualCarrots generates
sets of data and graphs that students evaluate
and interpret based on their theoretical understanding
of yield and density relationships.
Students can, for example, examine the influence
of sowing density, sowing dates, and cultivar
differences for prescribed market yields and harvest
dates by instantly “growing” crops of carrots
on-line. They can examine relative outcomes
for a range of prescribed conditions (e.g.
how is root size distribution influenced by
sowing pattern?). For each set of input variables,
VirtualCarrots generates predicted yield
quantity and quality data sets in a downloadable
form for subsequent off-line analysis and
interpretation by students.
A widespread failing of many on-line university
courses is that they replicate passive and traditional
pedagogical methods in an on-line environment.
Without the opportunity to participate
and interact with case studies and problemsolving
activities students do not engage with
on-line content. This results in poor learning
achievement. Sites with good practice that
avoid these pitfalls are found for example at:
www.hort.purdue.edu.
New Zealand and USA researchers (MacKay and
Fisher, 2005) have developed a case study based
on nutrient toxicity symptoms for a glasshouse
flower crop. This includes photographic and
text descriptions of the problem and a series of
laboratory tests that provide additional data.
But there is a “cost” to purchase the added
information. This case study was presented to
students, growers, and educators using an
internet based tool for case studies in horticultural
education - the Ramosus maze. Ramosus is
an active learning tool, based on the maze
metaphor of a simulated situation created to
mimic the strategic decision-making of real life
(Fig. 4). Users commented that Ramosus provides
users with “the feel of the real situation”
and made them think “diagnostically.”
Ramosus encourages deep learning and adds
value to on-line courses, by balancing the need
to increase the student’s knowledge base and
their use of that knowledge. The ability to track
student progress through the maze also provides
additional feedback to instructors on the
student’s level of knowledge and ability to integrate
concepts.
CAN SKILLS BE DELIVERED
AT A DISTANCE?
Distance learning opens up opportunities for
learning practical skills that require the use of
tools and hand manipulation which have previously
been taught by face-to-face instruction,
demonstration, and practice with immediate
(synchronous) feedback, e.g. budding and grafting.
Hennigan and Mudge (2004) set up the
course “The How, When and Why of Grafting”
(http://www.instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/ho
rt494/mg/index.html) which embraces top
CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE •VOL 45 • NUMBER 4 • 2005 • 7