National Academies Press: OpenBook

Transforming Agricultural Education for a Changing World (2009)

Chapter: Appendix E: Questions to Guide the Review of Undergraduate Food and Agriculture Programs

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Questions to Guide the Review of Undergraduate Food and Agriculture Programs." National Research Council. 2009. Transforming Agricultural Education for a Changing World. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12602.
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Page 179
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Questions to Guide the Review of Undergraduate Food and Agriculture Programs." National Research Council. 2009. Transforming Agricultural Education for a Changing World. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12602.
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Page 180
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Questions to Guide the Review of Undergraduate Food and Agriculture Programs." National Research Council. 2009. Transforming Agricultural Education for a Changing World. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12602.
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Page 181
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Questions to Guide the Review of Undergraduate Food and Agriculture Programs." National Research Council. 2009. Transforming Agricultural Education for a Changing World. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12602.
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Page 182

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Appendix E Questions to Guide the Review of Undergraduate Food and Agriculture Programs This checklist of questions is intended to be used by any individual or group conducting a review of any program, curriculum, department, college, or institution. It is designed to assist a variety of organizations in developing specific review criteria, accreditation standards, etc. that incorporate the elements of undergraduate education discussed in this report. The committee also hopes that this list of questions can guide the assess- ment of outcomes that follow in response to the report. For example, the elements in this checklist could serve as the basis for follow-up conversa- tions and meetings about undergraduate education in agriculture. The committee does not suggest what might be the “correct” answers to these questions as the most appropriate responses will depend upon the unique strengths, opportunities, and missions of particular institutions, col- leges, and departments. Curriculum and student experiences How is the curriculum developed? What is the role of faculty and stu- dents within the department? Within the college? Outside of the college? How are external stakeholders engaged? How do courses in the major build a deep foundation of factual knowl- edge, based on clear conceptual frameworks? How does the curriculum incorporate courses and/or experiences focus- ing on teamwork and working in diverse communities, working across disciplines, communication, critical thinking and analysis, ethical decision- making, and leadership and management? 179

180 Appendix E How are food and agriculture integrated with general education and courses outside of the college of agriculture? How many courses are cross- listed with departments outside of agriculture, especially at the introductory level? How are real-world examples, case studies, and opportunities for com- munity engagement and service learning integrated into the curriculum? How do the curriculum and other learning experience reflect contem- porary issues and emerging trends in food and agriculture? How are newly arising issues integrated into the curriculum? In what ways do required courses help students acquire habits of dis- ciplined learning, intellectual curiosity, independence of mind and critical thinking, follow trains of reasoning, detect fallacies in arguments, and discern unstated assumptions? What levels of international experience associated with global food and agriculture does the curriculum provide/require of students? Which learning abroad opportunities are available and how many students participate? How are international perspectives included in the curriculum? What opportunities are available for students to participate in intern- ships, cooperative education experiences, service learning, or mentorships? Are any such experiences required? In what ways are undergraduate students engaged in outreach and extension activities? What opportunities are there for students to be involved in learning communities or other extracurricular activities that support learning? Are any such experiences required? What are the opportunities for students to engage in undergraduate research? What percentage of students do so? Institutional commitment to teaching and learning What faculty development resources and opportunities are available at your institution? What training is made available to new faculty and others

Appendix E 181 offering instruction? What institutional resources are available for developing or refining new courses? How are faculty encouraged to participate in educationally focused seminars and workshops within your institution? Outside your institution? How often do seminar and colloquium speakers at your institution dis- cuss issues of teaching and learning? What is the common method of instruction used in courses? Where on Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning (Bloom et al. 1956) is most instructional effect directed? How are active and cooperative learning integrated into courses? What forms of instructional technology are used in courses? What insti- tutional resources are available to assist faculty in the use of technology? How are graduate students and postdoctoral researchers engaged in undergraduate education reform efforts at your institution? What is the role of teaching evaluations? What elements are included? How are the evaluations used by administrators and others? What resources are available for bring instructional technology into the classroom? How many faculty members conduct research on teaching and learning within the discipline? How are teaching and learning incorporated into considerations for hiring, promotion, and tenure? Outreach and organizational structure How are business, industry, government, nongovernmental organiza- tions, farmers, and community and consumer groups engaged in the devel- opment of the curriculum? What is the composition of any advisory boards with responsibility for food and agricultural education?

182 Appendix E How often do faculty members collaborate with researchers and prac- titioners from outside of academe? How often do faculty members spend sabbaticals outside of academe? How often do professionals from the food and agriculture industry and other sectors teach courses at your institution? What types of connections and interactions does your institution have with other academic institutions in the region? Are there joint programs, shared resources, or other types of partnerships in food and agriculture? What types of articulation agreements does your institution have with community colleges and other institutions within the region? What types of programs directed at K–12 students does your institution offer? What types of connections and interactions does your institution have with K–12 students and teachers? With area youth-focused programs such as 4-H, National FFA, and scouting? REFERENCE Bloom, Benjamin S., David R. Krathwohl, and Bertram B. Masia. ������ Taxonomy of Edu- 1956. cational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals. New York: David McKay Company.

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During the next ten years, colleges of agriculture will be challenged to transform their role in higher education and their relationship to the evolving global food and agricultural enterprise. If successful, agriculture colleges will emerge as an important venue for scholars and stakeholders to address some of the most complex and urgent problems facing society.

Such a transformation could reestablish and sustain the historical position of the college of agriculture as a cornerstone institution in academe, but for that to occur, a rapid and concerted effort by our higher education system is needed to shape their academic focus around the reality of issues that define the world's systems of food and agriculture and to refashion the way in which they foster knowledge of those complex systems in their students. Although there is no single approach to transforming agricultural education, a commitment to change is imperative.

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