Undergraduate Instruction in Plant Pathology: In-class Group Activities Improve Teamwork Skills in Semester-long Projects

Authors

Teddy Garcia-Aroca, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

Spring 2024

Document Type

Portfolio

Citation

Garcia-Aroca, Teddy. "Undergraduate instruction in plant pathology: In-class group activities improve teamwork skills in semester-long projects." University of Nebraska-Lincoln, spring 2024.

Comments

Copyright 2024, Teddy Garcia-Aroca. Used by permission

Abstract

PLPT 210: Plant Pathogens and Disease is an introductory-level undergraduate course offered by the Department of Plant Pathology at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The course covers the basic principles of plant pathology, fundamental aspects of pathogen biology, and common management strategies. The course is offered every spring, and the enrollment is ~40 students per semester. Most students enrolled in the course are sophomores, juniors, to a lesser extent seniors from the Agronomy and Horticulture majors, Plant and Landscapes Systems, and Environmental Sciences. The course consists of lectures and in-class activities, and students are evaluated through quizzes, individual and in-group homework assignments, and exams. In the Spring of 2023, many students (~40%) opted out of their groups assignments when given the opportunity. In the current semester, our goal was to improve the student experience related to in-class and semester-long group assignments and discussions. The new approach included giving more opportunities to students to get to know their peers and improve their communication skills by working together in in-class group activities. This led to a significant decrease in the number of students that opted out of their groups in 2024, with only 2% of students deciding to do so for factsheet 2. More importantly, the overall grades in these factsheets were improved compared to 2023, indicating that improvements in in-group experiences can lead to better overall experience in assignments and better grades. No significant increase in the overall grades were observed, but the improvements in the individual experiences serve as great positive reinforcement for students to continue and complete their degrees. Overall, this new approach can be used in the future to engage students in teamwork-focused assignments and in-class activities, improving their soft skills and leading to positive impacts in their careers in industry or academia.