The Case of the Sick Greenhouse Crop

• Published in: Journal of natural resources and life sciences education Vol. 34; no. 1; p. 127
• Main Authors: MacKay, Bruce R, Fisher, Paul R., Argo, William R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Madison American Society of Agronomy 2005
• Subjects: action maze; Behavioral Objectives; Case studies; case study; Crops; Greenhouses; Horticulture; Nutrition; Online instruction; online learning; Thinking Skills
• ISSN: 1059-9053; 1539-1582
• DOI: 10.2134/jnrlse.2005.0127

A major aim of our undergraduate teaching programs is to extend the cognitive skills of our students through experience in applying knowledge in the context of an integrated picture of horticulture. Achieving this aim for our off‐campus students has often proven difficult, for both undergraduate and commercial grower trainee clienteles. Even in formal on‐campus teaching, it can be difficult to allocate sufficient in‐class time for live‐plant case studies. Despite these challenges, horticulture students tend to be more open to learning underlying principles when the problem‐solving application of that knowledge is made explicit. Consequently, we developed a monitored online learning activity based on case studies to enable students to experience how seemingly isolated fragments of information can be used to construct the whole. The Case of the Sick Greenhouse Crop is one of a series of case studies we have developed for greenhouse crop nutrition that is based on nutrient toxicity symptoms for a greenhouse flower crop. This case study includes photographic and textual descriptions of the problem, a series of laboratory tests providing additional data, and “real‐life” cost constraints associated with accessing the additional information such as laboratory soil analysis. The online case study approach provides meaningful learner interaction involving specialized knowledge and a wide range of generic skills (e.g., decision making and data interpretation, information‐retrieval, investigation, analysis, and self‐directed learning) while overcoming barriers of student access and the need for intensive laboratory preparation. The learning objectives associated with this lesson are the following: Compare and contrast visual symptoms and laboratory‐based data in identifying the nature and cause of a common greenhouse crop problem. Identify and prioritize avenues of enquiry in seeking additional information about the problem. Interpret analytical data reports in the context of a stated problem. Integrate knowledge of chemical and biotic factors in the root‐zone of plants growing in soilless growing media. Synthesize solutions to the stated problem.