ed 387 316 author title institution report no pub date note - Eric

182 Pages·2012·3.4 MB·English

DOCUMENT RESUME
SE 056 568
ED 387 316
Baveye, Philippe, Ed.; And Others
AUTHOR
Soil Science Education: Philosophy ard Perspectives.
TITLE
SSSA Special Publication Number 37.
Soil Science Society of America, Inc., Madison,
INSTITUTION
WI.
REPORT NO ISBN-0-89118-809-6
PUB DATE
94
NOTE
182p.
Soil Science Society of America, Inc., 677 South
AVAILABLE FROM
Segoe Road, Madison, WI 53711 ($18).
PUB TYPE
Books (010)
MF01/PC08 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Agronomy; *Earth Science; Educational Philosophy;
DESCRIPTORS
Elementary Secondary Education; Graduate Study;
Higher Education; *Holistic Approach; Science
Education; *Soil Science; *Systems Approach
ABSTRACT
Soil science provides the educational framework to
integrate components of earth science systems, to understand the
causes and consequences of spatial variability, and view dynamic
processes impacting ecosystems in a holistic perspective. This book,
a special publication of the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA),
identifies and analyzes current challenges facing soil science
(1) "Introducing Soil Science into the
education. Chapters include:
K-12 Curriculum" ("Cooper, Terence H.; Schultz, John W.; & Barton,
(2) "Undergraduate Core Curriculum in Soil Science"
Marion);
(3) "Trends in Soil Science Teaching Programs"
(Barbarick, K. A.);
(4) "Revision and Rescue of an Undergraduate Soil
(Letey, J.);
(5) "Understanding Cognitive
Science Program" (Taskey, Ronald, D.);
Styles: How To Teach to the.Whole Soil Science Classroom" (Friedman.
(6) "Private Sector Experience of
Diana, B.; & Parrott, Rodne;.,
(7) "Advising M.S.
a Soil Science Graduate" (Reese. Frances A.);
Graduate Students: Issues and Perspectives" (Sparks, Donald L.);
(8)
"SupervisiJn of Ph.D. Level Soil Science Graduate Students" (Jackson,
(9) "Advising Doctoral Students in Soil Science"
Marion, L.);
(10) "The Advisor-Advisee Relationship in Soil
(Traina, Samuel J.);
Science Graduate Education: Survey and Analysis" (Baveye, Philippe;
(11) "Educational Needs in Soils and Crops
and Vermeylen, Francoise);
of Graduate Students from Developing Countries" (Larson, W.
E.
(12) "AdviGing Students from
Crookson, R. Kent & Cheng, H. H.):
(13) "Nontraditional
Developing Countries" (Bornemisza, Elemer);
Students: Off-Campus M.S. Degree in Agronomy" (Banwart, W. L.; and
(14) "Distance Education in Soil Science: Reading the
Miller, D. A.);
Nontraditional Students" (Lansu, Angelique L. E.; Ivens, Wilfried, P.
M. F.; and Hummel, Hans G. K.); and (15) "Fostering Learner
Self-Direction in Soil Science Graduate Courses: A New Paradigm"
(Baveye, Philippe). Each chapter contains references. (JRH)
***********************************************************************
*
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
*
*
from the original document.
:
.
-
I,.
6.
A
1
lat
i
THIS
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE
U It DEPARTMENT Of EDUCATK/N
GRANTED BY
Imoiovement
MATERIAL HAS BEEN
Office of Educational Research and
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
VOL
CENTER (ERIC)
)
ea
soroduCed
rus document has been r
u
11 q
rpsnstron
shed hom the osesOn Or o
originating .5
To improve
0 Who( chamois have been made
'lloroducliOn quality
RESOURCES
IN* doCu.
Points of vet* ot opuhons elided in
TO THE EDUCATIONAL
represent official
(ERIC)
mint do not necessarily
INFORMATION CENTER
OEM Desu lion or policy
Soil Science Education:
Philosophy and Perspectives
I
,
Soil Science Education:
Philosophy and Perspectives
Proceedings of a symposium sponsored by Divisions S-1, S-2, S-3, S-4, S-5,
S-6, S-7, S-8, S-9 of the Soil Science Society of America in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, 5 Nov. 1992.
Editors
Philippe Baveye, Walter J. Farmer, and Terry J. Logan
Organizing Committee
Philippe Baveye, chair
Walter J. Farmer
Editor-in-Chief SSSA
J. Luxmoore
R.
Managing Editor
David M. Kral
Associate Editor
Marian K. Viney
SSSA Special Publication Number 37
Soil Science Society of America, Inc.
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
1994
III
'1
Cover Design: Patricia Scullion
Copyright kf' 1994 by the Soil Science Society of America, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED UNDER THE U.S. COPYRIGHT
ACT OF 1976 (P.L. 94-553)
Any and all uses beyond the limitations of the "fair use" provision
of the law require written permission from the publisher(s) and/or
the author(s); not applicable to contributions prepared by officers or
employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties.
Soil Science Society of America, Inc.
677 South Segoe Road, Madison, WI 53711 USA
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Soil science education : philosophy and perspectives : proceedings of
a symposium sponsored by Divisions S-I, S-2, S-3, S-4, S-5, S-6,
S-7, S-8, S-9 of the Soil Science Society of America in Minneapo-
lis, Minnesota, November 5, 1992 / editor, Philippe.Baveye, Walter J.
Farmer, and Terry J. Logan ; organizing committee, Philippe Baveye,
chair, Walter J. Farmer ; editor-in-chief, SSSA, R.J. Luxmoorc.
cm.
(SSSA special publication : no. 37)
p.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-89118-809-6
I. Soil scienceStudy and teachingUnited StatesCongresses.
2. Soil scienceStudy and teachingCongresses.
I. Baveye, P.
II. Farmer, Walter J.
(Philippe)
IV. Soil
III. Logan, Terry .1.
Science Society of America. Divisoin S-1.
V. Series.
S59I .55.U6S65
1994
631.4 '071dc20
94-17681
CIP
Printed in the United States of America
CONTENTS
Page
vii
Foreword
ix
Preface
xi
Contributors
Introducing Soil Science into the K-12 Curriculum
1
Terence H. Cooper, John W. Schultz,
and Marion K. Barton
1
Undergraduate Core Curriculum in Soil Science
2
7
K. A. Barbarick
Trends in Soil Science Teaching Programs
3
15
J. Letey
Revision and Rescue of an Undergraduate Soil Science
4
Program
21
Ronald D. Taskey
Whole
Understanding Cognitive Styles: How to Teach to the
5
Soil Science Classroom
29
Diana B. Friedman and Rodney J. Parrott
Private Sector Experience of a Soil Science Graduate
6
45
Frances A. Reese
Advising M.S. Graduate Students: Issues and Perspectives
7
51
Donald L. Sparks
Supervision of Ph.D. Level Soil Science Graduate Students
8
59
Marion L. Jackson
Advising Doctoral Students in Soil Science
9
65
Samuel J. Traina
Graduate
The Advisor-Advisee Relationship in Soil Science
10
Education: Survey and Analysis
73
Philippe Baveye and Francoise Vermeylen
Students
Educational Needs in Soils and Crops of Graduate
11
from Developing Countries
Cheng
85
W. E. Larson, R. Kent Crookston, and H. H.
vi
CONTENTS
Advising Students from Developing Countries
12
Elemer Bornemisza
99
Nontraditional Students: Off-Campus M.S. Degree
13
in Agronomy
W. L. Banwart and D. A. Miller
109
Distance Education in Soil Science: Reaching
14
the Nontraditional Student
Angelique L. E. Lansu, Wilfried, P. M. F. Ivens,
and Hans G. K. Hummel
121
Fostering Learner Self-Direction in Soil Science Graduate
15
Courses: A New Paradigm
Philippe Baveye
135
FOREWORD
their future
Two-thirds of Americans believe that science will improve
Scientific literacy in
and three-fourths indicate they enjoy learning science.
peak in the Sput-
this country, however, is at its lowest ebb since reaching a
and engineering reform
nik era. The nation is currently undergoing a science
this educational
with massive influx of public and private monies to counter
literacy by the year 2000,
void. The goal is to attain preeminence in scientific
the timeframe. It is
perhaps a little presumptuous and unattainable given
of soil science education
within this backdrop, however, that the relevance
Earth properties,
takes on n m meaning. Understanding the near-surface
global habitat sustainability. Soil
processes, and functionality is essential to
integrate components of earth-
science provides the educational framework to
of spatial varia-
science systems, to understand the causes and consequences
in a holistic per-
bility, and view dynamic processes impacting ecosystems
ability
spective. The future of our discipilne is heavily dependcent on our
effectivley communicate this message. Our clien-
as educators and scientists to
backgrounds, value
tele are diverse. They represent multiple occupations,
of soil and land
judgements, interests, and experiences. Their understanding
publication examines these issues,
resources may be limited. This special
environments
challenges, and opportunities for new trends in educational
Society of America is
under new soil science paradigms. The Soil Science
education through de-
committed to enhancing the outreach of earth-science
in
velopment of resource learning materials and teacher mentor programs
initiatives. We
conjunciton with the American Geological Institute textbook
committee for their ef-
commend the authors of this text and the organizing
in such a timely manner.
forts to bring this special publication to fruition
earth-science education-
It is a significant new contribution to the arsenal of
al materials.
LARRY P. WILDING,
President
Soil Science Society of Agronomy
PREFACE
education have belonged to
Traditionally, the "clients" of soil science
graduate students, and those clients
three groups: undergraduate students,
the preferred mode
reached through extension activities. In all three cases,
been via formal lectures in class-
of transmission of knowledge has usually
importance of the task before them, soil science
room settings. Realizing the
attention to teaching in all of
educators have over the years paid significant
example, the Soil Science Society
its multiple facets. In November 1969, for
graduate instruction. Dur-
of America held a symposium devoted entirely to
published in 1970 as ASA Spe-
ing this symposium (and in its proceedings,
invited to analyze in detail
cial Publication No. 17), prominent scientists were
methodologies used in
the teaching needs and the knowledge-transmission
physics, soil chemistry, etc.).
the various subdisciplines of soil science (soil
dealing with the teaching of soil
Since the late sixties, numerous articles
Journal of Agronomic Education
science courses have appeared in, e.g., the
Resources and Life Sciences Education),
(to become the Journal of Nati ral
and the Agricultural Education Magazine.
multimedia technologies)
Even though the visual aids (videofilms and
phenomenal pace, much
available to instructors are currently evolving at a
soil science courses remains emi-
of this existing literature on the teaching of
in early 1992 the SSSA Com-
nently relevant and useful. Therefore, when
decided that the time was ripe
mittee S571 ("Training of Soil Scientists")
soil science education and planned it for
to devote another symposium to
that this symposium should try
the fall 1992 annual meetings, it was agreed
territory, and not simply
to explore new facets of the field, to map out new
how to make lectures lively and
rehash information on what to teach and
appealing.
should explore seemed clear-
A number of directions that this symposium
need for a shift of emphasis from
ly dictIted by recent trends and events. The
brought about in part by
Iral to environmental soils-related issues,
agrici..
America and Europe in the last
the pronounced decline of farming in North
changes in the soil science curriculum. The
two decades, mandates drastic
imminence of "information
rapid pace of technological advances and the
usefulness of an extension
superhighways" challenge the need for and the
universities must prepare their stu-
service in its current form. Furthermore,
dents for a life of continuous learning.
university environment in which
Aside from these societal changes, the
operated has also evolved signifi-
soil science educators have traditionally
body has become more and more
cantly in the last two decades. The student
the same time more foreign stu-
diverse in terms of age and gender, while at
universities than ever before. The
dents are attending U.S. and Canadian
also
of the students and their career objectives
areas of interest and training
combined to modify the conditions
have evolved. All of these trends have
PREFACE
conditions under which soil science educators
have to approach the advising
of undergraduate or graduate students.
These and other current challenges
facing soil science education
are ana-
lyzed in detail in the various chapters of
the present SSSA Special Publica-
tion. These chapters have been purposely
left heterogeneous in style and depth
of coverage; some contributors have
chosen to briefly relate their personal
experience in a journalistic style, while others
carried out detailed surveys
or extensive literature reviews. In all cases, the authors
benefitted greatly from
the careful and thoughtful
comments of anonymous reviewers.
May 1993
WALTER J. FARMER
University of Florida, Riverside
TERRY J. LOGAN
Ohio State University