Using experiential learning to enhance knowledge about sustainable whole farm systems

1. Using experiential learning to enhance knowledge about sustainable whole farm systems Edly Santiago Andino (PhD candidate Ag. Extension & Education), Tracy Hoover (Ag. Extension & Education), Heather Karsten (Agronomy & Pasture), Mary Barberchek (Soil Entomology), MaryAnn Bruns (Soil Microbial Ecology), Shelby Fleischer (Entomology), Jeffrey Hyde (Ag. Economics), William Lamont (Vegetable Crops), David Mortensen (Weed Ecology), Robert Stout (Agron. Techn. Research Asst.). Introduction Experiential learning (EL) provides a link between theory and practice, abstract generalization and concrete instance, and between affective and the cognitive domains of learning (Miller, 2000). This type of learning occurs when students participate in activities, reflect upon the activity, use the new understanding in their daily lives. Students' Raw Scores on Technical Questions Before and After Internship Purpose & Objectives To provide an opportunity to learn by experiencing a whole-farm system. Objectives were to asses the value of interdisciplinary guided on-farm learning, and describe faculty’s perception of the internship. Methods • Week one interns attended to an interdisciplinary faculty team orientation week. • Pairs of interns spent 10 weeks working with host farms, and conducted research projects. • Weekly, interns documented their farm experiences. • Faculty and interns visited all host farms twice during the farm stay. • In week 12, interns spent 10 days with the faculty team finalizing their research projects, preparing whole farm & decision case studies. • A pre & post-test was administrated to evaluate learning and the internship. • Interns presented the whole farm case studies and research project results during a final symposium. • Educational materials, and interns experiential essays are available at: http://PAonfarminterns.cas.psu.edu Summary Students participating in the experiential internship enhanced their knowledge about sustainable whole farm systems. The interdisciplinary faculty group reported that they obtained new knowledge outside their area of expertise and to understand whole farm systems. Implications More experiential on-farm internship may be organized where students and interdisciplinary faculty groups interact to enhance understanding about agroecology farm systems while learning by experience. Grant provided by USDA Higher Education Challenge program.