Teaching Undergraduate Nursery Management As an Online Course: Instructor and Student Perspectives

The desire for increased availability of online courses across all collegiate curriculums has created a demand and need for online college-level courses in horticulture.  Frequently, the transition of courses to online has been those that were lecture-only, where experiential learning was not a major component.  At Missouri State University, we now utilize the online format for teaching undergraduate nursery management, but combine it with experiential learning through required group or self-arranged nursery site visits.  The course format includes lecture PowerPoints, outside readings, online discussions, written assignments and tests delivered through Blackboard (an online course delivery and management system).  This is combined with the requirement of five field trip activities over the course of the semester.  The instructor sets up five regional field trips for students in the area, plus assists distance students in setting up their own field trips near their home institution.  Information on the benefits and disadvantages of online delivery from the instructor’s standpoint, along with student feedback on the format will be presented.