2014 ASHS Annual Conference

In 2012, the University of Florida (UF) joined a consortium of worldwide universities with the educational technology company, Coursera, offering massive open online courses (MOOCS). Among the first four courses offered by UF was Sustainable Agricultural Land Management. This course, first offered in 2013, was the first agricultural course offered through Coursera. Sustainable Agricultural Land Management, modeled after a course taught on campus at the graduate level, introduced agricultural nutrient and water best management practices to an international audience.  The course begins with discussions about world-wide challenges with nutrient pollution and water scarcity and presents the history of environmental regulations in the USA.  We discuss many of the farming practices used by farmers today that conserve soil and improve crop nutrient and irrigation management, making farming more sustainable. A basic theme of the course is the “triple bottom line” that emphasizes consideration of social, environmental, and economical aspects of farming practices.  We focus on science-based solutions and practices that farmers around the world are using - or could use - to produce food in an environmentally protective and economically sustainable fashion. The course has three lectures each week, for 8 weeks, with weekly quizzes and weekly discussion topics. There is a major peer-assessed optional project dealing with a major agricultural or environmental issue where the students live and work. The issue should be one that they would like to address with ideas learned in the course.  The students develop solutions that they may propose to decision-makers. There are four levels of completion in the course called Statements of Accomplishment.  Two of these statements involve the “Signature Track” which is a Coursera verified certificate with a minimal cost. The course has been offered twice, averaging 12,000 students from all over the world. It has been interesting to see the similarity of the environmental problems and food production issues in the countries of the world. This MOOC has provided an opportunity to take a university course on agricultural sustainability to a worldwide audience and to receive feedback from that audience that will strengthen the MOOC in future offerings as well as improve the campus-based course.