2017 ASHS Annual Conference

Memorization of scientific names is necessary for plant identification. The objective of this study was to describe the perceptions of students when comparing different strategies for identification of plants and memorization of plant names. Herbaceous Ornamentals (Hort 330) is a 3-credit, semester long course that is required by several options within the Horticulture major at Iowa State University. The primary goal of the course is for students to learn how to identify, grow, maintain, and design with a variety of perennial and annual flowers suited for Midwestern landscapes. Twenty-five students were asked to track their level of effort and achievement throughout the semester. Prior to the discussion of tracking effort, students participated in a lesson to define mindset about intelligence and meaning and mindful effort. Student reflections on the learning strategies used were compiled into an “effort portfolio” at the end of the semester. Effort portfolios were part of their final grade. The content of the effort portfolios were analyzed to determine themes that emerged and to develop synthesis categories that represented responses. As expected, the effort students put forth in learning to identify plants usually matched levels of achievement. Several themes emerged on learning strategies that students considered impactful. Researching plants on their own or creating their own study materials increased their ability to identify and remember plants. Students recognized specific learning strategies that promote thinking and meaningful and mindful effort as effective ways to learn plants. More importantly, as students monitored their efforts and accompanying achievement, they embraced their responsibility as learners.