Teaching Sustainable Agriculture At a Distance.

Agricultural science based courses requiring applied laboratory experiences can be logistically difficult to teach at a distance. Yet, there is a need in Ohio to connect instruction at the Land-Grant Institution with emerging academic programs at Community Colleges. Faculty at Lorain County Community College (LCCC) initiated a collaborative effort with The Ohio State University (Ohio State) to teach a Principles of Sustainable Agriculture course as a hybrid class. Students and the instructor were connected on both campuses for live lectures by interactive video distance learning (IVDL). The professor at Ohio State taught two lectures per week and also conducted a two-hour laboratory for students attending at the Wooster campus. The professor at LCCC taught a laboratory section for students at the Lorain campus. Careful planning and clear communication were important for the course to be successful. Obstacles included reconciling a quarter-based course offering at Ohio State with the semester system at LCCC and developing laboratory experiences in different locations that were similar and complimentary. Overall, students at both campuses seemed to enjoy and successfully complete the class. More community colleges are planning to link up with the course as well, which will bring a higher degree of coordination and planning. Cooperation between institutions of higher learning is expected to benefit students as they pursue undergraduate and graduate degree programs and certificates by providing clear and efficient pathways for student completion.