A Survey of Introductory Soil Science Courses and Curricula in the United States

Abstract

A survey of introductory soil science or equivalent (ISSe) instructors and courses at 79 institutions differing in landgrant status (38 land-grant, 41 non-land-grant) and Carnegie category (48 doctoral, 16 masters, 10 baccalaureate, 2 associate, 3 respondents did not identify by Carnegie classification) was conducted to collect information about the current state of ISSe course offerings in the United States. Our data demonstrates little evidence for curricular differences between land-grant and nonland-grant institutions. A “depth” ranking of topical components of these courses showed that soil water concepts and soil classification were allotted the most time, on average. Pedagogical styles were diverse, with 44% of ISSe course hours dedicated to active learning, flipped classroom, or online learning formats. There was no significant relationship between class size or institution type and the proportion of the non-lab component of the course taught in alternative formats. Over 40% of respondents expressed interest in connecting with other introductory soils instructors to share course materials and explore new approaches. The results of this survey will serve as a resource to (1) improve general knowledge of the diversity of materials, and methods used to teach introductory soil science courses; (2) assist instructors or institutions in the process of revising or reviewing their introductory soil science courses; and (3) identify opportunities for cross-institutional cooperation or development of course materials and resources. N.A. Jelinski and J.C. Bell, Dep. of Soil, Water and Climate, Univ. of Minnesota, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108; and C.J. Moorberg and M.D. Ransom, Dep. of Agronomy, Kansas State Univ., 2004 Throckmorton PSC, 1712 Claflin Road, Manhattan, KS 665060110. *Corresponding author ([email protected]). Abbreviations: APLU, Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities; ASA, American Society of Agronomy; CSSA, Crop Science Society of America; FSS, fundamentals of soil science; GIS, geographic information system; HSD, Honestly Significant Difference; ISSe, introductory soil science or equivalent; LG, landgrant; NLG, non-land-grant; OLMS, online learning management system; SESRC, Social and Economic Sciences Research Center; SSSA, Soil Science Society of America; TAs, teaching assistants. Published in Nat. Sci. Educ. 48:180019 doi:10.4195/nse2018.11.0019 Received 23 Nov. 2018 Accepted 29 Jan. 2019 Supplemental material available online Available freely online through the author-supported open access option Copyright © 2019 American Society of Agronomy 5585 Guilford Road, Madison, WI 53711 USA This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) core ideas • Soil water concepts and soil classification were allotted the most time among topical categories. • Little evidence for curricular differences between land-grant and non-land-grant institutions. • Pedagogical styles are diverse, with 44% of course hours dedicated to non-traditional approaches. I ntroductory soil science or equivalent (ISSe) courses represent the major gateway and primary exposure for undergraduate student entry into soil science or closely related fields. Thus, these courses are of significant concern for the academic and professional soil science communities and are often viewed as important indicators for the future of the field. Many previous studies have focused primarily on trends in student numbers in ISSe courses and soil science programs (e.g., Baveye et al., 2006; Hartemink et al., 2008; Hartemink and McBratney, 2008; Hansen et al., 2007; Brevik et al., 2014, 2018). These studies have highlighted important differences in ISSe trends between institutions of differing landgrant status and Carnegie classification. Despite this focus, few studies have assessed teaching styles and topical content across ISSe courses, particularly between institutions of differing Carnegie classification or land-grant status. There is a strong need for a comprehensive community assessment of teaching styles, topical content, and course statistics in ISSe courses across diverse institutions. Furthermore, the continued emergence of high-quality, opensource materials designed to enhance teaching and learning in soil science have a strong potential to revolutionize ISSe courses and the ability of instructors to exchange ideas and approaches. A recent study of ISSe courses in Canadian institutions documented an increased need for innovative content development and evaluation of teaching methods (Krzic et al., 2018). Because soil science in particular lends itself to teaching through diverse learning and active learning styles (Strivelli et al., 2011; Field et al., 2011), developing novel course materials and approaches is critical to the continued evolution and relevance of these courses. From 2016 to 2017, we conducted an electronic survey designed to collect information about the current state of ISSe courses, teaching approaches, and topical foci from the primary instructors of such courses, primarily in the United States. The three objectives of this study were to: (1) improve knowledge of the diversity of materials, methods, and pedagogies utilized to teach ISSe courses in the United States; (2) assist instructors or institutions to identify resources or common community practices in the process Published February 28, 2019