The Progression of Change in Adult and Continuing Education • The Progression of Change in Adult and Continuing Education
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Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences is one of the nation’s best for agricultural research
Photo courtesy Cardoni/ AG Science Magazine
Julian Avery’s field work never stops. Even in the dead of winter during a pandemic, Avery is in the wilds scouting animal habitat in preparation for the spring semester.
Instructors found creative ways to keep students engaged during the pandemic The Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences traces its roots to 1855 and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s top institutions for agricultural research and education programs. It’s no surprise, then, that the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences would also be a leader when it came to finding new and improved ways of engaging with students. The AG Science Magazine recently highlighted how some of the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences instructors responded to the challenges that the pandemic presented. Julian Avery, an assistant research professor of wildlife ecology and conservation for Penn State, knew that he couldn’t just transition to lecturing on Zoom to the students in his Amphibians and Reptiles course—it was designed to be taught in person and in the field. “We typically spend the whole time outside looking at animals and their habitats,” Avery told AG Science Magazine. “I had no idea how I was going do that remotely.” 24
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Since he couldn’t take the students into the field, Avery decided to do his best to bring the field to the students. He went out to the sites on his own, filmed and photographed habitats and animals, and used the images to create interactive lessons. Ultimately, he said, he was pleased with the outcome, but it didn’t compare to the real deal. “It was really hard for the students,” Avery explained. “Many of them look forward to taking this class as seniors with the expectation that it’s going to be a lot of fun. I think they were disappointed because it was their last chance to do something big like this at Penn State.” Instructors across the Penn State campus shared Avery’s frustration, and they set out to find creative ways to deliver content to students. “Our faculty and staff moved to remote instruction with less than a week’s notice, and last fall many of them had to create ‘mixed-mode’ courses,” said Tracy Hoover, associate dean for undergraduate education in the college. “That required a high level of creativity, work, and planning from an instructional and assessment perspective.” Bradley Jakubowski, an instructor in the Department of
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