(314) Creating Videos to Enhance Student and Public Educational Opportunities in Landscape Management

Abstract

A series of video clips and narrated PowerPoints were developed to aid in the presentation of common horticultural techniques. To determine the most effective format for delivery of horticultural subject matter, video clips and PowerPoints were developed for three topic areas and presented to two target audience groups. Target audiences consisted of Master Gardeners (Orange and Osceola County, Fla.) and future horticulture professionals (UF Environmental Horticulture students enrolled in Landscape Plant Establishment). Upon completion of viewing both media formats, participants were asked to complete a survey. Eighty-six percent of participants completed and returned surveys. Data were sorted and analyzed for calculation of mean percent for each response sought. Results of the survey indicated that, depending upon the topic, a higher proportion (66% to 93%) of Master Gardeners preferred narrated PowerPoints in comparison to video clips. However, 60% to 70% of students preferred video clips to narrated PowerPoints. In reference to the informative nature of both videos and PowerPoints, >67% of all respondents rated both media formats between good and excellent; however, most respondents indicated new information gained was less than 40%. Factoring the costs associated with production (about $1000 per video vs. essentially no cost for narrated PowerPoints) and participant responses, narrated PowerPoints appear the best option for conveying common horticultural practices.