Role Playing and Mind Mapping Issues on Nitrate Contamination

Abstract

Agricultural science professionals are faced with controversial issues that often reach far beyond the professional’s discipline. The need for competencies in systems approaches to problem-solving is stimulating revisions of agricultural science curricula. Mind mapping and role playing exercises described herein were designed (i) to guide students in the exploration, expression, and integration of the varying viewpoints and opinions of a controversial topic (i.e., nitrate contamination f our water supply); (ii) to illustrate the importance of applying soil fertility principles to environmental and agronomic management; and (iii) to encourage students to take active leadership in their learning process. These exercises were developed for a college Soil Fertility course and for a high school student workshop during a college recruitment conference. Students assumed the roles of interest groups in the controversy over nitrate contamination. Published articles and reports, many of which were written from biased views, gave students a sense of the various perspectives on the issues. Student evaluations of the exercises suggested students enjoyed exchanging these ideas and perspectives during a small-group mind-mapping assignment and in a mock town hall meeting. They also gained an appreciation for developing science-based solutions to the nitrate contamination problem, while reconciling the varying perspectives within society. Mind maps helped students understand interrelationships and roles among overnment agencies, fertilizer industry, farmers, consumers, and university personnel. Ac SCIENCE PROFESSIONALS are faced with ontroversial issues that often reach far beyond the professional’s disciplines. Concerns for environmental protection, public health, and long-term agricultural sustainability are affecting agronomic decisions. To solve complex problems such as those related to nitrate pollution, agricultural science graduates will be asked to interact with many segments of society, such as government agencies, environmental and consumer groups, grower organizations, agrichemical industries, and university research and extension personnel. Students need problem-solving skills to deal effectively with such complexities (Wilson and Morren, 1990). This need for problem-solving competencies has stimulated changes in agricultural science curricula (Merritt, 1984; Merritt and Hamm, 1994). These changes include the redesign of whole curricula, course development in systems thinking, and the modification of existing courses (Merritt, 1984; Grabau, 1988; Macadam and Packham, 1989; Merritt and Hamm, 1994). Agriculture courses are typically presented in the lecture and note-taking format, in which the lecturer presents factual material for students to assimilate Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA 99164-6420. WSU Crop and Soil Sciences Departmental paper no. 9510-29. Received 21 Oct. 1994. *Corresponding author (wlpan@wsu. edu). Published in J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ. 25:37-42 (1996). and assemble within their current knowledge base. This is an efficient method for disseminating facts, but it is not as effective at building student competencies in human interactions and group problem-solving. These competencies can be addressed within science-based courses by complementing technical lectures with exercises that weave scientific concepts into discussions of current, controversial topics that are relevant to students as citizens and future professionals. In doing so, students are better able to connect scientific concepts and facts to real-life situations, perhaps sustaining their interest in science and providing motivation for learning. Small-group exercises highlight and encourage the individuality, personality, experiences, and skills of each student (Sharan and Sharan, 1976). Small group settings also empower students to take control of the learning process, giving them an opportunity to develop leadership skills and a sense of self-worth. In addition, students learn to cooperate and communicate in analyzing and organizing abstract concepts. This approach also helps to redefine the role of the instructor from lecturer to facilitator. Role playing and mind mapping are teaching techniques that can be applied within the small-group forum. These techniques can facilitate the exploration of controversial scientific issues by emphasizing systems approaches to problem-solving, stimulating communication, and highlighting diverse opinions on issues (Shaftel and Shaftel, 1982; Wilson and Morren, 1990). In classroom role playing, students view a situation from a perspective that may differ from their own (Thompson, 1978). Mind mapping, also referred to as spider diagramming or dendrogramming, is a method of recording and displaying ideas, concepts, feelings, opinions, and patterns of human activity (Buzan, 1983; Wilson and Morren, 1990). Mind mapping records and organizes an informal conversation among several people where the logic and associations are not necessarily presented in an organized fashion. The objectives of the exercises described here were: (i) to apply role-playing and mind-mapping techniques in the exploration, expression, and integration of the varying viewpoints and opinions of a controversial topic (i.e., nitrate contamination of water); (ii) to illustrate importance of scientific knowledge of soil fertility principles in addressing environmental and agronomic management; and (iii) to encourage students to take active leadership in their learning process.