Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences EducationVolume 41, Issue 1 p. 95-97 Minute JNRLSE Editorial Board Minutes for 2011 First published: 01 January 2012 https://doi.org/10.4195/jnrlse.2011.0001mAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume41, Issue12012Pages 95-97 RelatedInformation

Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences EducationVolume 41, Issue 1 p. 88-88 List of Reviewer List of Reviewers First published: 01 January 2012 https://doi.org/10.4195/jnrlse.2011.0002rAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume41, Issue12012Pages 88-88 RelatedInformation

Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences EducationVolume 41, Issue 1 p. 89-92 Newsfeature Newsfeatures First published: 01 January 2012 https://doi.org/10.4195/jnrlse.2012.0100 All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume41, Issue12012Pages 89-92 RelatedInformation

Soil science students are required to apply knowledge from a range of disciplines to unfamiliar scenarios to solve complex problems. To encourage deep learning (with student performance an indicator of learning), a formative assessment exercise was introduced to a second‐year soil science subject. For the formative assessment exercise, students were required to prepare a draft of a critical review of a current topic in soil science, and then (following guidance from staff members) provide feedback to each other through a peer assessment exercise. In contrast to expectations, the formative assessment did not appear to improve overall student performance in this task based upon their grades for this task. Furthermore, despite being given an exemplar and attending a workshop where tactics for searching the scientific literature were discussed, this did not increase the likelihood that students would cite studies from the scientific literature when conducting their critical review. Regardless of these observations, the students were positive and appreciated the feedback they received through the exercise. This study demonstrates the need to ensure that feedback is effective and enables students to identify their weaknesses and modify their work accordingly.

Soilborne pathogens can devastate crops, causing economic losses for farmers due to reduced yields and expensive management practices. Fumigants and fungicides have harmful impacts on the surrounding environment and can be toxic to humans. Therefore, alternative methods of disease management are important. The disease suppressive abilities of composts have been recognized for several decades, and significant research has been done in order to identify substrates with effective suppression. The mechanisms of suppression are mainly biological, but abiotic aspects of the composts, such as pH, carbon to nitrogen ratio, and maturity, interact with pathogenic and biological control processes and determine efficacy of suppression. For example, Fusarium wilt is aggravated by high ammonium‐N composts (Cotxarrera et al., 2002), and mature composts with low levels of labile compounds more effectively suppress Rhizoctonia damping‐off (Trillas et al., 2006). Identification of these abiotic factors can increase efficacy of disease suppression of composts. In addition, inoculating composts with biological control agents, such as Trichoderma, has been found to increase suppressive ability in many cases.

Some soil and crop science university programs undergo curricula revision to maintain relevancy with their profession and/or to attract the best students to such programs. The Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M University completed a thorough data gathering process as part of its revision of the undergraduate curriculum and degree programs in 2010. The purpose of this study was to determine the scientific and technical knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by graduates for career success in 2015 and beyond. Data were collected from three expert panels (soils, crops, and turfgrass) using the Delphi method. Scientific and technical knowledge, skills, and abilities in water‐related issues were indicated as a necessary curriculum item by all three panels. Soil science experts indicated that water studies should focus on movement of water in soils and the contribution of soils to water quality, whereas crop and turfgrass experts emphasized the management of water as a resource. Both the soil and crop panels specified a need for study in data collection and analysis, problem solving, and using scientific reasoning. Turfgrass experts emphasized the need for students to learn business principles and compliance with external regulations. All three groups designated the importance of including soft skills, such as communicating effectively, working collaboratively, and personal and social responsibility, as important curriculum components for students’ career success. These data will serve as the foundation for constructing new curricula and potentially new degree programs in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M University.

Teaching and learning effectiveness may be enhanced in small‐class settings where teachers can tailor materials and methods to individuals. Preparing students ahead of time for a week‐long field trip to a new area that involves student‐centered learning and a competition to promote student engagement should offer educational advantages. This article presents the results of a poll of teachers who coached students during a week‐long soil judging contest field trip. The perspective on learning effectiveness is often asked of students rather than teachers. Five questions were asked and representative answers presented and discussed. The answers of the teacher–coaches were compared with previous literature on the effectiveness of outdoor field trip teaching. The poll results agree that student engagement is related to the combination of an extended field trip to a new resource area with a single subject of focus, practice of professional trade skills, new social interactions, and a contest at the end of the trip. The teacher–coaches enjoyed their opportunity to gain knowledge of subjects they teach from local experts and share social and professional interactions. The responses are important because they lend new perspectives to teaching and coaching not reported in the literature, and explain some educational advantages for outdoor field trip contest activities. Future studies to determine the long‐term knowledge gain and retention from such an activity as contrasted with conventional field trips and classroom instruction alone are needed.

Soil biogeochemistry, a discipline that explores the chemical speciation and transformations of elements in soils and the relationships between soils and global biogeochemical cycles, is becoming a popular course offering because it unites themes from a number of other courses. In this article, we present a set of case studies that have been used as the basis for student presentations and student‐lead discussion. These case studies were specifically chosen because they focus on modern problems that illustrate key concepts in the course material and communicate an issue of significant concern or interest to society. The exercise helps to forge a linkage between the subjects discussed in the course and real‐world issues. Presentations were used as a starting point for classroom discussion to encourage active participation on the part of the students. Instructor and student evaluations both indicated that the assignment was valuable as a learning aid to most students, and may have helped to connect course materials to more practical real‐world examples.

This learning activity guides students/learners through the basic process in a wheat breeding program. Wheat is a self‐pollinated crop that breeders improve by crossing different cultivated varieties. Through careful crossing, observation, and further selection, breeders make better plants for producers. Biotechnology such as molecular markers aids breeders in the selection process by allowing them to observe the genes present in the DNA of wheat. Using the information from DNA and data collected in the field allows breeders to select plants with traits of interest. This activity uses wheat as a case study to uncover concepts such as pollination, inheritance of traits related to a single gene, selection for herbicide resistance, and molecular marker technology for selecting genes leading toward high protein level expressions. There is an interactive feature called the “breeder's notebook,” which allows users to review concepts while completing the activity. A discussion of genetic engineering and its relation to wheat breeding programs is also provided in the activity. The education material is designed for introductory‐level college students and is also useful for extension education.Running this activity requires Adobe Flash Player. To ensure your internet browser has the most up‐to‐date version of Adobe Flash player, visit the following link: get.adobe.com/flashplayer/.