Student Perspectives on a New Biomass Production Module for Fundamentals of Biorenewable Resources
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Since 1905, the Department of Agricultural Engineering, now the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABE), has been a leader in providing engineering solutions to agricultural problems in the United States and the world. The department’s original mission was to mechanize agriculture. That mission has evolved to encompass a global view of the entire food production system–the wise management of natural resources in the production, processing, storage, handling, and use of food fiber and other biological products.
History
In 1905 Agricultural Engineering was recognized as a subdivision of the Department of Agronomy, and in 1907 it was recognized as a unique department. It was renamed the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering in 1990. The department merged with the Department of Industrial Education and Technology in 2004.
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1905–present
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- Department of Agricultural Engineering (1907–1990)
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- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (parent college)
- College of Engineering (parent college)
- Department of Industrial Education and Technology, (merged, 2004)
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Abstract
In 2007, a USDA Higher Education Challenge Grant funded the creation of a Virtual Education Center (VEC) for Biorenewable Resources at three partner land-grant institutions. Three new courses are taught through the VEC, each using multiple instructors and exchanges of video lectures between sites. The most heavily subscribed of these is a graduate survey type course entitled Fundamentals of Biorenewable Resources. In this paper, we report on student survey results for the biomass production module, which covered the production of corn, soybean, hay and forage, and short rotation woody crops, as well as biotechnology basics. The survey was administered using WebCT and SurveyMonkey in spring 2010. The survey instrument gathered student perspectives on the module content and delivery, and student learning. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed.
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This is an ASABE Meeting Presentation, Paper No. 121337374.