Embracing Complexity
Using Digital Tools to Peak the Community’s Interest in Urban Gardening and Wildlife Conservation
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Douglas Hermond, Nathan Hermond
The United States’ census of 2020 indicated that African Americans and Latinos eclipsed the Anglo population in Texas, with the gap expected to continue to widen. This comes at a time when minority populations are migrating to urban centers that are food deserts, where they are less likely to pursue agriculture as a professional pursuit. To illustrate, only 24% of students enrolled in the largest College of Agriculture in the state are Latinos and African Americans. Thus, Cooperative Extension Programs shoulder the responsibility of promoting agriculture within minority communities. In this context, Prairie View A&M University has developed innovative approaches in using digital tools as technologies of mediation to acquaint urban youth with existing opportunities to pursue agriculture as a profession as well as to apply nascent techniques for urban gardening and wildlife conservation. The digital tools we use are: 1. Graphic Design materials. 2. Drone video and photography of Agricultural themes. 3. Animation design. These are educational innovations that merge entertainment with pedagogy and instruction to reintroduce agriculture to urban communities so that they can operate sustainable systems. The purpose of this paper is to acquaint e-learning proponents with examples of the three digital tools we apply in order to inspire the next generation to engage in agriculture so as to transform their behaviors and improve their lives. We likewise use this forum to dialog about the prospects of applying these digital tools to inspire future generation of agriculture learners across the world, especially in food deserts.
Exploring Novel Approaches to Embrace Complexity in Healthcare Among Undergraduate Nursing Students View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Anila Virani, Harpreet Kaur
Undergraduate nursing education is predominantly based on face-to-face teaching-learning strategies and students' performance is often assessed through academic paper assignments. Online assignments offer increased adaptability, autonomy and flexibility, hence their incorporation within the nursing curriculum can prove beneficial for students’ learning. We investigate learning, engagement, enjoyment, and a sense of community among fourth-year undergraduate nursing students. We administered a multilayered assignment, Complexity Project, to two sections of the same course in the traditional individual assignment and the online combination of individual and group assignment format. We used mixed methods and administered surveys containing open and close-ended questions. 84% of students found the Complexity Project a learning experience, 78% felt engaged throughout the project and 68% enjoyed the project-related activities regardless of the format. However, in the traditional group, increased workload due to the individual nature of the assignment and in the online group, challenges associated with group work acted as a barrier to learning and enjoyment. The sense of community was higher among the students who completed assignments using the online format. They felt connected with other students as the online format provided them with the opportunity to visit their colleague's project pages and provide feedback on their work. Overall, both groups appreciated the learning from the assignment. The study highlights the importance of tailoring assignments in a way that balances individual and group components and fosters a sense of community among students for a more thorough and enriching learning experience.
