Open-ended Cases in Agroecology: Farming and Food Systems in the Nordic Region and the US Midwest     

Charles Francis  James King  Geir Lieblein  Tor Arvid Breland  Lennart Salomonsson  Nadarajah Sriskandarajah 《The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension》2013,19(4):385-400

Abstract

Our aim is to describe open-ended case studies for learning real-life problem solving skills, and relate this approach to conventional, closed-ended decision case studies. Teaching methods are open-ended cases in agroecology, an alternative to traditional strategies that lead students through prepared materials and structured discussions to determine an outcome already known to the instructor. Our method promotes a culture of curiosity. Multiple evaluation criteria show how this learning strategy provides students with practice in researching, envisioning and designing potential scenarios for clients in the field. In agroecology case studies, students and instructors are co-learners in a discovery process that includes gathering information from key clients, interviewing major stakeholders, and building an understanding of the current context of the local farming and food systems. Two agroecology courses in Norway, a field course in the US Midwest, and an experimental course in Sweden and Vietnam illustrate this learning strategy. Student evaluations of learning have been highly positive, and skills and methods from courses have been applied in their thesis projects and professional careers.

Practical results reveal that students are well prepared for an uncertain, complex, multi-dimensional and dynamic future, have the capacity to develop alternative future scenarios, and have practiced methods to evaluate options based on production, economic, environmental and social criteria and impacts. This innovative strategy is offered as a complement or alternative to conventional decision case studies and evaluated as an approach to experiential learning, an important and effective method for adult learners.  相似文献   

Comments on “Performance analysis for ordered selection combining schemes in Nakagami-m environments”     

Saralees Nadarajah 《Journal of The Franklin Institute》2008,345(7):729-730

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Making the move: a case study in participatory curriculum development in Danish forestry education     

Susanne Leth  Nico Hjorts⊘  Nadarajah Sriskandarajah 《The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension》2013,19(2):63-73

Abstract

This paper aims to contribute to the experience based on ways of integrating the concept of sustainability into higher education in forestry. It starts by discussing some interpretations of the concept of sustainability and the implications of this for educational goals. The types of competencies needed and their interrelationship and importance are characterised. The specific educational innovation of holding a participatory curriculum development workshop to enable students to influence the design and planning of two of their forest management courses is then described. Finally, the implications of our findings for the integration of the concept of sustainability in the forestry curriculum are discussed.  相似文献   

Education for Integrated Rural Development: transformative learning in a complex and uncertain world     

Arjen E.J. Wals  Fabio Caporali  Paul Pace  Bill Slee  Nadarajah Sriskandarajah  Martyn Warren 《The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension》2013,19(2):89-100

A key question addressed in this article is: How does the increased pressure for expertise in IRD translate itself into the demand for educational services and the design of appropriate curricula on a European-wide basis? This article examines these issues and generates a number of stepping stones for the development of Education and Training for Integrated Rural Development (ETIRD) in tertiary education, based on a two-year inter-institutional curriculum development project carried out under the umbrella of the AFANetⁱ.  相似文献   

On the linear combination, product and ratio of normal and Laplace random variables     

Saralees Nadarajah  Samuel Kotz 《Journal of The Franklin Institute》2011,348(4):810-822

The distributions of linear combinations, products and ratios of random variables arise in many areas of engineering. In this note, the exact distributions of αX+βY, |XY| and |X/Y| are derived when X and Y are independent normal and Laplace random variables.  相似文献   

Defining Peer-to-peer Learning – from an Old ‘Art of Practice’ to a New Mode of Forest Owner Extension?     

Katri Hamunen  Marie Appelstrand  Teppo Hujala  Mikko Kurttila  Nadarajah Sriskandarajah  Lelde Vilkriste 《The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension》2015,21(4):293-307

Purpose: This paper explores the concept of peer-to-peer learning (P2PL) in the context of North-European small-scale forest owners. The aim is to develop a framework for initiating new and evaluating already existing forest owners' P2PL communities.

Design: Previous studies of peer-learning are used to determine and justify eight dimensions for forest owners' P2PL. To demonstrate and test the operability of the dimensions, two potential forest owners' peer-learning cases are described. The Finnish case focuses on forest owner clubs based on group interview data and the coordinator's interview, and in the Swedish case an ongoing study circle was observed and its participants interviewed.

Findings: The eight P2PL dimensions defined are: initiation, reinforcement, content profile, participant profile, schedule, role of professionals, responsibility and role continuity. Of the described cases, Finnish forest owner clubs rely heavily on the expertise of the invited forest professionals, while owners themselves have a stronger role in Swedish study circles.

Practical Implications: The two studied cases and the fictional example demonstrate how the framework defined can be used when assessing real life cases. The framework allows describing consistently P2PL, when designing new practices or implementing step-by-step changes to modify existing P2PL practices.

Value: The framework gives new insights into the research of forest owner extension, which has had an increasing interest towards P2PL approach, but where its conceptualisation has remained vague. However, since the domain of the study is novel, further research with various case examples is needed to develop both the theoretical framework and real life practices.  相似文献