Syllabus

Cropping Systems: An Integrated Approach
Spring 2004

Instructor:		Ed Deckard, Professor, Plant Sciences Department
Office:		270E Loftsgard Hall
Office/Home Phone:		231-8139 / 237-9753
E-mail address:		Edward.Deckard@ndsu.nodak.edu
Office Hours:		Tues 1:30 to 3:00; Wed 1:30 to 3:00
		Appointments or Drop-Ins welcome 8:00-5:00 Mon-Fri

Cropping Systems: An Integrated Approach
Spring 2004
Class Time and Place: Loftsgard 102 or 380, M, W, F 10:00 am to 10:50 am

Text: No Text is required; Specific materials will be placed in the Plant Sciences Learning Center as appropriate.

I. Course Description

This course is designed as an integrative cap-stone course for students majoring in the various areas of crop management. The course focuses on the scientific, professional, personal, and ethical issues associated with crop production and management practices. The course emphasizes relevant and real-life problems that encourages the students to integrate related disciplines involved in food production and uses a problem based learning approach.

II. Objectives

Upon completion of PLSC 455/655, students should be able to:

1. Analyze, design, and optimize diverse cropping systems, and explain the scientific basis for the optimization.

2. Assess options, exercise judgment, and solve problems utilizing a multidisciplinary approach that considers professional, societal, economic, and ethical aspects.

3. Synthesize and evaluate new knowledge using their formal education and practical experiences.

4. Comprehend that learning is a life-long process, and ambiguity must be tolerated.

5. Work effectively in a group by practicing interpersonal and teamwork skills associated with successful team approaches.

6. Reason logically and defend problem analysis and decisions by both writing and speaking.

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III. Beliefs that Guide This Course

Critical Thinking and Problem-solving Skills
I believe critical or higher order thinking skills can be learned, which help us to become skeptics and cause us to question "facts" versus information or data. To help us learn these skills, we will use current problems to illustrate how we can use knowledge of agricultural sciences to evaluate public policies and to provide more effective citizen responses. These problems represent real-life situations, integrate many disciplines, and represent actual dilemmas that require a decision - That is, these problems require us to develop skills that are critical to professional success.

Learning
I believe that each of us must foster an attitude that our thoughts and ideas are offered for critical examination, that even our ideas with errors and flawed reasoning are integral parts of learning. We almost always get things wrong before we get them right. We learn better as a result. Fostering such an attitude does not put any individual at risk, but does produce a classroom atmosphere where many thoughts and ideas worth listening to are presented.

Teams & Individuals
I believe that there are several effective ways to teach and learn. Thus, I will sometimes use the lecture/discussion process and bring the material to you. But, most of the time, I will assist you or your teams in finding your own way to the information. At these times, the subject matter of the course will define the boundary of the learning, but the path taken will be shaped by your individual or collective personalities, learning styles, intellects, fears, and aspirations.

Change
I believe that aspects of the food production discipline constantly change, but that there is a constant and increasing body of knowledge that these changes are based on. Thus, we must learn the basic concepts of this knowledge as well as critical thinking skills that we can use to keep up with the changes and, more importantly, play an active role in causing these changes.
I believe that while I can take responsibility for drawing the initial map of where this course goes, the journey will change and detours will occur, depending on what happens along the way. This syllabus can be changed to take account of both your responses and mine

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IV. Evaluation

First Exam - Mar 5	100 points
Written Assignments	about 100 points
Decision Problems	250 points
Group Problem Writing Project & Presentation	150 points
Final Exam - May 12 (7:30 to 9:30 a.m.)	100 points
CWS 655 Students taking the course for graduate credit will have additional expectations including greater depth and documentation in the written assignments and reports. (Top)

V. Grading

     90% of total points guarantees an A
        80% of total points guarantees a B
        70% of total points guarantees a C
        60% of total points guarantees a D

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VI. Groups

Much of your professional career will involve group efforts. Thus, one of the objectives of this course is to improve our interpersonal and teamwork skills. Furthermore, I believe that supportive group learning is important to making the most of your education. Group efforts often result in a better decision than individual efforts for certain outcomes. For example, groups provide: a) a broader perspective and knowledge/experience base, b) an opportunity for synergism among individuals, c) an opportunity to subdivide responsibilities, and d) an opportunity to learn from each other.

In addition to the team-assignments, I encourage you to use your group in other aspects of the course as well, such as studying together or critiquing each person's individual assignment. Each person's work must be his/her own, but there is nothing wrong with having another group member(s) help you do your best.

I will establish the various groups early in the semester. We will discuss certain fundamental principles of effective groups and each group will develop a set of ground rules for the function of their group. These ground rules will provide a basis for resolution of any conflicts among group members that may arise during the semester. Please don't hesitate to ask if I can assist you in organizing and managing your group or in making the experience more productive and rewarding.
Each group will use written evaluation forms to monitor your and your group members’ contributions to your group’s activities. These written evaluations will provide a portion of the basis for assigning grades to individual members of each group. Sample evaluations can be used throughout the semester to give more informal feedback to your group members, and for self-evaluation. Getting spontaneous feedback about yourself and supplying it in a thoughtful way to others is a reality check, and is often a first step in making progress in the types of content and process skills identified in the course objectives.

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VII. Tentative Schedule

A. Introduction (1 class period)

B. Learning, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving (2 class periods)
1. Group Work
2. Procedures and Guidelines for Promoting Optimal Group Function

C. Cropping Systems: An Understanding (14 class periods)
1. Factors Associated with Development of Cropping systems
2. Problems (about one per week)

D. Cropping Systems: Problems, Solutions, Managing Risks (18 class periods – about one problem per week)

E. Presentations of Student Problem Writing Projects (4 class periods)

Examples of Problems
  Although the actual problems used in the class will be determined by the goals, interests, and needs of the class participants, some examples are:
  “Bill’s Challenge”
  “Bill’s Problem Field of Wheat”
  “The Dilemma with Chemical Drift”
  “VanDerPol Farm: Crossroads in Sustainable Agriculture”
  “Jim and Nancy’s Hail Injury Problem”
  “The Perkins Farm: Shifting Gears”
  “Gene’s Time for Thinking about Genetically Modified Crops, Part 1-3”
  “George’s Brown Corn Problem”
  “New Genetic Technologies: Solving the Hunger Problem or Destroying the Ecosystem”
  “Salem Parks Advisory Board Meeting”

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Academic Honesty: All work in this course must be completed in a manner consistent with NDSU University Senate Policy, Section 335: Code of Academic Responsibility and Conduct (http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/policy/335.htm). All students in this course are governed by the College of Agriculture's Honor System. It is the responsibility of the students to report any violations of the honor pledge to the instructor, honor commission, or the Dean of the College of Agriculture.

STUDENTS WHO HAVE ANY DISABILITY WHICH MIGHT
AFFECT THEIR PERFORMANCE IN THIS CLASS ARE
ENCOURAGED TO SPEAK WITH THE INSTRUCTOR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEMESTER

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