Teaching Beekeeping Using the World Wide Web: The Correspondence Course Revisted

Originally published in. Proc. Sixth International Conference on Computers in Agriculture, American Society of Agricultural Engineers, Cancun, MX, pp. 352-356, 1996.

Teaching Beekeeping Using the World Wide Web: The Correspondence Course Revisited

Tom Sanford

Abstract

The author is developing an Internet-delivered apiculture course using the World Wide Web. It is an offshoot of a traditional class already taught on the campus of the University of Florida and partially delivered electronically. The Web site has a syllabus, objectives and includes other text-based resources. Graphics, sound and links to other sites are planned. The author is exploring the use of testing protocols, based on forms, which will be used to evaluate students and provide them with feedback. The implications of this kind of teaching in both standard classroom settings as well as correspondence courses is explored.

Keywords: Information Delivery Systems; Internet Applications; Correspondence Courses; Apiculture; Beekeeping

Introduction

Traditionally courses in apiculture or beekeeping have been delivered either in the classroom or as correspondence. In some cases, both concepts have been integrated. The latter combination would appear to be extremely valuable in Cooperative Extension work. It has not been universally successful, however, for a number of reasons. Resources in the traditional classroom have almost always been superior to those available to students taking courses by corrspondence. And although there has traditionally been a higher demand for correspondence courses, particularly in conjunction with Cooperative Extension programs, they are notoriously difficult to administer. Not only is collecting fees often untidy, but grading examinations and answering questions on a timely basis is almost impossible given the mailing lag. Finally, from the instructor’s standpoint, there is far more reward and visibility in mounting a classroom- based course.

A practical result of the above considerations, usually means that correspondence courses in Cooperative Extension programs are not available. They are given short shrift in favor of classes developed in the traditional classroom style.

New information delivery technology, however, is suited to helping marry the classroom and the Extension correspondence course in ways not previously possible. The use of electronic information dissemination and retrieval, grading and general administration can help bring similar learning experiences to both kinds of students without overtaxing either instructor institution. With this in mind, the author is designing an apiculture course that will incorporate the beneficial elements of both the classroom and correspondence course. This should lead to an improved way to teach more students the art and science of apiculture much more efficiently.

The Electronic Syllabus

No course is viable without a comprehensive syllabus. Traditionally, this instrument is printed on paper and because of this, relatively static. New electronic technology, however, provides a way to produce a dynamic, ever changing document. This is possible through the use of hypertext. Now information can be linked together is a variety of creative ways. Athough stand-alone programs like Hypercard ® and HyperWriter ® will do this, the development of the World Wide Web using hypertext markup language (HTML) affords a more universal platform.

Unlike many stand-alone programs, the World Wide Web can be accessed by almost all computers no matter their operating system. More significantly it provides and a much richer resource base. It can instantly link to other sites across the world, giving the student access to supplementary information, impossible to find in traditional sources of information like libraries.

The address of the syllabus discussed in this paper is

http://ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/eny4571/eny4571syl.htm

It is designed to be as comprehensive as possible. Beyond the traditional objectives and schedule of classes, as well as a listing of resources available to the student, a signature page is attached. This is a document signed by both instructor and student. It is designed to be a written contract, ensuring as far as is possible that the information in the syllabus has been read and understood by both parties.

Attached to the syllabus is a schedule of events. Each week or section is described in terms of objectives and key words that guide the students in their studies. Detailed instructions linked to the syllabus also help facilitate the use of other technologies and programs employed in the course.

The Discussion List

The ability of the instructor and student to communicate in several ways is the crux of most educational efforts. It is perhaps more relevant in an apiculture course which deals with social insects. The honey bee colony keeps it members informed by a number of methods, including chemical transfer, sound and visual reference (body language). The importance of communication is emphasized a great deal in the syllabus and students are provided a number of ways to keep in touch with the instructor.

A major communication method in any apiculture course is through interactive discussion with other students and the instructor. As mentioned above, this kind of discourse has traditionally been the most difficult in the correspondence course setting. Ideally, there should be a good deal of give and take and feedback must be rapid, if not instantaneous or communication suffers.

Fortunately, electronic technology has provided an economical, rapid way to ensure adequate communication. This can be effectively accomplished by maintaining an electronic discussion list These lists are routinely used to allow participants to follow through on so-called “threads” or topics of interest.

The discussion list is easy to initiate and is automatically maintained by a computer program called a list server. This leaves the instructor free for other pursuits. It is easy to mail to the list. Only one message need be composed and sent. All participants receive all messages sent to list. Recipients have the option of replying either to the whole list or individually to those posting messages.

Since anyone can be subscribed to a discussion list, this provides the possibility of placing a number of others on who can add specific knowledge. Thus, students' questions, although answered from the instructor's perspective, now can be addressed by other educators or professionals in the field.

The discussion list can be linked to the electronic syllabus. Embedding an anchor that provides a form with the list's address is perhaps the easiest way.

Other Resources

Using evolving electronic technology, it is possible to provide a richer array of resources to those taking the course by correspondence than was possible in the past. Besides text files produced by the instructor and embedded mail forms, graphics and sound incorporated into the classroom curriculum can also be extended to others. The author is currently using a key word outline syllabus to which will be added graphics, sound and video at specific places.

Beyond the syllabus, however, the instructor can also reference resources from several internet sites rich in apicultural information. Connecting to them is now possible using the World Wide Web’s HTML linking technology. Thus, the instructor can take classroom and correspondence students into the field to look at commercial and educational sites that were not accessible in the past. In addition, using the powerful search facilities of the Web allows students to find their own information and communicate it to the instructor and rest of the class.

Although they cannot now be directly linked to the syllabus via World Wide Web, there are other electronic sources of information that can be placed at students’ disposal. These include electronic models of honey bee colony dynamics and other databases of information about bees and beekeeping practices.

Evaluation

As mentioned above, one of the biggest administrative problems in correspondence courses is examinations. It is important for students to get timely feedback. The standard correspondence procedure is slow. Examinations and assignments are mail out, filled out, mailed back, graded and mailed out again. Electronic technology can simplify this process and perhaps more importantly, accelerate it so that the student's interest doesn't flag.

Although electronic mail can be used in this capacity, perhaps more useful would be to employ forms. This is readily available technology already present on the world wide web. Depending on the kinds of evaluation instruments delivered, the forms could also be used to automatically grade exams. Feedback would be almost immedate under these circumstances.

Administration

Administration of courses is also assisted using the World Wide Web. Forms could be developed to automatically register students and/or collect funds. Although the syllabus would be available for free to anyone on the Internet, discussion list use, examinations and instructor feedback could be monitored. Each student’s scores could also be made available electronically.

Conclusion

Electronic technology assists the instructor in administering efforts to teach in both the classroom and correspondence course It provides a richer array of quality information to all participants than possible in the past. Communication among professor and students in both realms is also vastly improved via electronic mail, discussion lists and forms-like dialogue boxes. As this technology improves, no doubt students and instructors alike will continue to profit from it in various ways to bring closer the experiences of the classroom and correspondence course student.

Return to top of page