No matter what scale, institution to national to international, STEM education has increasingly focused on humanising the learning experience, making STEM disciplines more relatable, engaging, and accessible. While not limited to STEM education, Monash University’s “Impact 2030” Strategic Plan is aligned with this focus, grounding efforts in addressing global challenges of climate change, geopolitical security, and thriving communities (Monash University, n.d. ). Similarly, the University of Sydney’s “Sydney in 2032” Strategic Plan is aimed at tackling challenges to contribute to the common good through multidisciplinary problem-solving while ensuring a collegial and welcoming environment ( University of Sydney, n.d.). The Australia National Science Statement ( Australian Government, 2024) asserts that, to build a diverse and skilled workforce, the government will: Offer programs that support diverse and under-represented groups and remove barriers holding them back from entering and staying in STEM careers. Elevate, respect, and invest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scientists. Incentivise new approaches to science, including greater multidisciplinary collaboration across humanities and science disciplines. The seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, 2015 ) also offer a foundation for targeting humanisation of STEM education. Specifically, Goal 4 is to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. The targets for this goal include cost, access, development of employability skills, equity, and inclusivity. Humanising STEM is achieved by emphasising the integration of human elements into the teaching and learning process by connecting with students’ interests, experiences, and values. Humanising STEM education is not just a trend. This special issue provides a platform for global discourse and rigorous exploration of evidence-based practices to humanise undergraduate STEM education. Humanised STEM education recognises that students have diverse needs; a one-size-fits-all approach simply does not work. To help all students thrive, we should embrace flexible and adaptive teaching methods. This requires tailoring instruction to individual learner strengths, needs, and interests, providing personalised instruction using student-centred pedagogy. The tenets of student-centred learning can be achieved through game-based learning (Coleman & Money, 2020). In this issue, the Original Research article “Using a Game-Based Learning Approach to Help Students Understand the Importance of Ethics in Science” presents evidence that learners’ ethical perspectives relative to science were positively impacted through this student-centred game-based learning approach. By incorporating outdoor-focused activities into the classroom, STEM education can be humanised through experiential learning, an approach that can improve a variety of learner outcomes. The Original Research article “Integrating Outdoor STEM Activities into an Elective Course to Promote Students’ STEM Literacy” presents evidence that integrating outdoor education with STEM can increase STEM literacy of secondary students. By connecting classroom learning to real-world contexts and fostering hands-on exploration, outdoor STEM can spark curiosity and deepen understanding of complex STEM concepts. At the heart of humanising STEM is the recognition that students are individuals with unique experiences, interests, and values. A strategy aimed at this understanding is contextualisation. Instead of presenting STEM concepts in isolation, we can place them within real-world contexts relevant to our students' lives. There are abundant examples of this, such as a physics lesson on energy tied to discussions about renewable energy. We should seek more challenging and pressing contexts beyond generic human experiences, tackling modern wicked problems and grey areas, like inequality, health care, terrorism, and environmental degradation. This goes beyond helping learners see the practical applications of STEM and pushes them towards the forefront of leadership in seeking solutions to these issues that are relevant to their everyday lives. In this issue, the Curriculum Development and Innovation article “From Blind Drawing to How to Make a Cheese and Vegemite Sandwich” explores motivating students through activities that help them draw strong connections between content and the world around them. Beyond active learning strategies like games and outdoor activities, humanising STEM involves tapping into the emotional and historical dimensions of scientific discovery. In this issue, a two-part study explores how historical stories can foster emotional engagement in undergraduate physics laboratory units. In “Humanising Undergraduate Laboratories: Part 1 – Creating Colourful Historical Stories”, the design case is presented for bridging the gap between abstract concepts and human experience on topics including thermal physics, electricity, mechanics, and waves. In “Humanising Undergraduate Laboratories: Part 2 – How Does Students’ Emotional Engagement Differ in Two Physics Courses”, the authors present their findings. While quantitative results were similar pre- and post-intervention for emotional factors including anxiety and boredom, qualitative data indicated the stories stimulated interest and engagement when sharing the human stories behind the data. Inclusivity and equity are also squarely aimed at the recognition in STEM education that students are individuals with unique experiences, interests, and values. Historically, systemic barriers within STEM disciplines have hindered the success of specific communities (e.g., women, ethnic minorities, socioeconomically disadvantaged) (McGee, E.O, 2020; Bloodhart et al., 2020). All students deserve equal access to STEM education and a welcoming STEM professional community. This requires creating inclusive environments that address diversity and ensure that all students feel valued and supported. Strategies for achieving this include implementing culturally responsive teaching pedagogy and universal design for learning. As stated by Wong et al. (2022), “[W]e need to be wary that those who exit the STEM pipeline are not forced off the road by social inequalities and exclusions (emphasis in original).” In this issue, the Original Research article “Integrating Indigenous Science and STEM” presents a fascinating discussion of the challenges and opportunities in an integrated STEM course that draws on both Indigenous Knowledges and Western scientific protocols, embodying the concept of etuaptmumk, a Mi’kmaq (First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands in North America) term that translates to “two-eyed seeing”. This philosophy uses both Indigenous and Western lenses and values diverse perspectives and knowledge systems in each. This integrated approach creates a more inclusive and culturally relevant learning experience. While inclusivity involves curriculum design, it also extends to the professional development that supports teachers in diverse settings. In this issue, the Original Research article “Cultural and Linguistic Factors in the Effective Use of Lesson Study with Mathematics and Science Teachers in the Philippines” reveals how local cultural values such as pakikisama (group harmony) and hiya (modesty) can influence the open critique required for effective Lesson Study cycles. By documenting the dynamics in professional development collaborations and code-switching in teacher reflections, this work brings to light the need to adapt globally recognised professional development models for local cultural and linguistic nuances in order to be both inclusive and effective. Through humanising STEM education, we can offer welcoming, engaging, and transformational experiences that strengthen the STEM pipeline. But this effort goes beyond individual students, contributing to addressing societal challenges and achieving broader societal goals. As seen in both national and international contexts, there is a need for STEM professionals that possess diverse perspectives and experiences. By connecting with students' interests, experiences, and values, creating inclusive environments, and emphasising the human element of STEM, we can support and inspire a new generation of STEM learners and innovators who are equipped to make a positive impact on their world.
This study investigates how the humanisation of undergraduate physics laboratories through the use of engaging colourful historical stories impacted students' emotional engagement. Part 1 of this study described the creation of those stories. This paper, Part 2, examines through qualitative, quantitative and observational data the impact on students in two courses – Environmental, taken by non-physics majors, and Technological. Data were collected from 164 students. Quantitative results display no significant difference between the means of how the students scored their emotions: pride, enjoyment, anger, anxiety, hopelessness, and boredom in the two courses. However, the correlations between the emotions differ for the two courses; we attribute this to differences in the students’ goals, which is also borne out in the qualitative data. Overwhelmingly, the qualitative data indicates that the inclusion of such stories humanises physics by stimulating students’ interest and emotionally engaging them. However, a minority of students, those focused solely on physics learning, found the stories not necessary, often expressing strong negative opinions. This paper makes an argument for humanising STEM subjects, presenting colourful historical stories as one possible approach.
This research explores the key principles for successful agricultural industry school partnerships (ISPs) identified by educators and industry professionals who participated in an ISP program delivered as part of the Raising Aspirations in Careers Education Gippsland (RACE) project from 2021-2023. This qualitative case study analysed data collected from 59 primary and/or secondary educators and 61 agricultural industry professionals, including pre-program surveys, and pre- and post-program semi-structured interviews. Survey data provided demographic information analysed through frequency counts. Interview data was analysed thematically. Through an ecological system lens, this case study generated four key principles for successful agricultural ISPs, relating to: participant engagement, funding, planning, and frequency. To improve outcomes for all stakeholders, these principles can be considered by those participating in and designing similar ISPs.
Access to virtual food and fibre enterprises is a relatively new phenomenon in tertiary education. Historically enterprise visits have mostly occurred by experiential learning on a farm or have been via limited use of images or video in the classroom. The development of mass marketed virtual reality head mounted displays has increased the popularity and availability of virtual reality in the last decade, although virtual tours may be used on other displays as well. This paper provides a short background of Australian agricultural education and virtual reality followed by an overview of what is needed to produce a virtual food or fibre enterprise tour and three case studies of how tours can be used within teaching. These case studies include a use case for online learning modules, face to face case studies, online work integrated learning and as part of assessment following enterprise visits. Virtual reality has significant potential to improve student learning and maximise benefits of field visits however further research is needed to define the benefits to staff and students when virtual tours are included in the curriculum.
Future tertiary graduates will likely face increased job mobility and evolving workplace standards. Agribusinesses face significant challenges including a recognised skills shortage and more complex skill requirements due to technological advancements and globalisation. Agricultural discipline graduates must demonstrate proficiency in both technical and employability skills to meet these challenges. Universities have responded by incorporating transferrable skills and employability frameworks into graduate attributes and encouraging and supporting students to develop employability skills and professional identities through curriculum design, authentic assessment, and relevant extracurricular activities. However, given the variety of work-integrated learning experiences that graduates undertake, it is challenging to address how capabilities found in tertiary agribusiness degrees might be compiled and presented to stakeholders, including students themselves, who may not comprehend the nuances in depth and breadth of the curated student experience. This snapshot provides insights into employer and student perceptions of Agribusiness student graduate skills, identifying overlaps, differences, and tensions. Integrating ePortfolios can offer a solution, allowing students to showcase their learning journey and experiences digitally. This tool can support students in evidencing their abilities when applying for jobs. Recommendations are made for collecting evidence in agribusiness ePortfolios to demonstrate learning, proficiency, and transferable skills, improving student outcomes and transparency for employers.
The challenges currently facing higher education institutions in a post COVID-19 world, make it increasingly difficult to deliver an authentic approach where curriculum planning, delivery and assessment are purposely tailored to the goals and needs of the learner community. In 2021 the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) delivered its first suite of animal science courses. UniSQ has a traditionally higher external cohort of students compared to their on-campus, therefore the curriculum design needed to cater for this. Several key active learning strategies were employed to deliver this experience including flipped classrooms, group discussions, case studies, and problem-solving exercises, and they were operationalised via the use of the digital learning tool; HTML 5 package (H5P). H5P is an open source, online learning tool that ensured the capability to deliver an authentic experience for a diverse student cohort. It has been extensively applied in other disciplines, but to date the research suggests that its potential as a learning tool has not been fully realised in agricultural disciplines such as animal science. Engagement and satisfaction appeared to be positively impacted by the implementation of H5P in the animal science courses at UniSQ. Positive feedback related to the ability to engage meaningfully with the content in an enjoyable way, clarity of instruction and relevance of content. Longer term tracking of student engagement is, however, required to fully realise its impact.
The Australian agricultural industry is currently experiencing a significant labour shortage. Despite an increase in enrolments in agricultural university degrees, this trend has not extended to vocational education and training courses. This review paper explores how Vocational Educational Training (VET) and formal apprenticeships and traineeships can provide viable pathways for school leavers and career changers in the cotton and grains industry. The paper will discuss the Australian apprenticeship and traineeship landscape, the need to further promote agricultural careers and pathways in Australia, and how agricultural education and training programs operate in other countries. Additionally, the paper will provide recommendations for strategies and partnerships to increase on-farm workforce capacity within the Australian cotton and grains industry, highlighting agricultural apprenticeships and traineeships as a solution for labour shortages and contributing to farm sustainability.
This article explores the level of agricultural literacy of first-year university students undertaking agriculture-related degrees in Australia. First-year university students undertaking their first degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness/Agricultural Economics, Animal Science, Environmental Science or general Science Australia-wide were asked to complete an online survey in 2023 to assess their level of agricultural literacy. This survey is based on the Judd-Murray Agricultural Literacy Instrument (JMALI). In the absence of a relevant Australian framework, JMALI was used as a validated instrument to measure agricultural literacy with slight modifications of the survey questions made to suit the Australian context. The results of the survey were explored through descriptive statistics to determine the frequency of responses and demographically characterise the respondents. Further analysis was conducted to explore the association between having studied agriculture in high school and the level of agricultural literacy. Only half of first-year university students studying an agriculture-related degree demonstrated a high level of agricultural literacy (score over 79.7% of the maximum score). Studying agriculture in high school had no effect on agricultural literacy. More generally, the results identified the need to reinforce and deepen the knowledge of technological, sustainability, market and economic aspects of the agricultural industry for those entering agriculture-related degrees.
The Environment in Practice (EiP) program was introduced within a regional university’s Bachelor of Environmental Science to strengthen connections between academic study and career engagement. Environmental science is inherently multidisciplinary, requiring authentic, practice-based experiences to develop collaboration and professional competencies. This need is particularly acute for a growing cohort of mature-age, online learners seeking career and networking opportunities. EiP was designed using Innovation Pedagogy, a Connected Curriculum, and Billett’s framework of professional learning to provide a structured, progressive spine across the degree. The program comprises weekly online workshops, an integrated reflective portfolio, and a 20-hour professional placement. Iterative refinements over three years, guided by student feedback, aimed to balance academic rigour with workplace relevance. Survey findings highlighted student appreciation for interpersonal engagement, guest speakers, and authentic workplace experiences, with reported gains in confidence and career readiness. However, responses to reflective practice were mixed, indicating the need for clearer purpose, structured timing, and developmental scaffolding. Preferences for synchronous workshops versus flexible access reflected tensions in delivery expectations, supporting a blended model of strategic live sessions combined with high-quality asynchronous tasks. EiP illustrates a transferable model of applied interdisciplinary education that builds critical thinking, adaptability, and professional competence in environmental graduates.
A decentralised model of tertiary education delivery via online resources has many benefits for student accessibility and inclusion, particularly for rural and remote students. However, it also presents many challenges, including for small cohorts of students, some of whom may access these online resources asynchronously. CQUniversity’s Bachelor of Agriculture is delivered on campus and online. Here, creative approaches are required to cater for the learning needs and preferences of a geographically dispersed student cohort, with many students balancing their learning commitments with part-time work in the agricultural industry. Such approaches include the use of alternative modes of lecture delivery, where appropriate. This paper will outline the use of podcasts to replace lecture content in Social Licence to Operate, a third year Bachelor of Agriculture unit at CQUniversity. It outlines how a number of factors, including characteristics of the student cohort, challenges in arranging guest lectures, and strategies for student engagement led to the decision to implement podcasts. The paper discusses the advantages and limitations of podcasts and some logistical recommendations for others wishing to adopt a similar strategy to teaching.
Motivation is a key driver of learning, with intrinsic motivation leading to deeper engagement and improved academic outcomes. While prior research has shown associations between intrinsic motivation and either well-being or self-efficacy individually, this study assesses all three factors simultaneously. Biomedical science students (n = 418) completed questionnaires assessing motivation, with a subset also completing questionnaires on self-efficacy and general well-being (n = 118), and on self-determination theory factors (n = 90). Pearson correlation analysis revealed statistically significant associations between intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy and well-being. The data supported a model where intrinsic motivation mediates the relationship between well-being and self-efficacy, while cluster analysis revealed that high levels of well-being, intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy were often observed together, demonstrating the interdependence of these factors. Within the biomedicine cohort, intrinsic motivation was also directly correlated with autonomy and competence, while being indirectly correlated with relatedness. These findings suggest that enhancing well-being is crucial to fostering both intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy in biomedical science students. Accordingly, interventions aiming to enhancing intrinsic motivation should consider these interconnected factors.
Primary and secondary school students are the next generation workforce, however for them to choose the red meat processing sector as an employer, they must have a positive perception of the sector, and knowledge of the diverse career opportunities available. Teachers and parents are known key influencers of student career pathways, with teachers also determining the content included in teaching programs to meet curriculum outcomes. The aim of this project was to identify teachers’ current perceptions of the red meat processing industry and how content is incorporated into teaching. A national teacher survey on knowledge and perceptions of the red meat processing sector was developed and then completed by 97 teachers across Australia. The results identified that a connection with either people working in the sector or the presence and involvement of an abattoir in their local community significantly improved the perceptions of the sector compared to having no connection. There was also a significant relationship between teachers’ perceptions of the red meat processing sector and how they felt about careers in this sector. Secondary teachers who possessed an agricultural qualification and taught agriculture, STEM or Primary Industry subjects more broadly had more positive perceptions of the careers associated with the sector than their colleagues. However, there was a general lack of knowledge of what a career looks like in this sector, even by agriculture teachers. These findings provide an evidence base to draw upon for future development of a strategy to attract and retain a talented, diverse, and dedicated workforce in the red meat processing sector.
The 3rd Symposium for Agricultural Educators (AgEd24) was held on the 6th & 7th February 2025 at the CQUniversity Australia Rockhampton campus. The previous issue (Vol. 33 No. 4) contained a series of articles focused on agricultural education research. The articles in this issue focus on agricultural workforce research including the integration of industry into education and training at a primary, secondary and tertiary level. Additionally, the role of continuous learning to develop the agricultural workforce was also explored. Authors McDonald, Eady, Corish, and Cosby addressed research on the co-design and implementation of extension projects that support farmers in workforce development. Specifically, this study discussed the design approach of the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC)-funded action-research project entitled “Managing Best Practices for Future Workforce Skills: The SHIFT Project.” The results indicated that soft skills are critical for labour adaptability in the Australian cotton industry. The authors suggested that the approach employed could be extrapolated to university students in agriculture-related fields to increase their employability. Agricultural industry-school partnerships were studied by O'Dea, Cosby, Manning, McDonald and Harreveld, as part of the Raising Aspirations in Careers Education Gippsland (RACE) program. In this study, the authors explored the principles of success of these partnerships through the lens of educators and industry professionals. To achieve that, a qualitative analysis was performed with data from surveys and interviews. The author identified that participant engagement, funding, planning, and frequency are the success principles for industry-school partnerships. This study provides useful information that could be considered for future interventions based on partnerships. Labeur, Hancock, Thompson and Dunston-Clarke addressed the topic of career choices in agriculture after graduation from tertiary programs in agriculture. The study focused on the effect of industry interactions during programs to foster participants' interest and employability. For this purpose, survey data were collected from undergraduate students in the Bachelor of Agriculture program at Murdoch University in 2023. The results indicated that students reported increased confidence and understanding of the sector through interactions with agricultural professionals. The importance of industry participation in the development of educational content and modules is also highlighted. The authors also emphasised the challenges of achieving continuity and coherence in content across diverse participation. Finally, it is recommended to improve the feedback system among students, educators, the university, and industry to consider changes in sector trends and ensure that graduates acquire the skills for a successful career in agriculture. In the section of curriculum development and innovation, Carter, Bennett, Ferns and Hawkins highlight the importance of developing technical and employability skills among graduate students to meet the challenges of increasingly complex job requirements in agriculture. Although universities have been incorporating transferable skills into their curricular and extracurricular designs, the authors note that how those capabilities can be compiled to all stakeholders, including students, has not yet been thoroughly addressed. This study identified areas of convergence, divergence, and tension, and presented information on employers' and students' perceptions of graduates' skills. The authors suggested that integrating electronic portfolios for students can be an alternative tool that allows them to digitally showcase their learning trajectory and contributes to their employability. Cosby, McDonald and Luke addressed labour shortage in agriculture. The article reviewed Vocational Educational Training (VET), formal apprenticeships and traineeships as viable career alternatives. The review included an overview of apprenticeship and traineeship in Australia, the need to further promote career paths in the Australian agricultural sector, and the operation of agricultural training programs in other countries. Finally, the authors recommended strategies to increase workforce capacity on Australian cotton and grains farms.
This study sought to investigate student perceptions, experiences, and preferences of pre- and post-lecture quizzes. Across both quiz types, students consistently valued their utility for self-assessment, reinforcing knowledge, and deepening their understanding of content. Instant feedback was particularly appreciated, as it enabled students to identify and correct their misunderstandings. A key theme was students’ use of quizzes to maximise marks and improve performance in summative assessments, suggesting a performance-oriented mindset. Students understood the intended purpose of pre-lecture quizzes as a means of pre-exposure to upcoming content. However, their actual usage often contradicted this, with many students completing pre-lecture quizzes after the lecture. These quizzes were often seen to be irrelevant to lecture content, likely due to a lack of contextual framing. Many believed they were unhelpful or unnecessary, particularly those in later years of study. However, students who had previously experienced pre-lecture quizzes then had them removed frequently expressed a desire for their return. Students who encountered both quiz types, unanimously preferred post-lecture quizzes due to their perceived alignment with lecture content, timing flexibility, and usefulness in supporting their learning. Overall, the findings highlight the value of designing quizzes as flexible tools that support different stages of the learning process.
This discussion paper reports on the design approach for the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) funded action research project, Best Practice Management of Future Workforce Skills: The SHIFT Project. While there is substantial literature on the design and delivery of a range of extension projects in Australian agriculture, the study of strategies that support farmers to address workforce challenges is an emerging field. We share our co-design approach to identify and develop on-farm workforce non-technical skills in the Australian cotton industry. Non-technical skills have been identified as vital for workforce adaptability and as such can be considered skills required for the future. We suggest our approach may be useful for designing employability programs for Australian agriculture tertiary students.
This study forms part of a broader investigation into an innovative training course of technology integration in Early Childhood Education. Conducted within the framework of a teacher training course on incorporating technology into mathematics instructional planning, this work explores the perceptions of pre-service early childhood teachers about this innovation. The training was designed to actively engage the participants in evaluating the pedagogical value of a technological tool, encouraging reflective and critical thinking. Data were collected from 28 participants through two open-ended questions and analysed thematically. Overall, participants expressed positive perceptions towards integrating technology into educational planning, highlighting the benefits of using varied representations to support mathematics instruction. Nevertheless, a notable challenge reported was the difficulty of mastering the technological tool, which may hinder effective application. Despite this, the findings suggest that the training contributed to participants’ confidence and provided essential skills for future practice. The study also identifies specific areas for improvement in teacher preparation programmes to better address the challenges of educational technology integration.
The 3rd Symposium for Agricultural Educators (AgEd24) was held on the 6th & 7th of February 2025 at the CQUniversity Australia Rockhampton campus. The symposium focused on four key areas: (1) Innovation in the classroom; (2) Improving the Agricultural Education Continuum; (3) Technology Enhanced Learning; and (4) Industry Engagement in Agriculture. This is the first of two special issues featuring research and practice presented at AgEd24, with articles in this issue focusing on agricultural education research with primary and secondary school teachers and higher education students. Manning, Colusso and Cosby identified teachers’ current perceptions of the red meat processing industry and how content is incorporated into teaching. The results show that having a connection with workers, or with the presence of an abattoir in their community, improved perceptions of the sector. Furthermore, the authors highlighted that a positive relationship between teachers' perceptions of the red meat processing sector with their opinions about career paths in this sector, although a general lack of knowledge about what a career in this sector entails was evident. The results of this study provided practical knowledge for developing strategies to attract and retain talented workers in the red meat processing sector. Manning, Menchon, Fogarty, Judd-Murray and Cosby explored the level of agricultural literacy among first-year university students pursuing agriculture-related degrees in Australia. Data was collected through an online survey based on the Judd-Murray Agricultural Literacy Instrument (JMALI). The authors studied the association between having studied agriculture in secondary school and the level of agricultural literacy. The results suggested that only half of the first-year university students pursuing an agriculture-related degree demonstrated a high level of agricultural literacy. Furthermore, studying agriculture in secondary school had no effect on agricultural literacy. These results highlight the need to strengthen and deepen knowledge of the technological, sustainability, market, and economic aspects of the agricultural sector among students aspiring to careers in agriculture. In the section on curriculum development and innovation, Skinner presented on curriculum design through a HTML5 digital learning tool (H5P) to address post-pandemic challenges in higher education at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ). The results showed that H5P as an online learning tool provided an authentic experience to a diverse group of students, with student participation and satisfaction positive upon implementation. The study highlights the potential of this tool in agricultural disciplines such as animal science. However, the author recommends longitudinal studies regarding student participation to deeply understand the impact. Sinai also addressed online learning for higher education students and the importance of developing creative approaches to meet their needs. The author referred to asynchronous course access, geographical dispersion, and the diverse work realities of students. This article presents the use of podcasts as a creative approach to complement lecture content in the "Social License to Operate" unit within the Bachelor of Agriculture program at CQUniversity. The decision to use podcasts also arose in response to the difficulties in organising lectures with guest speakers and for designing student engagement strategies. Finally, the article analysed the advantages and disadvantages of podcasts and offers some practical recommendations for their implementation. Finally, Barber and Bowles presented on the use of virtual reality in Australian agricultural education. The authors described the general principles and requirements for creating a virtual tour of a food or fibre company and through three case studies, addressed its implementation in teaching. These case studies analysed company visits through modalities that include online learning modules, face-to-face case studies, and online work-integrated learning. The authors showed that virtual reality has significant potential to enhance student learning and maximise the benefits of field visits. Future research is recommended to further explore the benefits of including virtual tours in the curriculum.
Mathematical Problem Posing (MPP) is key to developing creativity, but its study in relation to contexts can still be expanded. This work analyses how the context influences the creativity of sixth-grade primary school students when posing problems involving fractions. Thirty-seven students from a public Spanish school in the sixth grade participated in two 40-minute sessions where they formulated problems based on a real mathematical context and a real-life context. Firstly, the productions were classified as problems or statements and were assessed based on their mathematical nature, solvability, and relationship with the context. Then, a creativity index was calculated by comparing the problems posed by each student. The results indicate that the definition used to distinguish between a problem and a statement notably affects the number of productions analysed. Most were mathematical and solvable, but the connection with the context was stronger in the real-life context than in the mathematical one. Finally, no significant differences were found in the levels of creativity between contexts, suggesting that the interpretation of the stimulus may have more relevance.
This paper explores the remote delivery of simulation-based learning for collaborative problem-solving (CPS) and assessment in the context of food quality and safety graduate education. With a focus on a core postgraduate subject delivered at The University of Melbourne in the Food Science Masters program. We explore an approach that aims to equip students with CPS skills through a realistic, fully remote roleplay simulation task aimed at developing a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) food safety plan. The instructional design incorporated synchronous and asynchronous elements to promote engagement and interaction amidst the constraints of virtual learning. This paper evaluates the implementation of the simulation module alongside traditional summative and formative assessments, identifying both successes in enhancing teamwork and real-world relevance while highlighting areas for improvement, such as promoting greater interdependency among students. We found that the remote simulation setup was an efficient pedagogical approach that was generally well-received by the students. Further adjustments could enhance its efficacy in fostering collaborative skills crucial for addressing real-world food safety challenges.
There is a perceived difficulty in getting tertiary agricultural graduates to undertake a career in agriculture. Increasing students’ understanding of the agricultural industry can be achieved through enlisting industry professionals to build and deliver content. Positive interactions with the industry in a supportive learning environment can further enhance students' engagement and interest, potentially leading to an increased uptake of careers in agriculture. This study uses student feedback collected from various surveys and formative feedback systems by Murdoch University Bachelor of Agriculture undergraduate students in 2023. Data was extrapolated from student responses from one core and one elective subject, selected due to their focus on increasing student exposure to multiple industry professionals and enhancing employability, with the goal of inspiring students to pursue careers in the agricultural industry after graduation. Student feedback highlighted a marked increase in confidence and understanding of the industry due to exposure to industry professionals. This industry involvement in content delivery and module development positively impacted students' confidence and their ability to enter the industry upon graduation. Ensuring flow and consistency across modules within a subject will continue to be a major challenge for subject coordinators when multiple industry professionals are involved in one subject. Improving feedback systems at all levels, from subject, to university and industry, is needed to inform on the key employment sectors graduates are working in, enabling educators to be reflective of shifts in industry trends and ensuring graduates are provided with the necessary skill set for a successful career in agriculture.
