Soil in Questions: an interactive self-assessment and evaluation tool for natural resources courses

TitleSoil in Questions: an interactive self-assessment and evaluation tool for natural resources courses
Faculty/College/UnitLand & Food Systems
StatusCompleted
Duration1 Year
Initiation04/01/2010
Completion08/31/2011
Project Summary

Soil and natural resources courses require students to make linkages between concepts of physics, chemistry and biology, among others. The multidisciplinary nature of these courses makes it especially challenging for students to adjust to course expectations. Self-assessment quizzes consisting of soil questions closely tailored to course learning objectives are an effective way of helping students enhance their understanding, but are often under-utilized due to time constrains on instructors’ schedules. We propose to develop an online repository of soil science questions entitled Soil in Questions for use in natural resources and soil related UBC courses. The repository will include multiple choice, short answer, and discussion questions hosted on an interactive web platform that will greatly facilitate the regular use of self-assessment quizzes. The questions will also be used in formative assessment and summative examination. The Soil in Questions repository will directly benefit 650 students /year by helping them develop the skills and confidence they need to meet learning objectives.

Funding Details
Year 1: Project YearYear 1
Year 1: Funding Year2010/2011
Year 1: Project TypeSmall TLEF
Year 1: Principal InvestigatorMaja Krzic
Year 1: Funded Amount19,522
Year 1: Team Members

Maja Krzic, Associate Professor, Applied Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Stephanie Grand, PhD Candidate, Resource Management and Environmental Studies
Chris Crowley, Instructional Designer / Multimedia Designer, Office of Learning Technology