12095s

12095s

Student Presentation (20 minutes)

Rachel Kirkland, University of Hawai`i at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, rachelmk@hawaii.edu Jordan Day, University of Hawai`i at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, jordand@hawaii.edu
 * Organic Gardening: An Online Course Design**

The purpose of this online course design project was to teach gardeners throughout the state of Hawaii organic methods for pest, weed, and plant disease control, as well as methods and best practices for creating and using composted material for natural fertilizer. These solutions were provided as safer, healthier alternatives to the more common practices of applying synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers. One major consequence of exposure to these chemicals is an increase in cancer rates. By employing organic solutions to common gardening problems, learners can avoid the harms associated with synthetic chemicals. The course was developed using the University of Hawaii’s course management system Laulima, with a companion site on Weebly.com to provide more layout options and organization for the modules. The target audience was online University of Hawaii students who have their own land or garden. Many of these students live in rural areas or on different islands, which makes it inconvenient to travel to a face-to-face course setting. The online course delivery method allows gardeners from all areas of Hawaii to access the same course content regardless of their transportation abilities. The intended goal is more widespread knowledge and employment of organic gardening methods throughout the State.

All Audiences online course design organic gardening