5. Course Description and Teaching Plan
a) Title: Action Research in Agriculture
b) Level: Senior Year
c) Role of Research in the Course:
As can be seen in this syllabus, the entire course is design to help Vietnamese students learn by
actually doing research in applied local contexts; and then presenting the results to farmers, local
authorities, scientists, diplomats, and governmental and ministerial officials. A cross-section of
stakeholders will serve as judges of the student presentation skills, posters and quality of research.
d) Time Used in University Labs:
There will be six research teams at each university focusing on local issues affecting farmers. We
anticipate these local issues will center around challenges in plant protection, post-harvest
handling of crops and food safety. Such independent projects prevent a specific upfront listing of
equipment and supplies. However, each team has been budgeted $300 to develop their proposed
research taking in consideration the availability of time, equipment, resources and supplies
available locally.
e) Involvement of Vietnamese Teaching Associates (VTA):
The participatory design of the course necessitates that the Vietnamese Teaching associates are
an integral part of the teaching and learning process. They will supervise the students during initial
field visits and support and mentor the research teams.
Teaching skill development:
There are several ways that the teaching associates’ skills will be enhanced. First, they will
participate in an innovatively designed course that features applied research and experiential
learning. Second, they will be introduced to problem-based learning (PBL) and action research
strategies that foster soft skill development : 1) teamwork, 2) problem solving, 3) communication
skills, and 4) networking skills that will help Vietnamese overcome many of the limitations to the
current educational system. Finally, the Vietnamese teaching associates will reflect back on what
did and did not work with this innovative research course, thereby helping them to develop critical
thinking skills related to teaching and learning.
f) Future Teaching of the Course and Sustainability:
Senior research projects are already required in Vietnamese agricultural universities, therefore
elements of the course design are already embedded within the curriculum. It is our hope that the
Vietnamese Teaching Associates can easily sustain the PLB and Action Research approaches in
the curriculum.
g) Number of Universities
The course will be taught at two universities: Nong Lam University (HCMC) and Hanoi University of
Agriculture.
h) US Faculty Scholars Teaching Time in Vietnam
Not applicable, other than the time at the beginning and end of the course. See below.
1
i) US Faculty Scholars Teaching by Video (Time in Vietnam at the beginning and end of the
course)
Fully 25% of the course will be taught by the US professors in country in weeks 1 (two classes
taught the first week), 14, and 15. The US professors will arrive one week prior to the first day of
class to: 1) work with the VTAs to organize the course, 2) help the VTA understand the format of
the course, and 3) work out logistics of site visits. During the first week of instruction, the
professors will teach two, 3 hour classes to set the stage for the research projects and to visit the
field sites.
15 Day Schedule- Preparation and Week 1
Sun
Mon
Tues
Wed
Prep
NLU- Prep NLU-Prep
Travel
Week 1
HUA- Week HUA- Week Travel
1- course
1 field visits
format
Thurs
HUA-Prep
NLU- Week
1- course
format
Fri
HUA-Prep
NLU- Week
1 field visits
Sat
At the end of the course, the professors will arrive 15 days prior to the symposium. They will have
face-to-face contact with the students to help them in week 14 as they prepare research posters
and presentations. In week 15 the US professors will organize and lead the research symposium.
15 Day Schedule Weeks 14 and 15
Sun
Mon
Tues
Week 14
NLU
NLU
Week 15
HUA
HUA
Symposium
Wed
Travel
Travel
Thurs
Fri
HUA
HUA
NLU
NLU
Symposium
Sat
j) Rationale for Team Teaching by US Faculty:
Because the course will be taught at two Vietnamese universities and will be focused on individual
team projects (12 teams projects), two professors are required to coordinate regional management
of the research teams and to provide necessary contact time with students. Each US professor
brings a unique skill set that will help students conduct research that meets the needs of local
people And finally, G. Young’s work has focused on southern Vietnam, while C. Trexler’s has been
in the northern part of the county.
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SYLABUS
Action Research in Agriculture
Level: Senior Year
Weekly class time: 150 minutes
Number of weeks: 15 (two sessions in week 1), start and end dates XXXXX
Course Description:
This experientially based course is designed to introduce students to the process of scientific
research in applied settings within Vietnam. Students will work with selected communes to help
farmers and authorities solve local problems through science-based research. Vietnamese and UC
Davis faculty will provide instruction in designing, conducting and presenting original research. This
course will be used to meet the Vietnamese university requirement of a senior year research
project.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Through this course the students will:
1. Apply research within a local context
2. Understand the principles of experimental design
3. Develop written skills for research proposals including literature reviews, hypothesis,
budget and experimental design
4. Develop skills for presentation of scientific concepts and outcomes to expert and lay
audiences
5. Refine interpersonal skills in research teams
6. Acquire analytical skills by working with data sets
7. Practice and improve written and verbal English skills
8. Use critical thinking skills
9. Develop critical thinking skills for defining pressing issues related to food systems, such as
plant protection, post-harvest handing of crops and food safety
10. Acquire networking skills through interactions with both Vietnamese and American
scientists, diplomats, and governmental and Ministry leaders
Weekly Schedule
Week
Topic
1
1st class meeting
Introduction to course
Proposal format and project timeline
Participatory Action Research Techniques
2nd class meeting
- field visits and PAR with farmers and local
authorities
Assignments
None
PAR questions to ask of
farmers and local authorities
3
2
Developing experimental plans and proposal
formulation and writing
One page summary of ideas,
topics suggested by farmers
from PAR
Local issues: Plant protection (guest speaker from
Vietnam)
One page topic review: Plant
protection
Class held by
3
4
Experimental Design/Defining the consumer of your
work
-Statistics
-Sampling methods
-Experimental controls
One page topic review Due:
Post harvest
Local issues: Post-harvest (guest speaker from
Vietnam)
Two page Research Proposals
due to Drs. Young and Trexler.
3 days before week 4 class
meeting
Student presentation of research proposals:
Definition of project object/hypothesis and defense
of experimental design
(small group work, presentations and critique)
5
Re-submit revised research proposals
Local issues: Food safety (guest speaker from
Vietnam)
Whole class presentations by
each team, 10 minutes for
presentation and 5 minutes for
discussion by class members
and professors
Due: One page topic review:
Food safety
Field work by teams- No formal class because in
week 1 there were two sessions
Team Updates – progress, obstacles, remedies
Due: One page summary
Plant Protection- Case Control Studies
-Read, review, and comprehend scientific literature
Due: One page analysis of the
design and results of the
(presentation and discussion of revised proposals)
6
7
8
In class: Teams provide
research proposals and give
an oral research defense. Five
paper copies of the research
proposal are required.
4
with a focus on class research studies
-Understand the format of disciplinary publications
assigned Plant Protection
journal article
9
Post-Harvest- Case Control Studies
-Read, review, and comprehend scientific literature
with a focus on class research studies
-Understand the format of disciplinary publications
Due: One page analysis of the
design and results of the
assigned Post-Harvest journal
article
10
Food Safety- Case Control Studies
-Read, review, and comprehend scientific literature
with a focus on class research studies
-Understand the format of disciplinary publications
Due: One page analysis of the
design and results of the
assigned Food Safety journal
article
11
Scientific Poster construction/layout
-Direct instruction about the purpose and design
principles of a scientific poster
-Student analysis of weak and strong examples of
posters from Food Science
- In-class group preliminary design of poster format
12
Scientific Oral presentation skills and preliminary
review of poster
-Small group review of posters for clarity and format
-Modeling of poster presentation skills (professors)
Due: Preliminary poster outline
13
Scientific Oral presentation practice session
-Research team preliminary poster presentations
and critique by classmates and professors
-Professional dress and grooming
Due: Final poster
14
Scientific Poster Presentation Symposium
-Professors develop scorecard for poster judges
(presentation skills and poster construction)
-Invited judges to rank the top three teams in both
presentation skills and poster construction
Young and Trexler in Vietnam
15
Critics of poster/ self assessment/ reflection on
experience
Young and Trexler in Vietnam
Due: Self-reflection on the
5
research and poster
presentation experience.
Focusing on lessons learned,
skills developed, and next
steps.
Texts:
Whyte, F. W. (1990). Participatory action research. Sage Press: Santa Barbara, CA
Hoshmand, A. R. (1994). Experimental research design and analysis: A practical approach for
agricultural and natural sciences. CRC Press: New York, NY.
We have determined that these two books are currently in the public domain and will make
photocopies of these in Vietnam. We have already budgeted the cost of 50 sets of these selected
chapters.
Assignments:
Research group/team
One page summary of ideas, topics suggested by farmers from
PAR
Two page Research Proposals due to Drs. Young and Trexler
three (3) days before the week 4 class meeting
One page update of research activities
Preliminary poster outline
Self reflection on the research and poster presentation experience.
Focusing on lessons learned, skills developed, and next steps.
Final poster and symposium participation
Professionalism and contribution to the class and research team
Individual
One page topic review: Post harvest
One page topic review: Food safety
One page topic review: Plant protection
One page analysis of the design and results of the assigned Plant
Protection journal article
One page analysis of the design and results of the assigned Food
Safety journal article
One page analysis of the design and results of the assigned Postharvest journal article
Percent of Total Grade
10
15
5
5
5
20
10
Percent of Total Grade
5
5
5
5
5
5
Grading:
Grades are distributed by the following percentages of the total points possible. This US grading
scale will be converted to a 10-point scale if needed by the Vietnamese universities.
A =90-100
B=80-89
C=70-79
D=60-69
F=below 59
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Activities for the course will involve lectures, group projects and presentations, as well as field trips
to sites where research will be conducted. The topics of the lectures will include approaches to
experimental design, data interpretation and communicating scientific results in both written and
verbal forms. There will also be lectures related to postharvest and food safety, including microbial
ecology of plant materials, foodborne pathogens and disease transmission, the effect of plant
physiology on food spoilage, and susceptibility to harbor pathogens and sources of food
contamination.
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