Continuing education doesn’t necessarily bar contractors to a classroom. Students participating in Penn State University’s online turfgrass program are discovering the information superhighway is an effective way to broaden their professional knowledge.
Forget raising your hand before speaking or bringing your No. 2 pencils on test day. The online program is in a class all its own, prompting interaction through individual Web pages each student creates upon registration and encouraging communication through regular correspondence with instructors and other online classmates.
The Internet-based learning environment also allows for group work. “It’s the closest thing to a true learning community,” said Al Turgeon, senior faculty coordinator for the World Campus program in the turfgrass management program at the university. “Everybody learns from everybody – even the instructors.”
The online education program enrolled students in all 50 states following the spring 2002 semester, Turgeon reported, and the university plans to expand this reach to hit a global audience. “We won’t be satisfied until we have students on every continent where Turfgrass is important,” he said in a June 6 press release.
To earn a Turfgrass Management Certificate from the online program, students complete five courses over a 12-week period and earn 15 academic credits. An in-depth study course is available, including eight original turfgrass management program courses plus three courses selected from a variety of complementary subjects like business management, speech communications and organic chemistry.
Students range in age from 19 to 59 and enroll with a different levels of professional experience, adding a diverse dynamic to the online classroom. This geographic variety creates “banks” of knowledge, Turgeon explained, and students can discuss how regional climates and conditions impact turfgrass.
The program’s success speaks for itself – founded four years ago with one 10-person Introduction to Turfgrass Management class, the program has grown to more than 1,400 students and offers two certificates: Turfgrass Management and Advanced Turfgrass Management.
For more information on the World Campus Turfgrass Management Certificate Program, log on to www.worldcampus.psu.edu/pub/turf/index.shtml or call 800/252-3592.
The author is Managing Editor – Special Projects for Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at khampshire@lawnandlandscape.com.