Adding Values through Practical Education in Agroecology: Review of Canadian Student Experiences

Abstract

Experiential learning builds on the strong conceptual foundation established in the last century especiallyby John Dewey and David Kolb. The process generates high expectations in students, recognizes manyways of knowing, reflecting and evaluating, and creates education relevant to past experience and realworld challenges. Canadian students have been active participants in the Norwegian programs inAgroecology, an integrative field of science that explores the ecology of farming and food systems. Focusof an 8-week farming systems course at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences is developing a farmplan that meets the long-term goals of a farm family. A subsequent 8-week food systems course hasstudent teams developing comprehensive food system plans for counties in Norway. Relevance of theprogram for Canadian students is especially strong due to similarities in crop and livestock species,cultural heritage and values, and interdisciplinary education. Undergraduate students in Canada often gaina rich background in group dynamics and conducting practical team projects.The Nordic programme addsethics and values to the production, economic, and environmental emphasis found in their prior courses.Students who have found the courses enriching have come from a diverse range of backgrounds,including animal science, agronomy, environmental science, history, sociology and geography. Thisreview uses the method of testimonials from Canadian students and their performance in subsequentpositions to provide a rich qualitative picture of the relevance of this education to their growth as scholarsand preparation to enter the professional world as agroecologists. The goal is to describe how they haveincorporated personal values into study of farming and food systems.