Learning

The department offers several undergraduate and graduate courses that emphasize academic programs in the area of teaching and learning. At the graduate level, we coordinate degree programs offered both at the Blacksburg campus and online.

Example courses offered by the department include:

ALCE 5074  Foundations in Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education

This course introduces students to the history and current state of the multiple disciplines that make up the department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education. These disciplines are couched within the Land Grant which provides access to education that reaches beyond the walls of the University into communities on a national and global basis. Through this course you will explore the disciplines of Cooperative Extension, Agricultural Education, Leadership Education, International Education, and Community Viability.  

ALCE 5044  Program and Curriculum Design in Agricultural and Extension Education

Methods involved in the organization, management, and evaluation of programs and curricula for agricultural education and Cooperative Extension.

ALCE 5014 Principles & Methods of Non-formal Teaching and Learning

This introductory level graduate course covers principles and methods associated with non-formal teaching and learning for adult, extension, and community-based education as well as further settings. Students learn how non-formal theory and practice is used in formal education degree courses or professional development. Major course aims include gaining understanding of concepts and practical knowledge for designing, integrating, and justifying non-formal educational experiences for learners. Specific attention will be given to learning frameworks and approaches that emphasize the role of participation, facilitation, and other student-centered teaching and learning approaches in agriculture and life science professions.

ALCE 4244  Teaching and Training Methods in Agricultural and Life Sciences

Survey of strategies for design, implementation, and evaluation of instruction and training practices in agricultural life sciences. Applications of principles in formal and non-formal educational settings, including schools, extension, and industry).

Teaching and Learning Theory

The course is designed to introduce the preservice teacher to the learner and the learning process as negotiated within a career and technical classroom. The roles of career and technical educators and students in the learning process and the impact of the interactive classroom environment on learning are examined.

Developmental theories (cognitive, psychosocial, and moral), their cultural and sociopolitical influences, and the implications of these theories and their influences for education are reviewed. Major theories concerning the learning process and their implications for the instructional process are also examined.

For additional courses, check out the Undergraduate Catalog and the Graduate Catalog.