TEACHING HORTICULTURAL PLANT BREEDING FOLLOWING A SEMI-VIRTUAL FORMAT – EXPERIENCE USING MOODLE

The second cycle of Agricultural Engineer Degree in the EPSO began to be offered in 2005 following a semi-virtual format. This initiative arose from the suggestion of the Alicante Agricultural Engineers Association, and it was aimed at people that can not travel every day to the university due to work or family reasons.

It was necessary to adapt the Horticultural Plant Breeding course, taught in the 5th course of the Agricultural Engineer Degree. The course was divided into 14 topics, in 3 didactic units. Teaching is provided in a semi-virtual format, using the open source learning environment Moodle, so that 75% of the contents are given on-line: all the theoretical classes and half of the practice lessons. The other half of the practice lessons are carried out through practical work and exercises, including two visits to breeding companies and research institutions related to agronomy and genetic improvement. All the information and material are available in the website of the subject. Students download the themes and issues and upload the files with the issues to be evaluated. Moodle platform can correct the questions of the students, and it allows a very smooth contact between teacher and students.

During the 4 last courses, semi-virtual format have been followed by nearly 20 students, who have taken the course in semi-virtual mode, obtaining results that can be considered very satisfactory, since almost 95% of them have passed the subject on the first try.