NIFA grant project aims to develop virtual reality training for ag safety education
URBANA, Ill.– Safety awareness is critical for operators of agricultural equipment, and a core component of training for applicator technicians. A new University of Illinois project aims to develop virtual reality (VR) simulation materials for an immersive learning experience.
New companion animal certificate draws pet professionals, enthusiasts
URBANA, Ill. – When Lizzy Geary began contemplating graduate programs for companion animal nutrition, she knew she needed an edge. As an undergraduate in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois, she heard of a new certificate program that would set her apart from the rest.
Community colleges line up new transfer pathways into ACES
URBANA, Ill. – The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) this fall added three new in-state transfer pathway programs for Illinois Valley Community College, Richland Community College, and Triton College students.
Life lessons multiply for financial planning power team
URBANA, Ill. – Financial planning students get to hone their skills and gain valuable experience in real-life simulations through industry competitions.
Racial microaggressions contribute to disparities in STEM education
URBANA, Ill. – Careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are one of the fastest-growing areas of work in the United States, yet racial and gender disparities remain in STEM occupations.
Trees set sixth-graders up for success
URBANA, Ill. – The transition to middle school is undeniably tough for many sixth-graders, even in the best of times. Mounting academic demands, along with changes in peer dynamics and the onset of puberty, result in a predictable and sometimes irreversible slump in academic performance.
A new University of Illinois study suggests an unexpected but potentially potent remedy: trees.
Lessons in green schoolyards benefit kindergarteners, especially girls
URBANA, Ill. – Amid one of the strangest back-to-school seasons in modern history, many teachers, parents, and caregivers are struggling to enrich their students’ experiences beyond screen-based learning. A new study from University of Illinois researchers suggests daily outdoor lessons in green spaces could boost self-regulation in young children, setting them up for greater academic and social-emotional success.
Korte named new director for learning innovation and e-learning in ACES
URBANA, Ill. – Debra Korte has been named the first director for learning innovation and e-learning in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at University of Illinois.
Korte, previously a teaching assistant professor in the Agricultural Leadership Education and Communication program in ACES, assumed the new role in ACES’ Office of Academic Programs June 22.
ACES graduate sparks interest in nature however she can
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK—While Kate Owen prefers teaching face to face, reaching young students online from Yellowstone National Park during the COVID-19 pandemic still produces the rewarding moments that drive her passion and career.
Besides, who wouldn’t want to learn the history of human/bison interaction or the importance of water quality at the Grand Canyon from Owen? You can see the sparkle in the education technician’s eyes just as clearly on Zoom.
Bad-science busters shift keen minds to COVID-19
URBANA, Ill. – Twice a week, Ming Kuo’s cheerful face completes a checkerboard of about 30 undergraduate students in an online classroom. They’re meeting for a University of Illinois course called Environmental Social Science Research Methods, but Kuo calls it “Detecting Bad Science.”
The course isn’t normally online, but six weeks into the university's switch to distance learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic, this year is decidedly different. And the course material is, too.