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INVESTIGATOR: Elavarthi, S.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY
1200 NORTH DUPONT HIGHWAY
DOVER, DELAWARE 19901

SABBATICAL TO ENHANCE TEACHING, RESEARCH AND INTEGRATION OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The primary goal of the sabbatical is to enhance the applicant's expertise in teaching, program design, and effective integration of experiential learning in to teaching agricultural sciences through collaborations with international and US partners both in the public and private sector. The proposed sabbatical is for six months during the summer and fall semesters of 2017 working with researchers in Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) and Max Agrigenetics in India and the College of Agriculture Science and Education (CASE) in Jamaica as well as US Land Grant Universities. The objectives are: 1) To experience and learn effective integration of experiential learning and research into undergraduate teaching; 2) To learn innovative curriculum design and content delivery and strengthen the international partnerships. The first part of the program will enable the PD to participate in the rural agricultural work experience (RAWE) program at PJTSAU and student internship in seed production techniques at Max Agrigenetics and learn the design, implementation and assessment of these innovative experiential learning programs. The second part will focus on working with researchers and faculty at CASE to learn innovative methods of teaching agriculture through senior research projects and intensive field based course work. Collaborations with domestic land grant universities will also be incorporated in to the program. Building faculty capacity in teaching will help strengthen our agriculture programs at DSU along with initiating research and exchange opportunities with our international partners. It will prepare the applicant to develop and implement new teaching programs at DSU and assist partner institutions.

OBJECTIVES: The primary goal of this professional development application is to enhance the applicant's expertise in teaching, program design, and effective integration of experiential learning in to teaching agricultural sciences at DSU through collaborations with international partners both in the public and private sector.The specific objectives are: 1) To experience and learn effective integration of experiential learning and research into undergraduate teaching; 2) To learn innovative curriculum design and content delivery and strengthen the international partnerships.