Abstract: This study examined the teaching methodology used by Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh in his Agricultural Policy course at Kansas State University for nearly 50 years. Dr. Flinchbaugh was known internationally for agricultural policy and teaching. Ten former students were interviewed and asked a series of questions in a semi-structured format. Through qualitative methods, the study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the instructional practices, engagement strategies, and approaches that contributed to his impactful teaching career. The findings reveal that Flinchbaugh’s teaching approach was characterized by a student-centered approach, emphasizing active engagement, critical thinking, and real-world application. Effective student-teacher interactions, including timely feedback and open dialogue, are also highlighted as crucial aspects of Flinchbaugh’s pedagogy. Participants attributed their career success and continued engagement in agricultural policy to the knowledge, skills, and inspiration from Flinchbaugh’s course. Overall, this study highlights the significance of exceptional educators in shaping students’ educational experiences and emphasizes the continuous improvement of teaching methodologies in higher education."

Abstract: Active learning approaches allow students to excel at course material at higher cognitive levels. One of these strategies is cooperative learning, where students learn in small groups. This approach fosters retention, motivation, and critical thinking. In addition, using research-based teaching strategies where students can work hands-on on real-world problems improves learning outcomes. A fair amount of learning takes place online, which leads to the question of how research-based group projects can be included successfully in an online environment. This research aims to answer this question by studying undergraduate online students. The main objective is to shed light on students’ attitudes toward cooperative learning in online education. The main contribution is to highlight how a research-based group project can be incorporated in a fully online delivered course and how it is received by students. Key findings are that the majority of students agree that such an activity is a good opportunity to practice working in teams for future jobs. In particular women and those who hold a positive attitude toward group projects were most likely to view the research-based group project as good preparation."

Abstract: In an increasingly digital and interconnected world, businesses continue to rely more on applicants’ online networking efforts as a positive marker in the hiring process. If students’ career prospects rely on savvy professional social media use, it is incumbent on agricultural business programs to emphasize the importance in the classroom and incorporate education about the responsible use of those tools into the curriculum. In this study, students in an agricultural sales course developed LinkedIn profiles with incrementally stricter rubrics and requirements to determine how stressing specific components could nudge them to improve their professional online presence. In particular, the assignment required students to connect with other LinkedIn users outside their “safe” network (i.e., not professors, friends, or alumni of their university), leveraging those external reviewers as a mechanism to improve digital profile quality. Different treatments varied the numbers of required connections in the assignment. This external review put students’ “skin in the game,” since their public profiles would be scrutinized by real-world professionals. Results indicate that with stricter external-validation requirements, students’ efforts improved. The long-term objective is to convince students of the value and efficacy of building and maintaining an active professional social media presence and brand."

Abstract: This paper provides exploratory evidence on research misconduct in social sciences with an emphasis on applied economics. We review peer-reviewed published work to discuss how these trends of research misconduct compromise the trust, honesty, reliability, and credibility of scientific work. In addition, we offer suggestions to incorporate content on the responsible conduct of research in graduate education in social sciences. This paper should be of interest to graduate programs and academics interested in graduate education in applied economics, and likely benefit graduate students in social sciences as they build their research profiles and establish a reputation in the field."

Abstract: This paper presents a case study that integrates data analysis and visualization in a team project introduced in an undergraduate course focusing on food, nutrition, and health. The project is guided by a Ten Steps framework proposed by the instructor, involving the establishment and self-evaluation of student learning goals, identification of research questions, selection of data sources and analytic tools, task allocation among students, data analysis, data visualization, and finalizing the overall project. Throughout this project, students gain valuable insights into (1) the prevalence and inequality of food insecurity in the United States; (2) practical skills in conducting data analysis; (3) effective visualization of research findings for impactful presentations; (4) cultivating advanced critical thinking and decision-making skills; (5) improving skills on teamwork, presentation, and communication, ultimately enhancing employability; and (6) gaining active and personalized learning experiences. The Ten Steps framework can be easily applied to team projects centered on data analysis and data visualization in undergraduate courses. The case study can be adapted for undergraduate courses in food security, food and nutrition, and agricultural economics."