Have You Visited the APSnet Education Center Lately?

5th anniversary for the APSnet Education Center

Gail L. Schumann
Department of Biological Sciences
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI

Schumann, G.L. 2005. Have You Visited the APSnet Education Center Lately? Online. APSnet Features. doi: 10.1094/APSnetFeatures-2005-1205.

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APSnet Education Center opened with its first published instructional materials in the summer of 2000. This opening followed months of planning to determine what kinds of instructional materials were needed, how publications would be submitted and reviewed, what outreach functions we should provide (e.g., communication with K-12 teachers), and what teaching communication and scholarship opportunities would be useful to plant pathology instructors. Although the site has been modified in minor ways since its opening, the insights and experience of the first Editorial Board appear to have provided the appropriate opportunities for publications related to plant pathology education.

Does this look familiar? If not, you are missing out on exciting, peer-reviewed educational resources for plant pathology.

In the past year, the APSnet Education Center registered 967,603 page views and 290,000 visitors, an approximately 79% increase from the previous year.

The Editorial Board includes nine senior editors who conduct reviews of publications using anonymous reviewers in the same way that research papers are reviewed. Editors review publications according to their technical expertise as well as pedagogical interests, such as K-12 teacher outreach, introductory materials, advanced materials, and instructor scholarship.

The APSnet Education Center includes peer-reviewed publications, which constitute the online journal, The Plant Health Instructor, as well as additional resources for plant pathology education. The site has grown since 2000 and recently reached 100 peer-reviewed publications. Resources for a broad range of educational activities are available, including outreach to K-12 teachers, materials for introductory and advanced plant pathology students, and teaching notes and articles. Publication in The Plant Health Instructor is an opportunity for all plant pathologists to contribute to the education of future plant pathologists around the world, whether or not they do actual classroom teaching. The site can also reach students in biology and microbiology courses offering them access to our science and making them aware of opportunities in plant pathology. It provides authors the academic recognition for creative instructional materials that has previously been reserved for research publications. It also is a place to stay current in a quickly evolving science by reading materials in the advanced section and the instructor section.

An exciting, recent development has been the activity of the Office of International Programs and leadership by Nik Grunwald and Randy Ploetz to begin translation of selected materials into Spanish and additional languages. The first Spanish-language translation was published in 2005, Sigatoka negra, with translation by Robert J. Knight, Jr. and review by Gloria Abad, Jorge Abad, Gustavo Astua-Monge, and Carlos Balerdithe. Visit the first Spanish language disease lesson.

What are some advantages for authors?

Peer-reviewed, citable publication:  Example: Vaillancourt, L.J. and J.R. Hartman. 2000. Apple scab. The Plant Health Instructor. DOI: 10.1094/PHI-I-2000-1005-01

APS image collection:  You may use any image from the APS collection for your APS publication.

Technical support:  We have an artist for diagrams and disease cycles; APS staff will put your materials into the online format, so you can focus on content. The excellent programming skills and incredible patience and enthusiasm of APS staff members Steve Kronmiller and Dawn Vukson-VanBeek bring our educational materials to life on the internet.

Teaching scholarship:  You can publish teaching articles and teaching notes to contribute to plant pathology pedagogy in a central site where your colleagues will see your work.

How will you contribute to the education of future plant pathologists? (See below for a list of your colleagues who have been authors of APSnet Education Center publications).

Clerodendrum thomsoniae, by Vickie Brewster, an artist and a plant pathologist.

A disease cycle, by Vickie Brewster.

What are some advantages for instructors and extension specialists?

All materials are free.  You can link to them from your class or extension website. You can focus on your unique programs and courses, and use the Education Center as a source of "standard materials."

All materials are peer-reviewed.  Any publication with a citation in The Plant Health Instructor at the top of the page has been peer-reviewed with the same scrutiny given to research publications.

Images!  APS members have been contributing great images to APS for many years. They are used in a variety of educational applications.

5-year updates.  Look for the red "updated" indicator near the citation that assures you that materials are accurate and up to date.

Laboratory exercises.  Labs can be found in the K-12, Introductory and Advanced sections. These are labs that work, with all of the details about preparation and successful use in the classroom (see Instructor notes). Answers to the discussion questions are provided in the password-protected section of the Instructor section.

Enrichment resources.  Use materials produced by specialists as resources for student research and self-study.

Resource catalogs.  Available in the K-12, Introductory and Advanced sections, these lists are a central site for educational materials related to plant pathology (articles, books, videos, CD-Roms, DVDs, public radio reports, web sites).

Teaching articles and teaching notes.  Find several different case studies that include both background materials for students and helpful suggestions on how to optimize their use in the classroom. Read about using new ideas in teaching theory to improve the teaching of plant pathology. Use the classroom ideas and helpful laboratory hints described in the teaching notes.

What are some advantages for students and life-long learners?

Images!  Try to imagine what the definitions of many of our technical terms mean when you don’t know what they look like. The Illustrated Glossary and other instructional materials are filled with excellent images.

Animations!  These can contribute to learning. See links below.

Materials that have been reviewed for both content and pedagogy.  Information is organized into introductory and advanced sections and is presented in a format that students should be able to understand.

A central site for plant pathology education.  Although instructors may link directly to specific materials, students will find a variety of materials to enrich their study or as a source of ideas for papers or research projects.

Selected APSnet Features are easy to find.  Some APSnet Features have been peer-reviewed for The Plant Health Instructor or Plant Health Progress and are listed in the K-12, Introductory, and/or Advanced sections for easy access.

Plant disease management simulations.  Apple scab, late blight, fungicide resistance (Resistan), and an epidemiology simulation are available for students who wish to practice disease management skills.

CD-Rom versions for offline study.  Each year the K-12 and Introductory materials are made available on inexpensive CD-Roms for student convenience. Instructors may order these for students through their bookstores from APS Press. Earnings help support the APSnet Education Center and APS Press.

Keep up with the latest advances in plant pathology.  The Advanced section is designed for advanced students and working professionals. Topics such as molecular biology, epidemiology, and population genetics are addressed with specific emphasis on their plant pathology applications.

What are some advantages for people interested in outreach to teachers and pre-college students?

Monthly K-12 News and Views.  These alert teachers to interesting plant pathology stories and resources. All past issues have been archived.

K-12 laboratories.  Here are activities you can recommend to your local teachers or use yourself when you visit classrooms. Some labs could be used as science fair projects. Most labs are designed for high school, but there are others for younger children.

CD-Rom versions for offline access.  Each year the K-12 and Introductory materials are made available on inexpensive CD-Roms for teachers and students without easy internet access.

A permanent, central site for educational outreach required by certain granting agencies.  Take advantage of the technical expertise of APS staff and the APS image collection to fulfill the educational outreach requirements of some grants.

A quick answer to questions from teachers, high school students, the media, and the public.  Many of our introductory materials provide just the right level of information for many questions that we are asked to answer from people outside our professions. The media, in particular, appreciate a written resource with the correct spellings of technical terms. You can email people a link to a disease lesson or other publication and then offer to answer any questions not answered by the publication.

What do Plant Health Instructor publications look like?

See this example from the front page of a disease lesson.

Ready to take a tour?

Click on any section to see the full list of available materials:

40+ plant disease lessons that include color photos, disease cycles, and significance sections. Click here to see the complete list:
http://apsnet.org/EDCENTER/INTROPP/LESSONS/

Illustrated glossary
http://apsnet.org/edcenter/illglossary/

Introductions to the major pathogen groups
http://apsnet.org/edcenter/intropp/PathogenGroups

Plant disease management simulations
http://apsnet.org/edcenter/intropp/simulations/

Plant Pathology Topics
      Introductory
      http://apsnet.org/edcenter/intropp/topics/
      Advanced
      http://apsnet.org/edcenter/advanced/topics/

Laboratory Exercises
     K-12
     http://apsnet.org/edcenter/K-12/TeachersGuide/
     Introductory 
     http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/intropp/LabExercises/
     Advanced 
     http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/advanced/LabExercises/

Selected peer-reviewed APSnet feature articles
http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/intropp/features/

Population genetics course with plant pathogen examples
http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/advanced/topics/

Plant disease epidemiology
http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/advanced/topics

Monthly K-12 News and Views for teachers (and archive)
http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/K-12/NewsViews/

Animations
       Armillaria root disease lesson
       http://apsnet.org/edcenter/intropp/lessons/fungi/Basidiomycetes/Pages/Armillaria

      Fungicide movement in plants
       http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/intropp/topics/

Instructor Resources
http://www.apsnet.org/education/InstructorCommunication

Looking for something else? 
       Try the Search function:
       http://www.apsnet.org/education/search/query.asp

Want to know when new materials are published?
See the "What’s new?" link and sign up for free email updates
http://www.apsnet.org/education/whatsnew.html

Support
The APSnet Education Center is completely free. It is supported by the American Phytopathological Society, the Mathre Education Endowment of the APS Foundation, and contributions from individuals and corporations. We are grateful for this continuing support and acknowledge our supporters. Information about how you can contribute is available at our Supporters site.
http://www.apsnet.org/education/supporters.html

What will you do for the APSnet Education Center?

As I retire from the role of Editor-in-Chief of The Plant Health Instructor, I look forward to passing this responsibility to Anton Baudoin in January, 2006. We both hope that nearly every APS member will find a way to contribute to the APSnet Education Center and the future of plant pathology. Here are some ideas:

• K-12 News and Views
• K-12 plant pathology activity or laboratory
• Introductory or Advanced topics
• Introductory or Advanced laboratory exercises (Share the labs that really work! 
  Especially those that use newer techniques.)
• Teaching notes- classroom or laboratory ideas to share.
• Teaching articles related to plant pathology.
• Materials for the K-12, Introductory, and/or Advanced Resource Catalogs.

And if you are invited or would like to volunteer, please help us continue to provide quality educational resources by serving as a senior editor or reviewer for The Plant Health Instructor. (Scroll down to see the list of senior editors since the APSnet Education Center began).

First editorial board of The Plant Health Instructor.

Michael Agnew
Michael Boehm
Cleora D’Arcy
Darin Eastburn
Dennis Gross
Kenneth Johnson
Mary Powelson
Daniel Schadler
Gail Schumann
David TeBeest

Total numbers of peer-reviewed publications in various categories

K-12 lessons and laboratories- 9
Selected APSnet feature articles- 8
Introductory
Introductions to the major pathogen groups- 4
Disease lessons- 41 (2 at APS- may be updated
Plant disease management simulations- 2
Laboratories- 6
Topics- 3
Illustrated glossary- 1
Advanced
Plant disease management simulations- 2
Laboratories- 2
Topics- 7
Instructor communication and scholarship
Teaching articles- 8
Teaching notes- 7

Authors of Plant Health Instructor publications: 98+. Several authors have published more than one contribution.

G. S. Abawi
T. W. Allen
C. M. Alsup
P. A. Arneson
G. Ash
M. Babadoost
A. B. A. M. Baudoin
S. Bekal
R. S. Bennett
G. C. Bergstrom
I. Berlanger
W.W. Bockus
M. J. Boehm
F. E. Brooks
B. C. Bruce
L. L. Burpee
A. Castro
W. C. Chun
A. C. Cobb
C. R. Curtis
C. J. D'Arcy
E. L. Davis
S. H. DeBoer
H. R. Dillard
L. L. Domier
P. A. Donald
D. M. Eastburn
B. A. Edmunds
W. H. Elmer
J. Esnard
T. Evans
J. Fletcher
P. H. Flynn
L. J. Francl
R. Ford
T. L. German
M. L. Gleason
T. R. Gottwald
W. E. Grey
J. R. Hartman
V. Heffer
P. Heist
A. Jasalavich
K. B. Johnson
R. H. Johnston
I. Kado
G. Kemmitt
J. A. LaMondia
K. Lambert
P.A. Lambrecht
M. J. Linit
K. J. Leonard
A. E. MacGuidwin
A. Martinez
O. C. Maloy
R. D. Martyn
D. E. Mathre
B. A. McDonald
J. H. McBeath
M. T. McGrath
N. A. Mitkowski
J. W. Moyer
J. Mullen
L. J. Musselman
D. L. Nickrent
J. L. Parke
J. K. Pataky
P. Peterson
L. S. Pierson III
P. Pinstrup-Andersen
R. C. Ploetz
M. L. Powelson
L. H. Rhodes
M. Riley
J. Ristaino
D. F. Ritchie
A. Rossman
G. Ruhl
D. L. Schadler
D. G. Schmale III
K-B. G. Scholthof
B. K. Scholz-Schroeder
G. L. Schumann
J. L. Sherwood
K. L. Snover
W. T. Stamps
T. M. Stewart
S. L. Thomas
N. A. Tisserat
L. P. Tredway
G. L. Tylka
D.E. Ullman
L. J. Vaillancourt
A. K. Vidaver
P.Vincelli
A. Wayadande
M. R. Williamson
J. Worrall

Although they are not peer-reviewed, great appreciation goes to authors of the monthly K-12 News and Views that provide outreach to teachers. If you have an interesting news item or teacher workshop that deserves publicity, please use this easy means of communication and contribute. The following 16 authors have contributed to this section, some with numerous contributions:

J. G. Baier
C.L. Cihlar
A. B. Core
C. Curtis
N. Grunwald
L. S. Hesler
Y. Jin
M. Langham
A. E. Lighthiser
J. Ristaino
G. Ruhl
K-B. G. Scholthof
K. Shelton
D.O. TeBeest
C. Walkinshaw, Jr.
L. A. Wutz

Past and Current Editorial Board members for The Plant Health Instructor

Pamela Adams
Michael Agnew
Michael Boehm
Edward Braun
Cleora D’Arcy
Darin Eastburn
Ann Gould
Dennis Gross
Niklaus Grunwald
Kenneth Johnson
Marie Langham
Jennifer Parke
Sarah Pethybridge
Mary Powelson
David Ritchie
Daniel Schadler
Gail Schumann
Michael Sulzinski
David TeBeest
Eric Tedford
Lisa Vaillancourt
Paul Vincelli

Incoming- 2006
Anton Baudoin
James Stack
Katherine Stevenson
Jin-Rong Xu

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Gail L. Schumann

A tribute from Anton Baudoin,
incoming Editor-in-Chief of
the APSnet Education Center
and The Plant Health Instructor

Dr. Gail Schumann is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the APSnet Education Center and the online journal The Plant Health Instructor, and will complete her second term at the end of 2005. Dr. Schumann's career includes 20 years of teaching and conducting extension programs at the University of Massachusetts, and she continues to teach, currently at Marquette University. Her many accomplishments include one textbook "Plant Diseases: Their Biology and Social Impact", and, with Cleo d'Arcy, she is in the final stages of preparing another text. She has received a number of awards including the APS Excellence in Teaching Award, and in 2005 the APS Fellow Award. A more complete description of her career is available in the citation for this award.

With respect to her leadership of the Education Center, the following are comments from members of the Editorial Board (past and present):

"Dr. Gail Schumann is a remarkable person, professionally and personally. With respect to the APSnet Education Center, she showed great leadership in creating an ongoing scholastic outlet for teaching-related articles and materials in Plant Pathology. One of the endearing qualities about Gail is her warm disposition: her colleagues find it very hard to refuse her requests for articles, reviews, etc., as I can personally attest! Over the years, she has been a major force in the advancement of the teaching of our discipline, and we honor her most important contributions."

"The success of the Education Center has been due in part to Dr. Gail Schumann eliciting the abilities and talents of others. In a busy and often hectic profession, Gail encourages people through patience and perseverance. She has the ability to find that extra piece of encouragement that everyone needs at one time or the other, and she blends these pieces together to make the symphony that is the Education Center."

"Gail and Cleo D’Arcy posted the first disease lesson (on Late Blight of Potato and Tomato) in the spring of 1998. I was teaching Microbiology that semester, and the timing was perfect: I had just covered the Oomycetes, using Saprolegnia as the model organism. I prepared a work sheet for the lesson and directed my students to the website. Their response was overwhelmingly positive, and I relayed their comments to Gail and Cleo. Gail soon recruited me to be the first Associate Editor from a liberal arts institution on the Editorial Board. Although there was a large amount of work to be done – I recall investing many hours reviewing the Glossary – Gail was always well organized and kept us on task. My original work sheet has been revised several times, and I continue to use the Education Center extensively in my teaching. It would certainly not be the wonderful resource that it is today without Gail’s persistent, professional direction."

Articles authored or coauthored for the Education Center by Gail Schumann

Schumann, G. L. and C.J. D'Arcy. 1999. Plant Pathology Courses for Agricultural Awareness. - Instructor Communication

Schumann, G. L. and C. A. Jasalavich 2000. Water molds (Oomycetes) - K-12 Section

Schumann, G. L. 2000. Ergot - Introductory Plant Pathology

Schumann, G. L. and C. J. D'Arcy 2000. Late blight of potato and tomato - Introductory Plant Pathology

Schumann, G. L. and K.J. Leonard 2000. Stem rust of wheat (black rust) - Introductory Plant Pathology

Schumann, G. L. 2001. Turfgrass Disease Specimens for Teaching - Instructor Communications and Scholarship

Jasalavich, C. A. and G. L. Schumann. 2001. Who done it? Or what's that brown fuzzy stuff on my plum? - K-12 Section

Schumann, G. L. and C. A. Jasalavich 2001. DNA, the easy way. - K-12 Section

D'Arcy, C. J., D. M. Eastburn, and G. L. Schumann. 2001. Illustrated glossary of plant pathology - K-12 Section, Introductory and Advanced Plant Pathology

Schumann, G. L. 2002. Easy Demonstration for Fungal Mycelium - Instructor Communications and Scholarship

Schumann, G. L. 2002. Enhanced Learning through Role-Playing - Instructor Communications and Scholarship