Reflective interviews in first year bachelor course in BSc Plant Sciences

Jet Vervoort introduced two new assignments implemented in her courses to enhance first year BSc Plant Science students’ BC competence. For the first assignment, students are expected to discuss a topic in plant sciences that is highly debated in society (e.g., GM crops, pesticides, nitrogen crisis) with somebody who has a totally different opinion than their own, such as a neighbour, a family member, or a friend of a friend. The students are offered tools to explore opinions rather than starting a debate. Instead of convincing each other of their own opinions, it is expected that both parties explore each other’s perspectives. Next the students need to reflect on this experience. One of the students wrote: “Discussing without trying to win is a bit different than I'm used to. But I think it helps to look for a solution together ... that satisfies both parties. By not trying to win, you can pay more attention to what you agree on instead of where the other is wrong...”

For the second assignment, students need to interview professionals in field of plant sciences. During this interview at least one BC related questions need to be asked, such as: “In your job, do you ever encounter challenges in communicating and working together with people that have a different expertise or background? If so, how do you deal with these challenges?” Again students are expected to reflect on this and relate the findings to their own future plans. A student wrote: “Breeders travel all over the world and experience different cultures. So you have to be able to be open to other ideas and cultures. Not only does this help you do your job better, but the people you work with are also more satisfied with you.”