COMPUTER UTILIZATION IN TEACHING PRINCIPLES OF FOOD SCIENCE AND AGRICULTURE IN POST SECONDARY AND EXTENSION EDUCATION (LITERACY, CAI, SIMULATION)

Computer utilization in teaching principles of food science and agriculture in post secondary and extension education was evaluated by (1) determining the current level of computer literacy of undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture at Texas A&M University (2) evaluating a computer simulation in a food microbiology laboratory and (3) testing the acceptance of computer aided extension education programs by county extension agents.; A computer literacy assessment tool was developed to determine the current level of computer literacy of students enrolled in agriculture classes at Texas A&M University. The computer literacy assessment tool was administered to groups of students from 19 departments in the College of Agriculture at Texas A&M University during the spring semester of 1985. Seniors scored significantly higher on the computer literacy assessment test than the other undergraduates. Freshman and sophomores took more computer classes and used computers more while in high school than juniors and seniors. Hardware and software scores do not differ significantly between freshman, sophomores and juniors. Scores for programming and agriculture computer uses of freshmen and seniors differ significantly. Scores for programming and agriculture computer uses of sophomores and juniors do not differ significantly from freshmen or seniors.; To evaluate the value of computer aided instruction as a supplemental teaching tool, a computer lab simulation program from the Food and Nutrition Department at Oregon State University was modified for use as a food microbiology lab simulation. This computer simulation allowed students to "test" a variety of samples using several laboratory techniques. Based on the scores from a lab quiz, the computer simulation for the food microbiology laboratory proved to be significantly more effective than the normal lab procedures used by the control group.; In an attempt to test the acceptance of computer aided instruction by a selected group of county extension agents, two computer aided instruction programs were developed and demonstrated to the agents. The programs developed were Cost of Protein and Cost and Yield Comparison of Chicken Products. Sixty percent of the agents at the computer demonstrations actually tried the program. The two computer programs were well accepted. The main problem associated with agent use was the availability of compatible computers.