Course Description

Thank you for enrolling in Master Gardener Core Training offered by University of Missouri Extension. Everyone who assisted in the development of this course hopes your learning experience will be meaningful and enlightening. Please review the following introduction to the course before beginning the course introduction.

The manual for this course is the Missouri Master Gardener Manual.  You can download this manual for free to your computer or to print as a PDF, chapter by chapter. There are 14 chapters in all, MG1-MG14, listed under chapters. If you prefer a hardcopy that is prepared for you and shipped to your address, click the Add to Cart button at the top right of the page and complete your order at an additional cost. 

 Course Objectives

1. To understand the mission of the Missouri Master Gardener Program and how it functions.
2. To acquire a working knowledge of the fundamental principles of plant growth and development.
3. To apply concepts of plant growth and development to everyday situations and uses in horticulture.
4. To learn basic terminology associated with the art and science of horticulture.
5. To gain an appreciation of horticulture as a life-long pursuit.

Master Gardener online core training is a semester-long course organized by weekly learning modules.  The scheduling of the course coincides with the University of Missouri’s fall and spring semesters.  The course is offered by the Extension Division of the University of Missouri and does not carry official University course credit. 

  Weekly Expectations

Weekly Activities

Each week, you will explore one chapter of the Master Gardener Core Manual.  These chapters have been organized into educational modules to facilitate learning.  Each chapter includes:     

• Unit objectives
• Online presentations - (Each video is close-captioned with an audio transcript available for download, located at the bottom of the video player screen.)
• Above and Beyond Activity
• Web resources
• An online discussion
• A quiz

Different instructors, each with expertise in the area of their presentation, will present the material in the form of narrated PowerPoint presentations. 

The course calendar includes the schedule for the entire course. Basically, one chapter will be covered each week over a 15-week period. A week starts on Sunday morning at 12:01 a.m. and ends the following Saturday night at 11:59 p.m.  Please try to stay on schedule. This will make the class material and the online discussion more meaningful for you.

There are two types of students taking this class:

Master Gardener Trainees. 

These are individuals educating themselves to volunteer as University of Missouri Extension Master Gardeners.  The requirements for a Master Gardener are to complete the activities in each chapter including answering quiz questions at the conclusion of each chapter.  Additional information about quizzes is outlined below under “Features of the Class”.  Each chapter also includes discussion questions that each student should post a response to.  It is important that each student take time to view other student responses and provide feedback or ask questions to facilitate further discussion.

A cumulative (overall) score of 70 percent on chapter quizzes is required in order to pass this course. Additionally, Master Gardener Trainees must complete the required number of volunteer hours (outlined in Chapter One) in order to become a Certified Master Gardener. At the beginning of the course, your name and contact information will be given to the Extension Specialist responsible for Master Gardener programming in your area.  It is your responsibility to contact them if you are interested in becoming a master gardener.  They will help you to identify volunteer opportunities and show you how to report those hours on the University’s Master Gardener reporting web page.

After completing both the online training course and the required volunteer hours you will be issued a certificate designating you as a Certified Master Gardener as well as a Master Gardener name badge.

Private individuals

Additionally, there are private individuals and/or industry professionals taking this course who simply wish to advance their knowledge of horticulture without becoming Certified Master Gardeners. These students must complete the activities in each chapter including taking the quiz at the end of each chapter. Each chapter also includes discussion questions that each student should post a response to.  Take time to view other student responses and provide feedback or ask questions to facilitate further discussion.  Upon completing the course with an average quiz score of 70 percent overall, these individuals will receive a certificate of completion. Volunteer hours are not required for these individuals since they have no intent to become Certified Master Gardeners.

Presentations

Each of the 14 chapters of the core manual are divided into learning modules. Modules contain narrated, pre-recorded presentations delivered by qualified, experienced specialists. Brief biographies of the presenters can be found under the link, "Meet the Specialists”. It should be your goal as a student to complete one chapter every week for a total of 14 weeks. This will help make the online chats more meaningful for everyone. While you may go back at any time to review a chapter, you will not be able to work in advance of the current week of the course. 

Above and Beyond

Each chapter has an activity we would like you to complete.  The benefit of getting your hands into the information often opens new ideas or leads to questions.  At the very least it will heighten your understanding.  In some chapters you have one activity listed.  In others you are given the option to choose the activity you prefer.  You should only complete one activity when given the options.  You will submit your results by attaching the picture, drawing or conclusion in a PDF, JPG or JPEG format.

Quizzes

As previously mentioned, there is a quiz that is to be taken upon completing the learning modules of each chapter. Each quiz is worth ten points, "open book” and may be taken twice if your first attempt does not result in a satisfactory score. You are encouraged to use the presentations, your core manual, the internet, and any other resource (other than a person) as you take the quizzes. A combined average of 70 percent over the 14 chapters presented is needed to pass the course. Individuals failing to achieve 70 percent must re-enroll in the course, preferably the next time it is offered.

Discussions

The online written discussion is a required portion of the learning environment for students enrolled in this class. Each week instructors will ask questions related to the material and students will reply with a written answer, contributing to a continuous conversation that will provide experiential learning.  Students may also post new questions about class materials using this format and check responses from fellow classmates and instructors.  Instructors keep up with the discussion to ensure information is headed in a productive direction.  This discussion is part of the weekly module of study.  Each student should respond and check the current discussion each week.  The first discussion, the icebreaker, will introduce you to the format.  The purpose of this discussion is to get to know each other. 

Grades

You may view your grade progress at any time throughout the course. Select Grades from the course navigation menu at left.  A page will open showing a Course total and two grading categories. The first category is the Volunteer agreement form only and is marked as "Unsubmitted" or "Form received". It has no scoring value but is required in order to complete the course.

The second category aggregates your quiz scores over all 14 quizzes. It displays an ongoing score that changes as you complete each chapter's quiz. You must average 70% over all 14 quizzes before successfully completing the scored category of the course. 

Netiquette

For a successful online course experience, clear, thoughtful communication is essential. Discussion forums and course communications are important venues for exchanging ideas and promoting learning. Your instructor and fellow participants wish to foster a safe and inclusive online learning environment. Constructive criticism and questions are encouraged; however, you will be expected to remain professional and courteous in all of your posts. You are encouraged to comment, question or critique an idea, but you are not to attack an individual.

Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University of Missouri's nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. Please consider that sarcasm and humor can be misconstrued in online interactions and generate unintended disruptions. Working as a community of learners, we can build a polite and respectful course atmosphere. As your instructor, I reserve the right to delete any forum posts or blog entries I deem to be inappropriate for the course.

(Adapted with permission from MU Course Design & Technologies' Online Teaching Foundations)

  Diversity

We value the voice of every student in this course. We embrace our diversity as a group (in race, gender, age, sexual orientation and gender identity, religion, language, ability, culture, ethnicity, socioeconomic and veteran status) as an asset, resource and strength that is critical to our learning experience.  As a result, we are committed to designing inclusive lessons and assignments that encourage diverse perspectives to be recognized and respected, while providing you with the opportunity to speak and be heard, explore your own understanding, and engage with one another.

(Adapted with permission from MU Teaching for Learning Center’s Teaching and Learning in the Diverse Classroom)

  Course Completion

Once you have completed this course, obtaining a grade of 70 or better, you will be asked to complete an evaluation of the course and receive a certificate of completion.  This confirms you have completed the course.

  Accommodations

We all learn differently, and we want every student to succeed. If you have a learning need or disability, please contact MU Extension ADA Support as soon as possible so we can provide you with appropriate accommodations.  

  Technical Requirements