Effective Irrigation
View an Effective Irrigation tutorial
View an Effective Irrigation calculator
Project Summary: This National Award Winning site is the online translation of the face-to-face Effective Irrigation Management workshop conducted by IFAS extension. It incorporates interactivity and multimedia to convey valuable information pertinent to Environmental Horticulture growers. It was honored by the American Society of Horticultural Science with the "Outstanding Publication" award presented on July 18, 2004 in Austin, Texas.
Technology and Software: This site was developed using a MySQL database backend to store user data and pre-test/post-test results. The web pages were developed using Adobe Dreamweaver. The graphics were developed using Adobe Fireworks and Adobe Photoshop. The interactive calculators were developed through the translation of mathematical algorithms into ActionScript. Flash renders the calculations in graphic format. The QuickTime videos were developed using Sony Vegas, with narrations done in Sound Forge.
Pedagogy and Technology: The learning objectives for this workshop focus primarily on computational and procedural mastery. Interactive calculators, video demonstrations and step-by-step slide shows were selected to illustrate concepts and processes. A pre-test assesses prior knowledge and a post-test determines the completion of learning objectives. This data is stored in a database and can be queried for reporting purposes.
Environmental horticulture growers are the primary audience for this project. Due to their profession, they spend a great deal of time on the field. All multimedia materials were developed using diverse modes of presentation in order to facilitate access to the content from diverse internet connection speeds. Slideshows provide an alternate vehicle for the content, easily viewable at slower connection speeds. Similarly, videos are accompanied by transcripts that can be downloaded as a reference. Users with mobile devices and Tablet PCs are able to access the interactive calculators on site due to a fluid CSS page layout that adjusts to smaller screens.
Three enrichment features targeted to adult learners were incorporated during the design phase of the project. A contextual glossary provides hyperlinked definitions to words from within the body of the workshop. The search engine feature allows learners to quickly cross-reference concepts and easily return to content throughout the site. Related articles provide an enrichment track for learners that are at a more advanced level.
Development Team:- Content Experts:
Thomas Yeager
Dorota Haman - Instructional Designer: Marcela Pineros
- Web Developer: Adam Nikolaidis, Chris Nyffeler, Marcela Pineros
- Graphic Developer: Christian Yanes, Chris Nyffeler, Marcela Pineros
- Multimedia: Mike Gersten, Adam Nikolaidis
- Interactive Calculators: Christian Yanes
