By:
Carole L. Jaworski

Source:
David Clark (352) 392-7933

GAINESVILLE – The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences will offer a distance education horticulture course this spring.

“Horticultural Sciences 4304 – Horticultural Physiology – will provide an up-to-date series of discussions covering a broad base of fundamental topics in plant physiology,” says course instructor David Clark, UF environmental horticulture assistant professor. “Since the course is a five credit hour lecture course, we have integrated videotaped demonstrations of laboratory experiments and horticultural practices related to topics presented throughout the course.”

The horticulture course will be offered via compressed videoconferencing. Because compressed videoconferencing is interactive, allowing instructor and students to communicate live with two-way audio and video, it requires attendance at one of five UF/IFAS sites throughout the state: Ft. Lauderdale, Gainesville, Homestead, Immokalee or Milton. Classes will meet on Tuedays and Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m. Eastern time.

“Interactive discussions along with a new visually appealing format should make this an exciting course for those interested in learning about how plants function,” Clark says.

Course prerequisites include one college-level botany or biology course and one biochemistry course.

To receive a catalog of this and other UF/IFAS distance education spring semester courses, listing full course descriptions, enrollment information, deadlines and fees, contact UF/IFAS Communication Services by phone at (352) 392-3893; by fax at (352) 392-3896; or by e-mail at DistanceEd@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu. Course descriptions and catalog information can also be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.ifas.ufl.eduwww.ifas.ufl.edu/~newsifas/courses.htm.

Pre-registration for spring courses must be completed before Dec. 19, 1997. Classes begin in January.

-30-

0