PS5-20. Experiential Learning Influences Impressions and Reflections of the Beef Industry in College Students.

Abstract

Experiential learning (EL) opportunities are high-impact experiences where students are immersed in environments to view and perceive practical applications of course concepts. Students pursuing animal science degrees may benefit from EL due to the applied nature of the discipline and because a greater proportion are now coming from urban or suburban areas and do not have prior agricultural experiences. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of EL on college students' impressions and reflections of beef industry concepts during a beef industry tour using qualitative instruments. Two cohorts of students from Texas A&M University (n = 53) or Texas State University (n = 21) attended a 5-day beef industry tour in the Texas Panhandle in May 2022 or 2024 which included cow-calf operations, feedlots, a packing plant, and allied industries. Students experienced beef production and interacted with industry representatives. At the beginning of the tour, students were given journals with prompts to be reflected on throughout the tour. Eight prompts from each journal across both cohorts were coded, categorized, and merged into themes of Reflection, Location, Information, Impressions, Sustainability, Public Perceptions, and Concepts emphasizing the beef industry. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted between codes within the same journal and significant correlations (P ≤ 0.001) were included in the matrices for network analysis. Of the nine clusters that emerged (Q = 0.682), one was especially interconnected and contained several nodes that belonged to the parent codes of Impressions, Public Perceptions, Reflection, Concepts, and Information. Within this cluster, there was strong co-occurrence among codes related to industry characteristics, operational performance, and empathy for producers. Greater betweenness nodes (i.e., those connected to several others) included Sustainable, Fast-paced/Efficient, High-quality product, and Diversification, suggesting these concepts were frequently mentioned together in student journals. This indicates cohesion in students' understanding of how the beef industry is organized and of the value of resulting products. Nodes present in structurally central positions within the cluster exhibited high betweenness - i.e., Empathy for producers/respect for the industry and Sustainable. These nodes linked students' perceptions of the beef industry (e.g., Logistics, Diversification) with value-based judgements (i.e., Poor animal welfare [nested within the parent code of Public Perceptions], Animals cared for [nested within Impressions]). This indicates students understand mechanisms and efforts that underlie beef production while also acknowledging that audiences naïve to livestock production may not understand standard animal husbandry practices and procedures. These data suggest that exposure to beef production via EL promoted formation of an interconnected understanding of the industry in which efficiency, product quality, logistics, sustainability, and care for producers were interpreted as mutually reinforcing attributes of beef production systems. Implementation of EL for college students facilitates connection and reflection between course content, practical field applications, and societal implications.