Classroom Trade Show: An Alternative to Traditional Classroom Presentations in an Undergraduate Plant Identification Course

Students enrolled in a landscape plant identification course were assigned a plant project at the beginning of the semester that comprised a written portion and a presentation portion. During the Spring 2014 semester, an electronic slide presentation portion was replaced by a “trade show” display presentation format. The modification was implemented to provide a more meaningful and applicable learning experience because trade shows are important events in the horticulture industry. Using this format, students were required to present or sell their plant genus by constructing an informative display, similar to that used for a tradeshow. Groups of students presented on different days. Students who were not presenting or selling were the “customers,” and they perused the trade show to learn about the various genera. A postactivity assessment survey was administered to gain insight into the student learning experience. The activity was evaluated during five spring semesters. Students responded that they were more comfortable with the trade show style of presentation than with a traditional presentation style, with a Likert scale rating of 1.5 (1–5). When asked to rate their ability to be creative with this activity, students agreed (Likert scale rating of 4.2) that the trade show activity allowed them to be creative. Eighty-nine percent of the students liked the activity. When asked to rate the activity compared with a more traditional speech in front of the class, students gave it a rating of 1.4, which is between excellent and above average. During the five semesters, nearly all students (97%) recommended that the trade show activity should be implemented again in future classes. The trade show format was well-received by students and can assist with the professional skills development of students.