Life-changing plant course reveals how to help students see the green world around them

A study of a third-year plant biology course shows that hands-on experiences, collaborative learning, and structured reflection can shift students from seeing plants as an indistinct “green background” to recognizing them as individual, dynamic living beings.

The Project

Miranda Meents, lecturer in Biological Sciences, noticed that many students entered upper-level courses with low plant awareness, despite plants’ essential roles in ecosystems, human well-being, and sustainability. She designed BISC 337 to intentionally cultivate appreciation through multiple features: “Plant Stories,” hands-on labs with collaborative labeling, weekly botanical drawings with feedback, show‑and‑tell specimens, greenhouse scavenger hunts, and assessments emphasizing community contribution and reflection. Students shared specimens, supported peers, grew plants at home for group profiles, and created full‑color drawings for a public showcase.

Working with TILT research assistants, Shaghayegh Bahrami and Shana Ruess, Meents evaluated the course using a mixed‑methods approach combining Plant Awareness Disparity Index scores with thematic analysis of surveys and interviews.

Project Highlights

Results were striking. Average plant appreciation scores rose significantly, with nearly all students showing positive change. Those who began with the lowest awareness demonstrated the largest gains, yet by the end of the course all groups reached similarly high appreciation levels.

Qualitative findings revealed deep shifts in perception. Before the course, some students described plants as “nothing” or mere scenery. Afterward, they reported noticing venation, floral patterns, and other details, gaining insight into plants’ “secret lives” and forming connections with individual organisms. Students expressed both utilitarian appreciation, plants as food, ecosystem components, and resources, and a more relational understanding of how human and plant lives intertwine.

Students highlighted hands‑on labs, peer collaboration, and the enthusiasm of the teaching team as especially impactful. Some suggested adding more local plant interactions and Indigenous knowledge, though many described the course as “life changing” and felt few changes were needed.

Looking Ahead

In response to feedback, Meents is introducing a new term project focused on local native plants. Students will explore Indigenous knowledge, use community‑science tools like iNaturalist, make field observations, and document their learning in journals: maintaining the benefits of growing plants while strengthening local ecological awareness.

Open questions remain about how long these awareness gains persist and how they influence the broader curriculum. Future work may examine plant awareness in prerequisite courses and whether students’ newly found knowledge spreads through their communities.