Practical work: a major curriculum emphasis in New Zealand colleges of agriculture

Lincoln College, a university college of agriculture in New Zealand, is similar in many ways to U.S. landgrant colleges of agriculture. However, it differs from its U.S. equivalents in its emphasis on practical work in its courses. Field trips involving half-day and full-day visits to farms and other enterprises are a regular feature of most courses. Many classes also participate in one-week field tours to sites from one end of the country to the other. There is also a strong emphasis on work experience. One course demands 22 months of farm experience of the students before they are allowed to start the course. Other courses require students to accumulate up to 72 weeks of work experience during their courses. The practical emphasis extends to assessment as well, in that many senior students are required to complete a practical field test lasting one week as their final evaluation in farm management. Faculty members also have a strongly practical orientation. Some are farmers who are employed as part-time tutors while other full-time lecturers are involved in supervision of the College farms. This strong emphasis on practical work is typical of agricultural education in New Zealand.