In dialogue with nature: Experiential learning through farming in a university common core science general education course

General Education (GE) is an important component of higher education in the 21st Century. It embraces a broad intellectual perspective through the integration of liberal arts and science knowledge. Through the study of science classics and re􀅭lection in intensive seminar discussions, students are challenged with enduring questions and perennial issues of human concerns in a university common core science GE course. The lack of direct, concrete, real-life experience of the content and context often hinders students’ understanding and reflection. Given that agriculture is a combination of knowledge about nature, science, and cultures, farming practicum had been introduced to help the learning and teaching in the science GE course from 2015/16 to 2017/18. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of experiential learning through farming on students’ learning in the common core science GE course. A total of 101 year-one and year-two university students from different disciplines had joined the farming practicum, in which hands-on farm work and guided discussion were included. Quantitative surveys and qualitative feedbacks revealed that the farming practicum helped students to understand the course materials better, foster their reflection on the environmental, social and political issues, and gain the knowledge and techniques in farming. This study provides insightful findings to support the implementation of experiential learning through farming in the university science GE course. Given the diverse aspects and interdisciplinary nature of agriculture, experiential learning through farming can be extended to other GE courses, including the humanity courses, to inspire the students and cultivate them into better global citizens.