MSU Extension Foundations of Gardening

Course Expectations

Accessing the course

After payment for the course is complete* and a participant is enrolled in the course, the course will be visible, but contents will not open until the official start date. Once the course opens, participants can see the first unit and begin steps to complete it. This will repeat for all ten units. At the completion of the course, course materials will be available for an additional 30 days, at which time access to the course will end.

*Course refunds will not be given once the course enters the second week.

Introductory session

One week prior to the start of class, there will be an optional live zoom meeting to help participants become oriented to the content and structure of the course. This is an optional session that can be helpful to those unfamiliar with on-line courses and/or those unfamiliar with courses that require significant work prior to attending weekly live virtual classes.

Pre-assessments

Each unit begins with a pre-assessment (quiz) that will measure a participant's current knowledge prior to accessing the learning materials for that unit. The pre-assessments are not graded; therefore, it is important that they be taken without seeking out answers. When the pre-assessment is complete, the unit’s learning components will open.

Attendance at the live virtual class

The live virtual class reinforces what was learned in the self-paced pre-work by exploring some of the more complex topics in that unit and applying concepts. It is an integral part of the Foundations of Gardening course; therefore, participants are expected to attend all ten live virtual classes. Recordings will be available when circumstances make it difficult to attend. Each live virtual class will be led by 1-2 experts in the field and will include a question-and-answer session at the end. After each live virtual class ends, the expert(s) will be available to answer questions via email for one additional week.

Post-assessment and access to the next unit

Immediately after the live virtual class ends, the unit’s post-assessment (quiz) will open.  This is the assessment that is graded.  Upon completion of the post-assessment, a participant will immediately gain access to the materials for the next unit and can begin pre-work for that unit. This process will be repeated for ten weeks.

Course completion and certification

To receive a certificate, a participants needs to earn a minimum of 80% on all unit post-assessments and the final. Those who do not receive an 80% or higher score can continue to participate in the course but will not receive a certificate.  All course materials can be used when taking the post-assessments and the final, with two submitted attempts allowed for each quiz, and one attempt for the final. Certificates are awarded one time only and are not part of any annual recertification program.

Is this course right for me?

This course may be a good fit for you if:

• You are interested in learning about science-based gardening concepts for personal and professional reasons.
• You are comfortable learning in an on-line environment.
• You have weekly time available for ten straight weeks. Since pre-work each week averages 5-10 hours and the live session is 2.5 hours, be sure to evaluate whether you have that time prior to signing up.  Course contents open weekly, not all at once, hence the need for regular weekly time.
• You have access to a computer with the technology requirements listed below. 

Technology requirements

This course will have links to other websites and documents, some of which are in PDF format.  It is recommended that you have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer.  The webinars use Zoom, a free video conferencing service.  Instructions on how to download and use Zoom will be posted on the main page of the Foundations of Gardening course.

For those interested in the MSU Extension Master Gardener Program* 

If you are a participant who is interested in later applying to become an MSU Extension Master Gardener® (EMG), it is important to know that “Foundations of Gardening” is the pre-requisite gardening course needed in the application to become a MSU EMG. For questions about the process for later becoming a MSU EMG, contact MSU Extension staff for more information. Do not start any of the steps below until you receive guidance from MSU Extension staff.

*If you are not interested in becoming a MSU EMG, you can still take the Foundations of Gardening course for the certificate and disregard the information in this section.

Items needed to become a MSU Extension Master Gardener include:

• A Certificate of Completion from “Foundations of Gardening” (valid for three years).
• Completion of the MSU Extension Volunteer Screening Process and acceptance as an “Active Gold” volunteer (please do not initiate the screening process on your own).
• Enrollment and completion of an MSU Extension Volunteer Onboarding Course (availability varies by location – openings will be posted on the MSU Extension Master Gardener webpage).
• Completion of 40 volunteer hours on an approved MSU EMG project within one year of completing the MSU Extension Volunteer Onboarding Course. 

Contacts

Questions related to the MSU Extension Foundations of Gardening Course: MSUE.FOG@msu.edu

Questions related to the MSU Extension Master Gardener Program: MSUE.MG@msu.edu