| Abstract [eng] |
Applying information technologies provide new learning opportunities in many fields, horticulture is not an exception as well. Beginning vegetable-gardeners often face issues how to grow vegetables, to prepare the soil for planting, when the best time to plant is, how to take care of planted vegetables and many similar questions. When beginning to grow vegetables often due to the lack of practical skills occur mistakes which can be fixed only in the next year. If information technologies and new methods were applied, mistakes would not occur and practical skills in horticulture could be acquired remotely. Therefore, the aim of the work is to create a virtual distance learning environment of horticulture, which would help to acquire necessary gardening skills for people saving time and seeking to gain theoretical and practical knowledge of horticulture. To achieve this aim the following objectives have been set: to describe the concept of a distance garden and to analyse its components; to review practical cases of distance learning in farming, to examine and evaluate distance learning opportunities in horticulture; investigate and clarify distance gardening usefulness for developing gardening skills; to prepare a project of leaning environment in distance gardening and to create a distance gardening learning environment, to evaluate the possibilities and effectiveness of distance gardening learning environment to improve users’ practical skills. The following research methods are used in the work: literature analysis, design, implementation, testing and evaluation. The object of this work is horticulture knowledge acquisition and improvement of existing skills. The result of the work is the creation of a distance learning environment for horticulture, designing a real garden where vegetables are grown, and which can be monitored remotely using information technology. The analytical part of the work reviews practical cases of horticultural distance learning and examples of existing virtual horticultural learning environments. A questionnaire examining the need for distance learning and a distance garden is compiled and the analysis of obtained results is performed. In the project part, the project of a virtual distance garden and its implementation is realized - the information technology tools and instruments suitable for the development of the final work product are analysed and selected. In the part of the research, testing of the virtual distance garden system is presented, research with users is performed, the obtained results are systematized, conclusions are outlined, and the system is improved. |
