Call us: +44 (0)1227 789 649 - Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm
Horticultural Research I
Horticultural Research I 100 Hours Certificate Course
Contact us
PayPal Pay Later
Â
Pay in 3 interest-free payments
Â
-
Choose PayPal at checkout to pay later with Pay in 3.
-
Complete your purchase with the first payment today.
-
Remaining payments are taken automatically.
Pay in 3 is a form of credit, so carefully consider whether the purchase is affordable and how you will make the repayments. Be aware of the possible impact of using Pay in 3 and of missing payments, including making other borrowing more difficult or more expensive. Pay in 3 eligibility is subject to status and approval. 18+ UK residents only. Available for purchases of £30 to £2,000. Terms and conditions apply. PayPal Pay in 3 is a trading name of PayPal (Europe) S.à r.l. et Cie, S.C.A. 22-24 Boulevard Royal L-2449, Luxembourg.
Learn About Horticultural Research I
Horticultural Research Course Online
Our Horticultural Research Course Online lets you develop the skills and knowledge needed to plan, conduct and report on research in social, technological and environmental issues that impact on Horticulture today.
Conduct your own horticultural research!
This course has been developed by professionals in both Australia and the UK, with the aim of being relevant throughout the world.
Lesson Structure:Â Horticultural Research I BHT118
There are 7 lessons:
 1. Determining Research Needs
- Overview
- Identifying research needs
- The research goal
- The research question
- Other questions to clarify the research goal
- Sources of information
- What information is required
- Depth and bredth of data
- Setting realistic research parameters
- Constraining factors
2.  Searching for Information
- Kinds of exploratory research
- Primary data research
- Secondary data research
- Literature reviews
3. Research Methods
- Key research terms
- Experimentation
- A controlled environment
- Field trials
- Steps in collection and analysis of data
- Conducting a crop trial
- Setting up a Comparison trial
- Running a trial: records and recording
- Evaluating the trial
- Interviewing skills: procedure, asking questions, types of questions
- Ways of handling difficult questions
4. Using Statistics
- Overview: Descriptive statistics, Inferential statistics
- Official statistics
- Reasons for using statistics
- Advantages of statistics
- Statistics: as guides and motivators
- Disadvantages of statistics
- Issues to consider
- Descriptive statistics
- Observed and expected rates
- Confidence intervals
- Standardizing
- Reliability of statistics
- Presenting statistics: pie charts, bar charts, histograms
- Descriptive statistics: mean, median, mode, variation, variance, standard deviation, correlation, probability, etc
5. Conducting Statistical Research
- Collecting quantitative data
- Conducting a survey
- Form of data
- Planning a formal survey
- Designing a questionnaire
- Common problems
6. Research Reports
- Report writing tips
- Structure of a report
- The report online
- Research papers
- Referencing
7. Reporting on a Research Project
- This lesson brings together what you have learned in previous lessons, in terms of critical assessment of other authors’ research papers or reports, and demonstrating your report-writing skills.Please Note:Â Â Each lesson concludes in an assignment, submitted to your Tutor for marking and returned with relevant suggestions, comments, and, extra reading where appropriate.
Learning Goals:
- Conduct preliminary investigations to determine areas where there is a valid need for research in social, technological, and environmental issues that impact horticulture today
- Conduct an information search into a defined issue related to social, technological, and environmental issues that impact horticulture today.
- Explain research methods, including experimental techniques, commonly used.
- Demonstrate and explain the basic statistical methods used for research.
- Conduct a minor statistical research project into a well-defined area, relevant to your area of study.
- Prepare a research report in a format that conforms to normal industry procedures.
- Demonstrate critical analytical thinking, reviewing skills, and report writing skills
HOW TO DETERMINE YOUR RESEARCH NEEDS
For many students, their first experience with research occurred in school where they were required to prepare a research report or a presentation on a particular subject.Â
This would have been a fundamental level of research, and its aim was probably to gather information on a topic, which was later presented to an intended audience (a class, teacher etc). Examples are research on a particular country, animal, or political system.Â
Another (higher) level of research aims at answering a research question (sometimes called the thesis question). In this instance, information that is gathered and presented is chosen in order to answer that question.Â
Examples of research questions are:Â
- Why do plants thrive in one part of a garden, but have stunted growth in another part of the same garden?
- How can a sustainable crop be grown on a particular degraded site in drought conditions?
- What main social and political factors contribute to poverty in country X?Â
- Why is the Madagascan lemur an endangered species?Â
- How was language used to justify and maintain the Cold War last century?
Well formulated and pertinent questions can lead to meaningful research projects that can greatly increase our understanding of the world and ourselves. The problem with this kind of research, though, is that it can be very difficult to know what questions to ask.Â
Your tutor for this course is:
   Susan Stephenson
BSc in Applied Plant Biology (Botany) Univ. London 1983. City and guilds: Garden Centre Management,
Management and Interior Decor (1984).  Management qualifications in training with retail store. Diploma in Hort level 2 (RHS General) Distinction.Â
Susan studied botany at Royal Holloway College (Univ of London) and worked in the trading industry before returning to her first love plants and garden design.
She is therefore, well placed to combine business knowledge with horticulture and design skills. Her experience is wide and varied and she has designed gardens for families and individuals. Susan is a mentor for garden designers who are just starting out, offering her support and advice and she also writes, delivers and assesses courses for colleges, introducing and encouraging people into horticulture and garden design.
Assessment is based on a combination of completing all assignments and sitting for a final short one and a half hour exam, in your own location.
If you don’t cope well with exams then you may elect to undertake a project instead. This is a popular option.
In addition, most modules have a Set Task at the end of each lesson placed before the assignment. This is an opportunity to undertake practical work to help you acquire knowledge and skills and practical experience. This ADL feature is an added bonus not found at most online schools. Set Tasks are not required for assessment.Â
Some courses also have optional Self-Tests which are available on our online learning platform. These are not available by correspondence or by USB, and do not form part of your overall grade.
- Choose Your Learning Method
You choose how you would like to receive your course material, i.e., Online, USB or Correspondence. The choice is yours. You may also work on online or offline. - Tutor Allocation
Every student is assigned their own dedicated tutor who is an expert in their subject area. They provide as much or as little individual contact as you require. You can contact your tutor whenever you need – your hours are not limited. - Feedback and Assignments
Tutor Feedback is an essential component in helping you understand the subject matter. Tutor feedback is given in the form of notes written on the assignment. We encourage you to contact your Tutor where help with clarification and understanding of course material may be required.
Your assignments are located at the end of each lesson. You submit them for marking whenever you are ready. There is no time limit.  - Set Tasks and Self-Tests
Most modules have a Set Task at the end of each lesson before for the assignment. This is where you get the opportunity to undertake practical work to help you acquire knowledge, skills and practical experience. Many modules also have short Self-Tests. - Exams
Once all assignments have been completed you may then elect to sit for a one and half hour exam in your own location. If you prefer not to take the exam you do have the option to undertake a project instead.
Once the exam or project part of the course is completed, your Certificate is then processed. Please allow approximately 4 weeks for this. - Design Your Own Qualification
ADL offers students the flexibility to self-design their own qualification – bundling together a combination of 100-hour modules into a qualification higher than a certificate.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here is a list of the most often asked FAQ’s.
General
Q. Why should I enrol with the Academy for Distance Learning?
A. Here at ADL, our students are our priority – we treat everyone as a unique individual.
Q. Do I need to buy text books?
A. No, as each module has been written by highly qualified industry professionals. The content of the material is presented in such a way that text books are not required. However, if you require additional reading your tutor will be able to supply a list.
Q. What happens if I have to stop studying for a while? (eg. become sick, go on holidays, have a baby, move house, etc)
A. It’s OK to take a break and start up your study at a later point in time. Just let us know.
Q. Is there an age limit?
A. There is no maximum age limit. We do however, have a minimum age limit of 18 years. Below that age parental consent would be required.
Q. Are your courses up-to date?
A. Our courses are revised and updated on a rotation system.
Q. Do you have a Cancellation policy?
A. Yes. We have a cancellation policy that is fair and equitable. For further details please click here.
Q. Will I have any opportunity to engage with other students?
A. We have a Student Community group based on facebook! If you don’t have a facebook account already, you could make one just for talking with fellow students on the group.
Enrolment
Q. When can I enrol/start?
A. You may enrol and start at any time of the year – it’s all self- paced.
Q. Can I study from anywhere in the world?
A. Our courses are available to anyone, anywhere in the world from the comfort of your own home. The course content is relevant to any country, culture or economy.
Q. How long do I have to complete the course?
A. You complete the course at any time that is convenient for you.
Q. Completing a 100 hour module – how long will it take?
A. For some students a 100 hour module will take approximately to 3- 6 months to complete. Others take less time and some even longer.
Assessment
Q. Assessment – how does it work?
A. For each 100 hour module you are assessed by assignments (at the end of each lesson) and a final one and a half hour exam (or you may elect to complete a Project, instead of sitting the exam) – the choice is yours – you sit for the exam in your own location.
Q. I don’t cope well with exams – what can I do?
A. You may elect to undertake a Project (set by your tutor) instead of sitting the exam. Projects are completed from your home and can usually take a couple of weeks to complete.
Q. If my assignment is not up to standard is there an opportunity to resubmit my work?
A. Yes –
Q. How many assignments do I need to complete for each module?
A. At the end of each lesson, there is an assignment – so if a course has say, 10 lessons, there would be 10 assignments.
Q. I am having difficulty attending workshops/industry meetings, what can be done?
A. If your course requires attendance at workshops, conferences, or industry meetings; alternative arrangements can be made in your country.
Qualifications
Q. What qualification will I receive?
A. For individual modules, you would be awarded a Certificate endorsed by TQUK (Training Qualifications, UK), providing you complete all assignments and the exam. If you just want to complete only the assignments and not sit for the exam or finish a Project, then a Letter of Achievement would be awarded. For more details on qualifications available please click here.
Q. Can I customize my diploma/higher qualification?
A. Not all educational institution’s certificates /diplomas meet everyone’s needs. The opportunity to Design Your Own Diploma at the Academy (subject to our approval) is an added bonus, not found at other colleges. You choose modules that you think will help you in achieving your goal.
Q. What do I get when I complete the course? Will I receive a transcript?
A. At the completion of all courses and providing all assignments and exam requirements have been met, you will receive your Award and a Transcript.
Tutors
Q. Our tutors – who are they?
A. We appoint Tutors and require that they must be currently active in their industry, with at least 5 years’ experience in their chosen profession.
Q. Can I contact my tutor at any time?
A. Yes – you have unlimited access to your tutor via email through our Online Classroom. You can always leave a message with ADL requesting your tutor to contact you. You decide on how much or how little contact you wish to have.
Q. Practical work – How is this done?
A. To find out more about this part of the course please visit the section on How Our Courses Work here.
What your tuition fees include
- All Course Material via Online, USB or Correspondence
- Assignments Marked
- Professional Tutor Feedback
- Set Tasks - Practical Exercises to help you develop skills
- Self-Tests – multiple choice questions at the end of lessons in most modules
- Unlimited Personal Tutor Support – via our student classroom
- Committed and Friendly Admin Support – vital to your success
- All ADL Exam or Project fees (exception RHS exams)
- Qualification Certificate
- Official Transcript with assignment grades
- Student Manual
Plus FREE
- Academic Writing course (optional - 10 hours only)
- Critical Thinking course (optional - 10 hours only)
- Job Seekers Careers Guide
- Study Tips on How To Study Better
- Career Counselling by ADL Staff
- CV Writing Help, Tips and Advice