PLSC1915: Stardew Valley: An Introduction to Agricultural Systems

This course aims to introduce students to the principles of systems thinking and basic agronomy by using the popular video game Stardew Valley as a practical and engaging learning tool. Students will explore the interconnected systems within agriculture, including crop production, soil health, resource management, and community dynamics through a combination of gameplay, lectures and discussions, multi-week projects, and hands-on activities. This course is taught by Katy Guthrie (she/her), a teaching assistant professor, plant biologist, and video game aficionado. Raised in the suburbs of St. Louis, she is passionate about engaging students from urban and suburban backgrounds in conversations about agriculture. She has dedicated over 250 hours of research into leveraging Stardew Valley as a game-based learning method to teach about the wicked problems currently facing agricultural systems. This class is not sponsored by Joja Corporation.

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