Of primary consideration in the course is the basic nature of plants as well as their interactions and interrelationships with people. Students who develop a love for the subject in the introductory course can then go on to supplement and expand their initial knowledge. As for the students, after their initial nervousness and fear of being called on wears off, according to Dr. Pfiester, they frequently are the program's most avid supporters. The enthusiastic student interest and response continues to be one of the principal rewards of the inquiry approach. A simple example of the inquiry method used in Botany 1114 occurs early in the year when students are shown two sets of plants, identical in every respect except that one set has been grown in darkness and one in light.
Students brainstorm to discover why the plants grown in darkness have much taller stems.
The incorrect conclusion may be given that the plants are growing taller in their search for more light. The instructor's purpose is to lead students to the discovery of why this inference is invalid. Someone may ask why the stems could not just as logically have grown down in the search for light. Then the students begin to discover through reasoning and analysis that the plants are not acting for a purpose, but instead there must be a physical explanation for the phenomenon. Finally, students come to the conclusion that light has inhibited the growth of the shorter stemmed plants.