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Peer Review

The Science of Plants

Reviewed:

Jan 9, 2024 by Biology
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Ratings

Overall Rating: 3.8 stars
Content Quality: 3.5 stars
Effectiveness: 4.0 stars
Ease of Use: 4.5 stars
Overview:

An OER textbook on the fundamentals of plant science. Created for horticulture students, gardeners, science teachers, and anyone interested in understanding plants and how they grow. This is the required text for HORT 1001/6001 Plant Propagation at the University of Minnesota, Department of Horticultural Science.

Type of Material:

Open (Access) Textbook

Recommended Uses:

As primary text or secondary reference material in plant sciences classes. 

Technical Requirements:

None

Identify Major Learning Goals:

None listed, but as a textbook of plant science, this book has the goal of providing a comprehensive survey of basic plant biology for lower division students in college.

Target Student Population:

College General Ed, College Lower Division

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

Familiarity with Biology and plant science vocabulary

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:

  • The writing is generally clear
  • The range of topics corresponds to a typical plant biology course
  • Horitcultural concerns are emphasized
  • The text covers the majority of material typically covered in a plant biology courses 
  • Multimedia support presented appropriately
  • The reader has the option of learning the key terms before reading the chapter
  • The concepts are summarized well with accompanying review questions
Concerns:

  • There are far too many errors for a college-level text
  • The text could be edited for spelling errors (e.g., "Water Sutton" and "Caspella" embryo)
  • The coverage of basic biology is superficial, but includes some complex and nuanced topics, which, lacking a complex and nuanced explanation, students are unlikely to be able to comprehend
  • The text references outdated concepts (e.g., lower vs. higher plants, taxonomy (and the Linnaean hierarchy)
  • While the text is clearly angiosperm focused, it does not much distinguish the variation in biology in gymnosperms, monilophytes, lycophytes, or "bryophytes".
  • The text does not include basic variation in angiosperm biology as well (e.g., monosporic embryo sac development is discussed, but not tetraporic)

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:

  • The text is OER making it useful for teachers as a free resource
  • This is a complete textbook for a course and can stand alone or be incorporated into learning materials
  • Learning objectives are provide for each section of the text
  • Review questions are provided for subsections of the chapters
  • A glossary of terms is provided 
  • Each chapter ends with a summary of important terms
  • The resource builds upon prior concepts and reinforces each concept progressively
  • The images and illustrations enhance the learning process
  • Multimedia resources are provided when appropriate.
Concerns:

  • Some images are copyrighted (mostly Shutterstock)--I am not sure what this means for instructors who would remix, revise, otherwise adapt this text

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:

  • The text can be read online or downloaded as a PDF or ePUB
  • The text can be searched
  • A clickable Contents is present on every page
  • Images make the text engaging and illustrate concepts
  • The writing is straightforward and some hyperlinks and definitions are given in the text
  • Videos explaining key concepts are embedded in some chapters
  • The text allows highlighiting and annotation (with an account)
  • The resource provides information on how to use it efficiently
  • The information is well-organized and follows a logical order
Concerns:

  • No next or back buttons are present in text--readers must go back to the Contents to advance in the text
  • Not enough hyperlinks to key terms or concepts
Other Issues and Comments:

The usefulness and usability of this text are vitiated by numerous errors in content and writing.

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