GreenKeeper University (GKU) is an online learning platform designed to offer introductory and advanced coursework in various fields of turfgrass management. When the program was first launched, it was a hybrid of recorded lectures and weekly live discussion sessions. Each course had a specific start and end date. To add flexibility for students around the world, GreenKeeper University classes have moved to a self-paced, asynchronous, delivery system. Students gain immediate access to the course content after they enroll, and there is not a time limit to complete the coursework. This article answers some common questions about the program and new learning management software. Get started today at GreenKeeperApp.com.
What’s the difference between the Introductory and Advanced Courses?
The Introduction to Turf Science and Management Certificate course is comprised of 22 lectures and eight short quizzes. The content covers all aspects of turfgrass science at an entry level. The lectures are created by a dozen turfgrass professors, researchers and respected turf managers from around the USA. Both warm- and cool-season grass species are covered in addition to descriptions of lawn, golf, and sports turf management industries. After the quizzes are completed, students will immediately receive an Introduction to Turf Science and Management certificate. Students will also have unlimited access to the content after completing the coursework for future reference during their careers.
There are nearly 20 different Advanced courses in GreenKeeper University. They cover specific topic areas or fields of turfgrass management, and they are taught by experts in their respective fields. These courses are one- to three-credits each where each credit represents 4 to 8 hours of coursework. After students complete 18 credits of Advanced coursework, they will receive a GreenKeeper University Diploma in Turfgrass Science. There is no time requirement to complete these courses. Take one a year or work through several at one time during the office season. See our recent blog article highlighting past students that have earned their GKU Diploma here.
How do I access GKU Content?
The new GreenKeeper University learning management system is located at GKU.GreenKeeperApp.com. Students can also access GKU from within GreenKeeper App. There is an graduation cap/mortarboard icon on the main sidebar menu that will redirect to the progam. Your GreenKeeper App login credentials (email and password) are now used to log into GKU.
Don’t have a GreenKeeper App account or active App subscription? Don’t worry, you don’t need one. Just create an account and log into GKU. If you have an old or expired GreenKeeper App account, but you forgot your password, then click the password reset button to generate a new password. Check your email SPAM folder, if you don’t immediately see an email in your inbox. Please reach out to us at Help@GreenKeeperApp.com for additional assistance.
Is it hard to interact with the course content? How hard are the quizzes?
After purchasing a course, students click the “Start Course” button to launch their course. The content is usually divided into different lessons of one or two videos. The first video is a tutorial that shows students how to interact with the learning management system. Use the controls at the bottom of each page or the left side slider to open the Table of Contents control to skip to a specific lesson. Once the lesson is completed, click ‘Mark Complete’ to move to the next video, optional content, or quiz.
The quizzes are designed to reinforce key concepts and topics within a section or course. They are multiple choice or true/false questions, and students need to achieve a 70% or higher score to pass each quiz. The quizzes offer unlimited re-takes with the highest score logged in the student’s record.
What happens when all the content and quizzes are marked as complete?
After all the coursework has been completed, students will receive an option to immediately download a PDF Certificate for the Intro program or a Proof of Completion for the Advanced courses. These certificates can also be found in the “Account” page within the learning management system. Students will receive an email from the GKU administrators congratulating them of their achieve within a week and a paper copy of their diploma will be sent out.
