Scientific Journal of KubSAU

The article discusses issues related to visual thinking and educational technologies. We have noted the importance of visual thinking in the teaching process at the higher education institutions and defined its main functions. We have considered information technology for courses such as “History and methodology of scientific agronomy”, “Cytogenetics”, “Genetic monitoring”. The article substantiates basic postulates for the formation of visual environment: the ability to collect the material in accordance with the task and to define the basic accents, and navigate through all of the work; the ability to match the artwork to the selected research topic. As the technology, we have regarded the method of sketches or visual notes, and the method of visual metaphor. The method of sketches or notes was the basis for the creation of electronic databases with images of plants in different works of art. Visual notes allow visualizing the educational information by translating verbal elements of this information into visual that is "to be able to think visually." Works of art, as illustrative environment, have several meanings in training courses: an exemplary or motivation; illustration as a source of information for the analysis of the phenomenon under study; visual, that is paintings or works of art as an illustration of the student response, as a result of its self search. The visual metaphor is used to explain the material, understanding and comparison. Both methods are: the method of sketches and visual metaphors that allow the subject to learn, analyze, communicate and draw analogies with the subject area and to look for new images

The article considers issues of presentation of educational material using verbal and visual metaphors. Metaphors functions are analyzed, such as: representative, which is a new phenomenon and new object. The second function is the information, i.e., metaphor gives the initial information. The third function is called ornamental, where metaphor adorns scientific speech, makes it more intense. The fourth function of metaphor is explanatory that is metaphor explains the meaning of the phenomenon. The fifth function is economical, because the metaphor allows characterizing phenomena briefly and processes that are at a different way of expressing it was hard to describe. Sixth function is visual, as it creates an image, contributing to the achievement of this phenomenon. We have presented verbal and visual metaphors for each function in the example of teaching disciplines cytogenetics and genetic monitoring. For the implementation in the educational process of metaphors during 2 years of gathered verbal metaphors of scientific articles and books, and reinforce their visual metaphors based on works of art. It is shown that a metaphor conveys not only the primary sense, but also allows you to recreate a bright and unconventional way. In some cases, a metaphor can be a supplement to development of the new course, but sometimes they need to be the main focus in the presentation of the material

The article discusses the use of illustrations based on works of art as a resource for information on the history of science and of agronomy is plant breeding in particular. In our work, we used the works of art as a separate independent resource of information in multiple tasks: as a resource for archaeogenetic variety of agricultural crops (pumpkin, gourd, squash, Luffa) as a tool of visual notes in plant breeding, as an independent material analysis introduction agricultural plants. The task of our study was to create base images of agricultural plants on the basis of works of art of past centuries, as a demonstration of the development of scientific breeding of agricultural plants. In this regard, to achieve this goal, we have been collected images of agricultural plants from the 15th to the 21st century, given their modern counterparts. Paintings in the educational process in courses of such disciplines as "History of agronomy" can be regarded as the object of analysis; material for study; a tool for gathering information, the resource information on individual characteristics. A common criterion of the approach to painting, as a tool of analysis, is the fact that an illustration, an image or other biological phenomena, recreate the form, the essence of the research object or phenomenon. It is shown, that the use of paintings as documentary, the changes of plants, in our opinion is interesting and relevant methodical approach in the modern educational technology. The analysis of paintings allows students to penetrate deeper into the image of the investigated object, to enquire about the time of the creation of the painting, to be an independent creative activity in search of information resource

The issues associated with visualization images of the examined object and the method of sketches or visual notes have been discussed in the article. The images of lagenaria (bottle, shape pumpkins or gourds) in works of art and agrobotanic illustration as a research tool have been selected, with the aim to conduct a visual analysis of the morphological characteristics of bottle gourd for further application of the knowledge gained in archaeogenetics and plant breeding. The article presents images of plants of lagenaria for the period from 1311 to 2014 years. Visual analysis of the morphological characteristics of lagenaria on the basis of visual notes allowed us to identify several key points: the polymorphism of fruits and different duration of the vegetation period, particularly of the reproductive system, which is characterized by different proportions of male and female flowers, the presence of pollinators, night flowering, fruit pubescence on the first stages of development, polymorphism seeds, features maturation based on the size and weight of the fetus. Understanding the range of individual development allows the breeder to submit a complete selection issue, search for new signs will touch the ancient forms of the object, diseases, pests, images which have remained only on the pictures. In our opinion, the method of visual notes can be successfully used in the educational process because it stimulates creativity and cognitive activity of students to search for information about the studied object and its reflection

The article considers illustrative images of plants on the postage stamps as a resource of information of agronomy history. We have shown the technology of education process. The first is the creation of the images base; the second are analysis, comparison, interpretation and search of new information. The method of sketches as the basis of the iconography of plants images was presented in this work. Analysis of the images allowed identifying several thematic blocks. Agriculture, growing in the country, the history of the plants spread, the technology of processing, product export and promotion of agronomic knowledge through agricultural exhibitions. Object of the analysis is a postage stamp. Stamps reflect the whole life of people, their history and modernity, environment, agriculture, science, culture and art. A stamp is a kind of "business card", it is a witness of the era. The main idea of the base images is receiving new knowledge about an object by collecting images, visual analysis, searching for information and studying material; in fact, it is a new approach to obtaining new knowledge, motivated and exciting approach to receive scientific information. Created database of images on the history of agronomy on the basis of stamps allows to use them actively in the learning process, and may be used as the individual topics for researches

The phenomenon of fasciation on the example of a higher plant called “Taraxacum officinale Wigg” has been considered. The effect of fasciation on the various particularities of plants has been shown. There are numerous examples of the different fasciation types of present plant’s type which are growing in different ecological areas. We have demonstrated that the phenomenon of fasciation exists in natural populations and in areas with development pressures, and it may occur after mechanical damage to plants of Taraxacum officinale. In most cases, fasciation is regarded as an exceptional phenomenon. A number of authors have distinguished fasciation to non-inheritable and inheritable. The first is the influence of external factors such as insect damage, injury, weather conditions. The second is caused by internal reasons. The number of regularities was installed that the reproductive bodies of plants are more often fascinated, and thermophilic forms are more likely to have fasciation. Photographic images of various types of fasciation, patterns and diagrams are given. Fasciation can be considered as a marker because of the connection of this phenomenon with the violation of the ecological situation. Plants with morphoses including ones with fasciation of individual organs, can act as indicators of pollution of the natural environment. Thus, the phenomenon of fasciation affects many areas of science, such as ecology, morphogenesis, genetic monitoring. The possibility of studying the phenomenon of fasciation on a model object of dandelion is shown. As a methodical approach to the study of this phenomenon, it is proposed to create a database of images, in this way it would be cataloging the image

In the article we consider illustrative images of rare pumpkin cultures presented in stamps of different countries. In this work, we analyze stamps which represent rare pumpkin cultures. Stamps are reflection of the economy; they portray agriculture and elements of technology of agricultural production. Cucurbitaceae family includes a large number of species that are very different from each other in the form of fruits, in purpose, in origin. The objective of our study was to conduct a visual analysis of rare pumpkin crops, which are used in the world; to reflect the research progress on the introduction and the achievement of breeding work. The article provides an analysis of several cultures: momordika (Momordica charantia L.), Kiva (Kiwano), horned melon, cucumber Antilles, (Cucumis metuliferus L.); Akantositsios Naudin (Acanthosicyos naudinianus L.); momordica balsamina (Momordica Balsamina L.); koktsiniya (Coccinia sessifolia L.); luffa cylindrical (Luffa cylindrica L.); Lagenaria (Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.); cucumber snake (Trichosanthes anguina L.); antilles cucumber, anguria (Cucumis anguria L.); african cucumber (Cucumis africanus Lindl); wax gourd (Benincasa hispida (Thunb) Cogn..); chayota or mexican cucumber (Sechium edule Swartz). The analysis of the iconography of images of rare pumpkin crops in stamps of different countries allowed us to see the history of culture introduction of wild pumpkin from the local and foreign flora

In this article, we consider images of corn plant on the example of painting, ceramics, postcards, Soviet propaganda poster, porcelain and post stamps. We have shown the technology of education process. The first is the creation of the of illustration images, the second are the analysis, comparison, interpretation and searching for new information. The method of sketches as the basis of education technology is used in this article. The analysis of corn plants depiction collected in the library of images, i.e. iconography, was provided to send the information about the history and speed of spread of corn plant in Europe and to select the species peculiarities, the cultivation technology and using in Russia. In addition, the anomalies of corn plant, development of their reflection in painting are noted. The history of genetic researches of this plant is demonstrated in this work. On the examples of great artists’ works, we have reflected species varieties of corn plant, as well as the phenomenon of xenia; we have also touched the questions of mobile genetic elements. In this works, we have pointed the features of cultivation of corn in Russia, demonstrated the popularization of this cereal. The main idea of the base images is receiving new knowledge about an object by means of collecting images, visual analysis, search for information and study material. The new approach is obtaining new knowledge, which is a motivated and fascinating method of gathering new scientific information

The article discusses the contemporary agrobotanical illustration, as an integral part of scientific and educational work. For the analysis of the issue, we set up the basis of illustrative images, which acted as the test material. It has been shown that visual images serve as the material for the development of visual thinking students are taught to read information, which represents the worksheet, to think and to create something new. The article considers art of graphics pencil using a computer-drawing program with processing in Photoshop. There are mixed techniques (mixed media), based on the use of traditional drawing and herbarium specimen, processed in Photoshop in the color. Another new direction of contemporary agroillustration is infographics. Its using in educational and scientific process is determined by the fact that infographics involves analytical processing of quantitative data obtained during the experiment. On the other hand, the data is needed to visualize, execute and present. A new direction in contemporary agro-botanical illustration is plant images taken with X-rays. The modern level of requirements to create images is high enough and it must be taken into account when carrying out scientific experiments, when it is necessary to demonstrate the object of research results. Modern agroillustration can be processed using various systems of artificial intelligence, pattern recognition, for example, the system named “Edos”

The article deals with agricultural markets through the prism of art. In the work with the help of pictures of artists, like the visual information on the history of agronomy, there were examined questions of introduction of agricultures in Russia, achieving selection works with agricultural plants, as well as we analyzed species diversity of long-bottle lagenaria, bottle gourd and turbanoforms pumpkin crops. Experience in this field has been put into the educational technology as a method of visual sketches or notes. In this approach, students develop cognitive function, since there is the collection of information about the object, in this case of agriculture, its introduction and spread and the changes that it undergoes because of the selection. The electronic database, with 50 works of art from various periods and performed by artists from different countries have been developed. Works of art from ancient times to the present day represent an alternative source of information about the history of agronomy, crop introductions and their spread. Systematic collection of images (iconography) will serve as an invaluable resource for further research in the history of every crop, and elements of technology of cultivation of plants and the preservation of biodiversity