Final report for WPDP23-007
Project Information
Rangeland Extension professionals empower agricultural producers with research-based, practical information to improve environmental sustainability while enhancing quality of life and economic viability for ranchers and rural communities. Well-managed rangelands are a key component of sustainable agriculture as they help satisfy human food and fiber needs and contribute to producers’ economic security while also protecting watershed health, providing wildlife habitat, improving water quality, promoting plant diversity, and storing carbon. Rapid advances in communications technology are quickly providing new and valuable opportunities to educate and train sustainable agriculture professionals on innovative approaches for stakeholder outreach and engagement. This two-year project will specifically increase the capacity of rangeland Extension professionals to leverage novel technologies and more effectively reach, educate, and train ranchers and rangeland managers across the Western SARE region. Our interdisciplinary team consists of rangeland Extension professionals at the University of Arizona, University of Hawaii, and University of California, Davis; communications technology experts; The Rangelands Partnership (RP); and livestock producers. Working with our extensive partner networks, we will (1) organize a two-day conference for rangeland Extension professionals with hands-on technology training focused on stakeholder-identified novel technologies in sustainable rangeland management; (2) create a webpage on the RP’s Rangelands Gateway to maintain digital content including four quick start guides focused on applying new technologies, conference materials, and additional resources; and (3) develop and deploy web-based courses focused on key technologies identified during the conference. This multi-faceted training program combined with strong outreach will extend learning opportunities and expand the ability of rangeland Extension professionals to share ideas and acquire new knowledge and skills that enhance their capacity to serve stakeholders.
This project will provide multiple professional development opportunities focused on innovative technologies and program delivery approaches that can be used to increase the visibility of sustainable rangeland principles and systems. Using a train-the-trainer approach, rangeland Extension professionals from Arizona, Hawaii, and California with communications technology experts, the RP, and livestock producers, will achieve the following objective:
By the end of the project period, increase knowledge, skills, and technical capacity among rangeland Extension professionals to deliver scientific and technologically relevant rangeland education to ranchers to improve sustainability of the nation’s natural resources.
Success will be measured by surveying participants before and after the conference and following the web-based courses to document knowledge gained and what participants intend to do with that new knowledge. Programming will be adjusted at each training opportunity using results from surveys conducted at previous trainings.
The project team has the knowledge and experience to achieve this objective. The multi-disciplinary team has expertise in innovative technology and experience designing, hosting, and evaluating Extension workshops and webinars. PI Hall (Arizona) has helped develop real-time vegetation monitoring software and other innovative rangeland tools. Co-PI Thorne (Hawaii) organized a conference for Hawaii Extension professionals focused on novel technologies. Co-PI Roche (California) was instrumental in an award-winning webinar series focused on Extension innovations. Project manager Dalke (Arizona) has experience developing online resources and leading multi-state collaborative projects. Communications technology experts include Hudson (Washington, podcasting), Randolph (Michigan, agricultural virtual/augmented reality, videography), and Arispe (Oregon, technology curriculum development, geospatial mapping). Livestock producers will help identify technology trends, participate in trainings, and support the project promotion. The team will use knowledge and experience gained from past work to effectively disseminate information related to innovative technologies and program delivery approaches to better educate and train producers in the Western region.
Milestone 1: Conference and Hands-on Training (7/1/2023-6/30/2024)
The team will:
- Conduct a needs assessment of rangeland professionals (RP, Extension in AZ, HI, CA) and livestock producers;
- Based on feedback, plan conference/technology training (e.g., organize sessions, invite speakers);
- Create and execute a communication plan to publicize the conference;
- Host two-day Innovative Technology Conference with hands-on training following the 2024 RP Annual Meeting; and
- Evaluate learning outcomes using the WSARE approved survey.
Participants will include members of the RP, specifically rangeland Extension professionals and other natural resources professionals. Hawaii livestock producers will also be invited to participate. The conference will increase knowledge, skills, and technical capacity among ~40 rangeland Extension professionals and other natural resources professionals to provide innovative education to stakeholders.
Milestone 2: Digital Content and Web-based Courses (4/1/2024-6/30/2026)
The team will:
- Create four quick start guides focused on applying key technologies;
- Create a Rangelands Gateway webpage to maintain guides, web-based course registration/recordings, conference materials, and additional resources;
- Plan four web-based courses focused on key technologies and approaches based on conference feedback;
- Create and execute an online communication plan to publicize digital content and courses;
- Host four web-based courses for ~100 people/course; and
- Evaluate learning outcomes using the WSARE approved survey.
Participants include rangeland professionals, RP and Society for Range Management members, University and Extension faculty and staff, and livestock producers. This project will result in increased capacity to deliver technologically relevant education to ranchers to improve rangeland sustainability among ~400 individuals who participate in the web-based courses and others that access digital content. After the final course, participants will have knowledge of new technologies; capacity to incorporate technologies into their programming; skills to select the most appropriate approaches; awareness of emerging trends; and knowledge of where to access resources online.
Cooperators
- (Researcher)
- - Producer
- - Producer
- - Producer
- (Educator)
Education
Education will be provided through multiple avenues. An in-person two-day conference for rangeland Extension professionals with presentations and hands-on technology training. Portions of the conference will be recorded and uploaded to a webpage on the Rangeland Partnership’s Rangelands Gateway to maintain digital content. Web-based courses will be developed that focused on other key technologies identified during the conference. The webpage will also include four quick start guides focused on applying new technologies, recordings of the web-based courses, and additional resources.
Education & Outreach Initiatives
By the end of the project, increase knowledge, skills, and technical capacity among rangeland Extension professionals to deliver scientific and technologically relevant rangeland education to ranchers to improve the nation’s natural resources via conference and hands-on training.
A needs assessment was conducted by reaching out to rangeland professionals and livestock producers. Based on the feedback a conference and technology training was organized and took place March 19-20, 2024. The Innovative Technology Conference was a two-day event that focused on introducing rangeland professionals to four technologies (augmented reality, virtual learning, drones, and podcasting) and provided hands-on demonstrations of each of the technologies. Participants were also introduced to Artificial (AI) technologies specific for academic purposes. All presentations were recorded and PDFs were made available to attendees. All participants were asked to complete the WSARE approved survey.
Participants increased their knowledge, skills, and awareness of innovative technologies and approaches for Extension education and stakeholder engagement. The training introduced augmented reality, virtual learning, drones, podcasting, artificial intelligence, and interactive engagement tools. Participants gained hands-on experience with these technologies and a better understanding of their opportunities and challenges for rangeland Extension programming. Participants identified additional technology topics they wanted to learn about and use in their programs, including AI, science communication and storytelling, drone imagery, impact evaluation, and educational video creation. These participant-identified needs directly informed the development of the Milestone 2 webinars. Participants also estimated that they would share the workshop knowledge and materials with approximately 400 additional people, demonstrating an intent to extend the training beyond the original audience.
By the end of the project, increase knowledge, skills, and technical capacity among rangeland Extension professionals to deliver scientific and technologically relevant rangeland education to ranchers to improve the nation’s natural resources via digital content and web-based courses.
Based on knowledge gained during the workshop, four quick start guides were created that focused on applying key technologies. The topics include innovative learning, podcasting, drones, and virtual tours. Four web-based courses were organized and held focused on using tools and technologies to engage with stakeholders based on conference feedback and emerging needs. The topics included (1) beyond the field with virtual reality, (2) engaging new audiences with video, (3) shareable stories with digital storytelling, and (4) practical steps for accessible outreach materials. A Rangelands Gateway webpage was created to maintain guides, web-based course recordings, conference materials, and additional resources. All participants were asked to complete the WSARE approved survey.
Participants increased their awareness, knowledge, and skills related to virtual educational experiences, video creation, digital storytelling, and accessible outreach materials. Among survey respondents, 100% reported increased awareness and new knowledge. Overall, 82% indicated they would use some aspect of what they learned within the following year. Participants reported intentions to apply the knowledge and skills in their own Extension and outreach activities and to share webinar content with others. Survey respondents indicated they would share information with an additional 339 people, averaging 15 people per respondent. The webinars were also recorded and made available online, allowing participants and others to access the material beyond the live sessions.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation summary:
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
Conference participants and those who accessed factsheets, webinars, or online resources gained or increased:
- Knowledge of innovative technology and program delivery approaches,
- Capacity to incorporate new technologies and approaches into their own programming and outreach activities,
- Skills to select the most appropriate program delivery methods,
- Awareness of emerging technology trends and best practices, and
- Knowledge of where to find resources and learning materials online for future reference.
Milestone 1: The technology training workshop was held as part of the Rangelands Partnership (RP) annual meeting in March 2024. The technology topics included expanding the impact of Extension with innovative learning opportunities, building interactive virtual tours, podcasting to influence behaviors, drone technology for outreach, artificial intelligence for rangeland science. Participants were able to experience hands-on training and discover the challenges and opportunities of the technologies. The training also incorporated Mentimeter, an interactive presentation platform that allows anonymous responses, to highlight innovative engagement tools.
A total of 36 people attended the technology training workshop in-person (28) or virtually (8). While only 15 people completed the Western SARE Outreach Survey, those individuals estimated they would share the workshop training and materials with ~400 additional people. Assuming other participants share similarly, the skills and knowledge learned at the technology training may be shared ~975 people.
Following the workshop, we asked participants what technology topics they would like to learn more about during the upcoming webinars. The results included AI for Extension, teaching, and research (n=6), science communication/story telling (n=4), drone imagery post-processing (n=3), demonstrating impacts and post project analysis (n=4), and educational video creation (n=2). We used this information to plan and organize upcoming webinars.
Milestone 2: Four webinars were provided throughout spring and summer 2026. The topics focused on virtual educational experiences, tips for creating short, engaging videos, digital storytelling, and steps for making outreach materials accessible. The webinars had a total of 140 registrations and 67 participants that joined the lived sessions. The audience was 46% Extension professionals, 22% researchers, and 20% other service providers, which were likely academic librarians who will share resources with their stakeholders. Webinar recordings were emailed to all registered participants one day after the live session. To date, the recordings have received an additional 10 views. These will remain available online on Rangelands Gateway. The WSARE evaluation was sent in chat at the end of each session, made available immediately after each webinar ended, and sent in a follow-up email 24 hours after the webinar ended. It was used to assess increased knowledge, capacity, and skills to use new technology. Despite multiple opportunities to complete the survey, the response rate across all webinars was only 33%. The participants who responded stated they would share aspects of the webinars with an additional 339 people, averaging 15 shares/person, in the next 12 months. If participants who did not respond to the survey shared at a similar level, content could be shared with up to 700 people over the next 12 months. One-hundred percent of respondents stated the webinars improved their awareness of the topics covered. Additionally, 100% of respondents stated the webinars provided new knowledge to them. Two webinars covered topics previously presented at the 2024 workshop. For the two webinars that covered new topics (digital storytelling and ADA compliance for PDFs), 100% of respondents stated the webinar provided new skills. Across all webinars, 82% of respondents stated they would use some aspect of the knowledge learned in the next year.
The project webpage was developed in 2024 and serves as a central repository for project resources. It includes four quick guides covering topics introduced during the workshop, links to workshop presentations and additional resources, and webinar recordings accompanied by supplemental materials for each session. Since its launch, the webpage has been viewed 925 times by more than 490 users. On average each user has visited the webpage 2.83 times, which suggested repeated views to access additional resources.
An Extension professional that attended the workshop said: I plan to use some of the AI Library training towards extension and/or applied research manuscripts.
An Extension specialist from Hawaii said they are planning to use augmented reality/drones in some outreach and research projects.
An Extension specialist from Arizona said, I enjoyed this training very much, I learned a lot! Thank you for putting that together! When asked how they would use the information learned during the training they wrote, I think I might be interested in looking into the AR and VR technology to reach out to a broader audience. I also plan to do drone research on rangelands for my clientele.
An Extension specialist in Texas said the VR camera session will help with some applications to extend research findings on the station and stated information learned will provide an opportunity to collaborate with Extension colleagues.
An Extension specialist in Colorado said a few things were particularly interesting, such as Awareness of AI tools and databases; uses of drones; what makes an interview work.
An Extension professional at the workshop said they would use the information learned to share technology options with other Extension professionals that I think could use the tech covered in the workshop to improve their programming.
A researcher at the training stated: The hands on breakout sessions were excellent and allowed me to actually try out technologies that are new to me. I'd like to team up with others at the training to create new rangeland resources using these technologies to engage with new audiences.
A rangeland professional who attended the video webinar stated there was a lot of good information shared on the technical side. As someone who is not well versed in that aspect - it's like drinking out of a firehose. I'm looking forward to revisiting the video as I progress and use it as a reference.
An Extension professional provided feedback after the digital storytelling webinar: Great webinar. As someone foreign to this, having a recurring webinar or some format for me to keep improving skills would be great. Recorded video will be bookmarked and referenced A LOT!
A Forest Service range specialist commented that virtual reality could be a great tool for education on fine fuels to producers and how you can incorporate different management tools for this.
A Program Team Leader in California who attended the PDF and ADA compliance webinar said I can use the information to create a training (after I master it more) for my colleagues. I have not taken time to understand how complex the issue is that we need to address. Walking through a simple and then a complex PDF was perfect to demonstrate the complexity and need to make PDFs accessible.