Progress report for WPDP24-013
Project Information
The goal of this project is to equip agricultural professionals (I.e., ag-educators, extension professionals, crop consultants) with understanding of AI and its potential role in sustainable agriculture, along with knowledge, skills and abilities to strategically communicate about this emerging technology and facilitate the diffusion of AI tools to support sustainable agriculture goals. To accommodate geographical and time zone differences, we propose an online asynchronous instructional-video course for participants, including certificate of completion. Toolbox development will be informed both by our existing assessment of needs, and by an in-person workshop and focus-group designed to engage agriculture professionals with AI, and encourage contributions towards ensuring that asynchronous training materials meet the needs of agricultural professionals. Subsequently, a toolbox of 10 asynchronous online professional development videos, and associated self-guided activities, will be developed around understanding the broader impacts of AI on society and agriculture, AI’s specific impacts on achieving sustainable agriculture, and science communication best practices for engaging others on the topic of AI within sustainable agriculture. Participants will have the opportunity to: 1) achieve a deeper awareness of AI in both society and sustainable agriculture; 2) develop knowledge of behavioral models predicting technology adoption; 3) obtain skills in utilizing strategic science communication theory to construct, frame and diffuse messages surrounding AI; and 4) improve their confidence and abilities to facilitate engagement with AI in sustainable agriculture. Rigorous evaluations will be conducted in the last year to improve the course for future participants, and as new science and tools are developed. We will measure improvement in AI and strategic communication knowledge for trainers. Qualitative feedback will assess potential longer-term impacts on grower knowledge, attitudes, and technology adoption for sustainability.
- We will enhance understanding of ag-AI and its connection to sustainability, other implications, technology adoption, and technical knowledge strategic science communication among ag-tech professionals.
- We will develop interpersonal, mass (i.e. workshops or group presentations) and computer-mediated communication skills among agricultural professionals.
- We will improve participants’ confidence and perceived effectiveness of in communicating AI-within-sustainable-ag to a range of public audiences.
- We improve understanding of how technology and communication skills training can impact ag-tech professionals’ thoughts, attitudes and behaviors. This will contribute to existing science communication literature and inform both the science communication community and the agricultural professional community.
April 2024: Conduct audience analysis, producing formal report. Develop survey instruments and protocols, and complete institutional IRB review for the project.
June 2024: Convene in-person semi-structured interviews with ag-professionals. Afterwards, we will begin curriculum development based on existing needs assessment, additional audience analysis and upstream engagement with target audiences.
August 2024: Begin designing syllabus and individual lesson plans and contents.
March 2025: Finalize syllabus and lesson contents, and begin producing asynchronous digital education media including ten 20–30-minute instructional videos and associated learning materials. Learning Management System (LMS) design will also take place at this time alongside the development of recruitment materials.
May 2025: Distribute recruitment materials.
May 2025: Finalize asynchronous contents and integrate materials into LMS.
June 2025: Project is made live and available to participants through LMS.
October 2025: Begin analyzing survey data from initial participants, and developing formal reporting of results, including review of literature.
December 2025: Begin developing a second, improved iteration of the curriculum and syllabus based on emerging research findings.
March 2026: Finalize analysis and reporting of participant data, submitting to parent institution and peer-review journals where appropriate. Produce final iteration of curriculum and syllabus and recommendations for future train-the-trainer interventions in sustainable agriculture and artificial intelligence education.
Cooperators
- (Researcher)
- (Educator)
- - Producer
- (Researcher)
Education
Our educational approach is to develop an asynchronous online toolbox of 10 instructional videos deployed through Extension Foundation LMS.
Education & Outreach Initiatives
1. Understand the purposes of this course
2. Learn What AI is.
Not yet complete.
Not yet complete
1. Learn About Themes that Arose During Conversations with Agricultural Professionals About AI
2. Learn About Some Ways to Categorize and Define AI
Not yet complete
Not yet complete
1. Understand the 4th agricultural revolution
2. Understand the AI "arms race"
3. Understand USDA policy on AI
4. Explore some use cases for AI in sustainable agriculture
Not yet complete.
Not yet complete.
1. Understand the risks of today's weak AI in agriculture, with narrow, reactive functions and limited memory.
2. Understand how perceived risk plays a role in adopter behavior.
Not yet complete.
Not yet complete.
1. How do the publics that we communicate with perceive AI?
2. What is the influence of media on public perception?
Not yet complete.
Not yet complete.
1. Explore how behavioral and psychological models can inform work on technology adoption (including AI for sustainable agriculture)
2. Explore how this can amplify your effectiveness as a communicator.
Not yet complete.
Not yet complete.