Developing Distance Learning Based on Perceptions and Knowledge of Producers and Agricultural Professionals

Developing Distance Learning Based on Perceptions and Knowledge of Producers and Agricultural Professionals

Summary

The development of sustainable agriculture is a complex process that requires new practices for extension. Only after farmers become experts in the ecological principles and environmental constraints, can they develop sustainable practices. In 2005,we developed and conducted an online questionnaire aimed at discovering audience perceptions, knowledge, and common practices on sustainable agriculture. The analysis of the questionnaire allowed us to identify demographic characteristics and interests of the potential audience of an online course on sustainable agriculture. Based on these results, we developed the Online Sustainable Crop Management Workshop. We are currently delivering this workshop utilizing the WebCT platform

Objectives/Performance Targets

1. Assess producers, NRCS personnel, certified crop advisers, and extension agents’ perceptions and knowledge of sustainable agriculture

   Develop and deliver distance learning courses and field days on sustainable agriculture issues tailored to audience needs

   Facilitate audience interaction through the electronic framework provided by the WebCT platform

   Evaluate audience acceptance of this alternative extension program including the effects on audience interaction, audience learning, and the usefulness of the conveyed information

Accomplishments/Milestones

Objective 1. Assess producers, NRCS personnel, certified crop advisers, and extension agents’ perceptions and knowledge of sustainable agriculture.

During the last semester of 2005 we developed, conducted, and analyzed an online questionnaire aimed at identifying the needs, knowledge, and concerns on agricultural issues of a community of professionals interested in sustainable agriculture. This goal was achieved through a questionnaire targeted at farmers, National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) personnel, certified crop advisers, and University Extension Agents who are likely to enroll in a distance education program in sustainable agriculture (hereafter audience). Although non-exclusive, this study concentrated on the Northern Great Plains, U.S. With the purpose of designing a distance learning course on sustainable agriculture that addresses the audience’s needs and characteristics, we focused on the following issues:

1. Assess the demographic characteristics of an audience interested in sustainable agriculture
2. Identify recurrent problems that this audience identifies as limiting the development of ecologically based sustainable practices
3. Determine the audience expectations of a distance learning extension program on sustainable agriculture

The survey was promoted in face-to-face local and state extension meetings and electronically through mailing lists and the website of the extension group of Montana State University.

To address the interdisciplinary nature of sustainable agriculture, the survey included questions related to various disciplines, and it was developed by the collaborators on this proposal. The survey contained 3 short-answer questions, 7 multiple-choice questions, and 10 open-ended questions (Table 1). Specifically, we were interested in identifying audience recognition of recurrent problems limiting the adoption of sustainable farming practices, their proposed solutions, and audience’s expectations regarding an online education program in sustainable agriculture.

The surveyed population included 107 agriculture professionals. Ninety-five respondents were from all across Montana, while the rest were mainly distributed in the West, Midwest, and Northwest United States. The survey was analyzed quantitatively and qualitative using a text analysis of the responses.

Text analysis was conducted to detect emerging conceptual categories of the issues examined in the open-ended questions of the survey. Two researchers independently analyzed all the responses of a subset of questions. Then, the corresponding expert of each question was contacted to check for understanding of statements and the clustering of overlapping concepts. At this point, the researchers individually coded for emerging conceptual categories within each open- ended response. Finally, an intereliability check of the emerging categories was conducted by the two researchers. This intereliability check included first, a revision of all the categories for each single open-ended question and second, a random pick of 60% of the other researcher’s coded responses, recoding them based upon the categories set by the question leader. An intereliability of equal to or greater than 85% was considered acceptable. If the agreement between researchers was less than 85%, they conducted a second check with the area expert to clarify discrepancies and iterated the process.

Results/Findings

Interest in sustainable agriculture is well spread across the surveyed audience as demonstrated by the distribution of professionals that answered the survey. Specifically, 24% of the respondents identified themselves as dryland producer, 23% as crop adviser and/or chemical dealer, 23% as extension agent, 12 % as agency employee, 7% as irrigation producer, and 11% as other (farmer educator/facilitator, prospective organic farmer, vegetable organic farmer, etc.). Because several respondents included more than one category, the total percentage adds up to more than 100%.

Despite the wide distribution of areas of expertise, the audience was mainly restricted to experts in their respective fields. The great majority of respondents could be classified as an expert professional, based on the number of years of experience in agricultural issues. While 15 participants had less than 5 years of professional experience in agriculture, 22 participants had between 6 and 15 years of experience, and 73 participants had more than 16 years of professional experience. Only 31 participants had direct experience with organic farming, 40 participants were interested in reduced-input farming, and 67 respondents were associated with no-tillage practices (Fig. 1).

Respondents had experience over a wide range of agricultural systems, in many cases involving several systems at a time. Specifically, respondents had experience in conventional-till wheat fallow and diversified cropping systems (75 participants); no-tillage practices (67), reduced-input farming (40), and organic farming (31) (Fig. 2)

Achieving both economic and environmental sustainability was a main priority of the surveyed audience. From a total of 73 respondents, only two considered long-term environmental sustainability as their highest priority and 11 considered long-term economic sustainability as their primary goal, with the rest of the respondents interested in the joint achievement of economic and environmental sustainability. Interestingly, those who considered achieving environmental sustainability as their highest goal were agency employees. On the other hand, 5 crop advisers/chemical dealers, 3 dryland producers, and 3 extension agents considered that achieving economic sustainability was their main priority.

Based on the findings of this survey, we are currently preparing a manuscript, Evaluation of Agricultural Professionals’ Perceptions and Knowledge on Sustainable Agriculture as a Step in the Development of Distance Learning Education Programs, F.. Menalled and B. Grimberg. This manuscript will be submitted to the Journal of Agricultural Education. We expect to have this manuscript completed during the first semester of 2007.

Objective 2. Develop and deliver distance learning courses and field days on sustainable agriculture issues tailored to audience needs.

Based on the findings of Objective 1, Drs. Dave Buschena, Clain Jones, Bruce Maxwell, Fabian Menalled, and Perry Miller developed the nine-week Sustainable Crop Management workshop. This course takes advantage of the WebCT platform, Montana State University, Burns Technology Center. This course is currently running from Wednesday, October 11 to December 15, 2006 for a total of 25 participants. We expect to re-offer this workshop between October and December 2007.

This workshop focuses on factors relating to sustainability, nutrient management, diverse cropping systems, weed management strategies, and farm economics. Although college credits will not be given, certified crop advisers will receive 25 continuing education units if they successfully complete the workshop.

The workshop format focused on readings (including webpages), exercises, and discussion topics/questions posed by the instructors and course participants. To facilitate the participation of participants with slow Internet connections, all readings have been provided as ‘hard copies.’ Also, all participants received a CD containing all the material of the workshop. A copy of the CD has been included in the printed version of this report.

The discussion topics and questions have been designed to facilitate ‘active’ learning and encourage course participants to read the materials provided. A different set of questions will be posted each week. Also, at many stages of the workshop, participants will be required to develop and pose a question or topic. We expect that this gives the participants more ownership in the class and has been found to spark more discussion.

The syllabus of the workshop is presented in appendix 1. A guest account has been established for those interested in visiting this workshop. Visitors should log in at http://webct.montana.edu/ and click on “log in to my WebCT” icon, Username: s_menalled, Password: smart.

Objective 3. Facilitate audience interaction through the electronic framework provided by the WebCT platform.

Although this workshop started only one week ago, we are pleased with level of participation and discussion engaged in by the participants. The discussions and e-mails can be seen at the course website by clicking the “E-mail” and “Discussions” icons.

Objective 4. Evaluate audience acceptance of this alternative extension program including the effects on audience interaction, audience learning, and the usefulness of the conveyed information.

As stated in the project proposal, this objective will be accomplished after finishing the online workshop.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Although it is too early to assess the outcomes of this workshop, we are confident this project will enhance the sustainability of the farming enterprise in the Western region. Only after farmers become experts in the ecological principles and environmental constraints of their own locality and time-specific situations, can they develop sustainable practices. This knowledge allows them to be “actors” instead of “users,” “receivers,” or “adopters” of general technologies developed by the industry or the university.

Because of the inherent complexity of agroecosystems, education in sustainable agriculture can not follow the traditional approaches utilized to promote conventional agriculture. Thus, new paradigms for teaching sustainable agriculture are necessary. We believe that the “top down” interactive approach to education utilized in this research and education project will enhance audience ability to critically assess the sustainability of their farming enterprise.

Another major factor limiting the success of education/outreach programs in sustainable agriculture arises from the relatively low proportion of professionals trained in agroecology. For example, in the dryland agro-ecosystems of the Northern Great Plains where we are conducting this study, the increasing dichotomy between conventional and alternative approaches to farming has been cited as a reason hindering the development of educational programs on sustainable agriculture. Also, the large distances separating producers, agricultural professionals, and educators obstruct the transfer of information. By taking advantage of a WebCT platform, we are able to reach a predominantly rural audience that lacks access to the teaching possibilities on sustainable farming issues commonly offered at the main campuses of Land-Grant Universities.