Browsing by Subject "Cooperative Extension"
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Item A Qualitative Examination of the History of E-Extension (eXtension), Implementation of Moodle (A Course Management System) and Associated Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats(2011-08-08) Hightower, Tayla EliseAccording to research by Tennessen, PonTell, Romine and Motheral (1997), the Extension System has been educating the nation for over 96 years, and the idea of using technology as a medium for education has been in the minds of Extension educators for over 40 years. The National E-Extension (eXtension) Initiative is being adopted at a rapid pace, and the history of this impact requires documentation in order to assist others in similar adoption and diffusion processes. The purpose of this historical study was to describe how and why eXtension was established and the implementation of Moodle as a Course Management System (CMS) within eXtension. The researcher was able to determine that the eXtension system is becoming an accepted form of education for Extension. However, barriers to adoption do exist. The study revealed that online education is becoming part of Extension through eXtension, but as awareness grows and develops the eXtension system must do the same. Technology is offering new ways to reach clientele, and as such, Extension continues to strive to take advantage of these technologies. This study consisted of two parts. The first part sought to document the history of eXtension and the implementation of Moodle as a Course Management System (CMS) in Extension. The second part sought to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) related to the use of Moodle as a Course Management System within eXtension. Interviews were conducted with five individuals knowledgeable of the history of eXtension and the implementation of Moodle concerning their experience. For the second part, interviews were conducted with nine individuals currently serving as instructors within one or both eXtension Moodle websites. The researcher was able to document the history of eXtension and Moodle and determine 11 emerging themes within the predetermined areas of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Findings revealed that those involved in using Moodle within Extension have knowledge of the innovation, have formed an attitude toward the innovation, and have decided to adopt or reject the innovation based on the stages of Rogers' innovation-decision process. Completion of the implementation of the innovation and confirmation of the decision stage of the process will be most effectively completed through the work of eXtension at the national level.Item Characteristics and barriers impacting the diffusion of e-extension among Texas Cooperative Extension County Extension agents(2009-05-15) Harder, Amy MarieThe overall purpose of this study was to understand the influence of selected factors on the adoption of eXtension by Texas Cooperative Extension County Extension agents. Specifically, the study looked at how the relationships between stage in the innovation-decision process, characteristics of agents, characteristics of the innovation, and barriers to adoption affect the diffusion of eXtension. A random sample of 237 agents was selected for participation in the study. A majority of agents reported they were in the knowledge stage (52%); 31% had no knowledge of the innovation; 8% were in the implementation stage; 3% were in the persuasion stage; 3% were in the decision stage and 2% were in the confirmation stage. Respondents had positive perceptions of relative advantage, compatibility, complexity and trialability as those characteristics related to eXtension. They had the most positive perceptions of complexity. They did not perceive eXtension to have a high degree of observability. Agents perceived at least five barriers existed to the adoption of eXtension. Reducing or eliminating these barriers, particularly the barrier related to concerns about time, would be expected to positively affect the rate of adoption. Agents? perceptions of complexity and compatibility significantly differed by primary agent role and gender, respectively. The differences may be attributable to varying job experiences based upon role and gender. Agents? perceptions of a lack of eXtension incentives significantly differed by education. Significant relationships existed between selected characteristics of eXtension and potential barriers to the adoption of eXtension. Based on the findings, offering monetary incentives may increase the rate of adoption, and decrease agents? financial concerns. Significantly more respondents reported they were in the ?no knowledge? stage in the innovation-decision than would be expected to occur by chance. Agents may have ignored repeated messages about eXtension because it was not perceived as consistent with their attitudes and beliefs. This implication should be noted by those hoping to increase the diffusion of eXtension. On a broader level, these findings support expanding the model of the innovation-decision process to include the ?no knowledge? stage.Item Competencies, benefits and limitations for Master Gardener Coordinators: a delphi technique involving county extension agents in Texas(Texas A&M University, 2007-09-17) Lockett, LandryThis study sought to develop a list of best management competencies, benefits and limitations for Texas Cooperative Extension Agents who are Master Gardener Coordinators using a Delphi technique. The study utilized fifteen expert County Extension Agent Master Gardener Coordinators throughout the State of Texas as the expert Delphi panel. Three research questions were asked of the expert panel members. Those questions included: 1. What competencies do you need to be an efficient and effective Master Gardener Coordinator?, 2. What are the perceived benefits of being a Master Gardener Coordinator? and 3. What are the limiting factors (problems) of being a Master Gardener Coordinator? One hundred-twenty consolidated statements were generated by the panel in response to these questions. These statements were subsequently rated by the panel for their strength of agreement with each statement on a six-point Likert-type scale (6 = "Strongly Agree," 5 = "Agree," 4 = "Somewhat Agree," 3 = "Somewhat Disagree," 2 = "Disagree," and 1 = "Strongly Disagree"). Consensus was reached on 64 competencies needed by Master Gardener Coordinators, answering research question one. There were a total of 19 benefit statements regarding coordinating a Master Gardener program, in response to research question two. Two statements of limiting factors or problems associated with coordinating a Master Gardener Group achieved consensus associated with research question three. Categories of competencies needed included organizational leadership, systems leadership, organizational culture, personal skills and management skills. The panel placed an emphasis on "people" skills, positive attitude and management skills to be an effective Master Gardener Coordinator. Benefits of coordinating Master Gardeners included such items as expanding the reach of the County Extension Agent and increasing Extension's impact. Problems associated with coordinating Master Gardeners included increasing the County Extension Agent's workload as well time commitments. The results of this study will provide Texas Master Gardener Coordinators a list of essential competencies for effectively managing a Master Gardener program. This list will help Extension Master Gardener Coordinators most effectively utilize their time, energy and resources for maximum impact and program success.Item Measuring, Comparing, and Contrasting the Agricultural Paradigmatic Preferences Held by Florida Extension Agents: The Redevelopment of an Instrument to Determine Individual and Collective Preferences(2012-11-28) Sanagorski, Laura Anne 1980-Significant support for sustainable agriculture practices exists within the land-grant university system nationwide. Despite this fact, many colleges, including the University of Florida, have not evaluated the individual paradigms held by their faculty. An existing Alternative-Conventional Agriculture Paradigm Scale was modified, improved and converted into an electronic instrument that was administered to a random sample of University of Florida Extension Faculty. It is suggested that data collected through this study serves the following purposes: assist the University of Florida?s decision-makers in better understanding the positions held by their Extension agents; allow improvement of educational programming for Extension agents, agricultural professionals, and communities throughout the state; and provide input for improvement of University-wide policy-making and goal-setting. The study consisted of three phases: a) redevelopment and pilot-test of a new ACAP instrument; b) description of University of Florida Extension faculty?s paradigmatic preferences; and c) determination of any existing relationships between personal characteristics and an individual?s paradigm. A pilot study of the new instrument was conducted with participants belonging to known paradigmatic groups who were not part of the final sample. The survey was found to be reliable with a Cronbach?s alpha coefficient of 0.94 in a pilot test of 26 individuals. The survey was found to discriminate effectively between the two known paradigmatic groups (t=4.091, p= .001), making it a useful tool in quantitatively assessing agricultural preferences. Following the pilot study, survey research was conducted with a random sample of 188 Extension agents. The majority of faculty aligned with agricultural paradigmatic groups labeled Moderates and Sustainables. Very few of this population aligned with a Conventional paradigm. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a preliminary seven-factor solution. Two individual component factors were found to vary based on Extension discipline and gender, which included Size and Scale of Production and Use of Natural Resources, respectively.Item The Land-Grant Mission and The Cowboy Church: Diffusing University-Community Engagement(2012-02-14) Williams, KatyThe land-grant university and the cowboy church are two social institutions designed to engage communities. Research is abundant on the former and limited on the latter. The purpose of this study was to provide a descriptive report on cowboy churches, while identifying the potential for university-cowboy church collaborations and examining the direct implications to Cooperative Extension. Rogers' Diffusions of Innovations conceptualized this study and was employed to evaluate the acceptability of university-cowboy church collaborations. This basic qualitative study utilized a purposive snowball technique to identify key informants of the American Fellowship of Cowboy Churches (AFCC). Ten subjects participated in semi-structured, face-to-face and phone interviews. Data were analyzed for common themes and patterns within the context of each of this study's objectives. Findings described cowboy churches affiliated with the AFCC, the interpersonal and mass media communication channels used by these churches, and subject awareness of Cooperative Extension. Conclusions and implications suggest university-cowboy church collaborations are an acceptable innovation, especially in the context of Extension collaborations. There are relative advantages for such collaborations, shared compatibility through each institution's mission, and ample opportunities for trialibility. County agents should initiate contact with cowboy church pastors and collaborations should be initiated regarding in information exchange, horses, livestock shows, and youth.