October 2004
Volume 42 Number 5

Tools of the Trade

What Cooperative Extension Professionals Need to Know About Institutional Review Boards

Dan Weigel
Area Extension Specialist/Professor
Reno, Nevada
weigeld@unce.unr.edu

Randy Brown
Area Extension Specialist/Associate Professor
Las Vegas, Nevada
brownr@unce.unr.edu

Sally Martin
State Specialist/Professor
University of Nevada, Reno
Human Development and Family Studies
Reno, Nevada
smartin@unr.nevada.edu

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension

Have you ever struggled writing a proposal to your university's Institutional Review Board (IRB)? If so, you are not alone. Increasingly, Cooperative Extension professionals are expected to collect, present, or publish data about community needs, programming effectiveness, and applied research projects. Often, Extension professionals are gathering information from or about people, and such research or evaluation projects must be approved by a university's IRB.

While some Extension professionals may have considerable experience with IRBs, others may lack understanding or struggle with particular issues that are involved in the IRB process. This article is the first in a four-part series designed to help Extension professionals better understand the purpose and procedures of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). We hope to ease the confusion and frustration that can sometimes accompany the IRB process.

What Is an IRB?

An IRB is a review committee established to help protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects. The basic purpose of the IRB is to provide oversight to research that involves collecting data and information from or about people. The information might involve input from community members, ranchers and farmers, 4-H'ers, seniors, and so forth. Basically, the IRB is there to help ensure that when university-affiliated personnel work with people and collect information from them, it is conducted in an ethical way.

IRBs are federally mandated committees. Federal regulations specify that institutions that engage in research, such as universities, must establish IRBs to oversee research involving human subjects. IRBs are composed of members from various colleges on campus as well as community members whose expertise is valuable in the review process. In some cases, Cooperative Extension personnel serve on the committees. The authors, who are Extension professionals, have a combined 19 years of experience serving on IRBs.

How Cooperative Extension and IRBs Interact

Cooperative Extension is part of a university system and therefore falls under the same research policies and guidelines as other university units. Typically, if an Extension professional intends to publish or present the information gathered in the form of journal articles, trade articles, bulletins, fact sheets, workshops, or presentations, the project should first be approved by the IRB at the professional's institution. Information collected with no intent to publish it and used merely to evaluate the effectiveness of a program is usually not required to be reviewed by an IRB.

Benefits of Working with IRBs

Despite what can sometime appear as an aggravation, there are advantages to working with IRBs.

• Typically, going through the IRB process makes for a better project. An Extension professional can take advantage of the expertise of a wide variety of researchers who might provide important and useful suggestions that will improve the quality of information collected.

• Working with an IRB can provide a researcher with confirmation that he or she is treating participants ethically and responsibly.

• Going through the IRB process also protects the researcher. Having obtained IRB approval means that the university approves the project. In case something unforeseen and/or dangerous happens during a project, as long as the research was proceeding ethically and following the approved procedures, the IRB and university are responsible rather than the individual researcher.

What Is Needed to Apply for IRB Approval?

Although IRBs develop their own application forms, there are key elements common to all committees. It is important to keep in mind that the primary focus of the IRB review is the protection of human subjects, not the rigor of the research design, per se. Applications should address the following elements.

• A brief summary of the rationale or purpose of the research.

• A plan for how participants will be recruited that is not coercive and that provides participants with enough information to make an informed and voluntary choice.

• A plan for obtaining informed consent (or assent from minors or decisionally impaired individuals) from participants before they agree to become involved in a project.

• A detailed plan for how data is going to be collected, stored, and analyzed.

• If the research involves an individual participating in a program, intervention, or some kind of activity that is being evaluated, a description of the activity.

• An identification and analysis of the risks to people participating in the research project and of ways that the risks will be minimized.

• An identification of benefits for participants, if any, and for the field in general.

• An indication of what safeguards are in place to minimize potential risks and protect people's privacy and confidentiality.

How Can You Help the Process Go Smoothly?

Based on the authors' experiences both serving on IRBs and shepherding proposals through the process, some steps can help the process go more smoothly.

• Find out about the specific guidelines and policies of your university's IRB. IRBs are mandated to have specific policies in place, and most often these guidelines can be found on IRBs informational Web pages. Following these guidelines in preparing your protocol can save you headaches down the road.

• Talk to people who are currently on the committee or recently have served on it. They should be able to give you some tips on writing your proposal and on potential red flags to avoid.

• Talk to IRB staff about questions before sending in your final protocol. Be up front and honest about questions or delicate issues. They usually prefer this, and their suggestions can save you considerable time and effort.

• Have someone familiar with the process review your proposal. Another set of eyes can often spot things you might have missed or areas that might need more clarification.

• Examine successful protocols, especially those from Cooperative Extension or applied projects. Ask the IRB staff if they have good examples; many have example protocols posted on their Web pages.

• Several IRBs have developed Web-based training courses on writing protocols and conducting ethical research. Completion of these courses has become a requirement at many institutions before someone can have a protocol approved.

• Make sure your protocol has addressed all of the necessary elements specified in the IRB guidelines. Many applications are returned because of insufficient information and detail.

• Do not assume that members of the IRB understand Extension or community education or the terminology common to your field. Be sure to use descriptive language that someone with no previous knowledge of your work can understand.

• If you intend to evaluate a program, clearly separate the program from the research/evaluation component. If people can participate in the program without volunteering for the evaluation component, clearly explain this option.

• Plan ahead, and be patient. After the initial review, the IRB often asks for clarification or requests that you make changes in your protocol that must be submitted before final approval. Many committees only meet once or twice a month, so be sure to give yourself enough time to obtain approval before you intend to start collecting data.

• Remember that obtaining IRB approval is a learning process. Each time you go through the IRB process you will be better prepared for the next time.

We hope that this article provides some background and explanation about the IRB process. Future articles in this series will address in greater detail: recruiting participants and vulnerable audiences, addressing risks and benefits, and handling informed consent and confidentiality.

Communicating Impacts

Karen L. Zotz
Associate Professor and Extension Assistant Director, Nutrition, Youth and Family Science
North Dakota State University
Fargo, North Dakota
karen.zotz@ndsu.nodak.edu

The void created by the failure to communicate is soon filled with poison, drivel, and misrepresentation. ~ C. Northcote Parkinson (Patterson, 2002).

Communicating Impacts Strengthens Partnerships

Communication is key in any partnership (Covey, 1990). Communication encompasses several directions: nonverbal (smiles, head nodding), verbal (the spoken language), and active listening, the most critical of all forms of communication (Walton, 1989). Peter Senge added dialogue to the communication skill set. He defined dialogue as the capacity of members to suspend assumptions and enter into genuine thinking together (Senge, 1990). Communicating impacts to decision makers is one way we can strengthen partnerships.

For many years, county Extension offices and state Extension systems have had to maintain a delicate balance with their partners: campus and college partners, county commissioners and boards, state legislatures, and the Cooperative State Research, Education, Extension Service (CSREES) federal partner. All of these partners and others not identified are valuable assets for the success of the Extension program. The federal, state, and local partnership provides funding and other resources, as do some agency, foundations, and organization partners. The employees and Extension systems benefiting from this funding must communicate effectively when reporting program impacts.

Diem (2003) defines impact as making an impression, the positive differences we make in people's lives as a result of our programs. He provides a process for developing and promoting Extension programs that includes reporting the results. Diem recommends basing reporting procedure and content on audience needs. He urges the writer to keep in mind the audience's reading level and actually how much information you think the audience wants to know.

The Kellogg Commission's Third Report on engagement authors offered a seven-part test for engagement: (1) Responsiveness; (2) Respect for partners; (3) Academic neutrality; (4) Accessibility; (5) Integration; (6) Coordination; and (7) Resource partnerships (Kellogg Commission, 1999). Number 2, Respect for partners, emphasized that the purpose of engagement is not to provide the university's superior expertise to community but to encourage joint academic-community definition of problems, solutions, and definitions of success/impacts.

Reporting Impacts to Local People

In addition to the more common Annual Extension/Experimentation Station Report used by many states to report impact and the one-page impact sheets used by many states, there is another method for communicating impacts to the public: one-page papers called "County Narrative Reports" that are used in reporting local impacts. The purpose of the County Narrative Report is to assist county commissioners in understanding the Extension Service program planning process and showing Extension programs can produce participant behavior change and long-term positive impact.

County Narrative Reports commonly include:

• Identification of collaborators and resources they bring to the program;

• Identification of the audience for the program;

• Definition of expected outcomes;

• Identification of delivery methods;

• Name of program;

• Number of participants;

• Short-term outcomes;

• Additional plans to address the problem and delivery methods;

• Audience follow-up for identifying intermediate and long-term outcomes; and

• Success stories reported by participants.

County agents have reported that some county commissioners still require a monthly event calendar in addition to the County Narrative Report.

Statewide Reporting System

A second impact reporting method used is the Extension Accountability Reporting System (EARS). This electronic system was developed by the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension Service to report program successes. EARS provides a format for reporting program successes and impacts similar to the County Narrative Reporting system. The system was implemented as a communication tool. The EARS electronic system requires criteria similar to the criteria for the County Narrative Reports. County agents and Extension specialists access the electronic system through their passwords.

Agents and specialists enter demographic information, including key words used to identify the topic in a key word search. The reports focus on quantified outcomes/impacts in terms of knowledge gained, practice changed, attitudes changed, dollars saved, and policy/law changed. Agents and specialists are encouraged to include case studies, stories, and testimonials. Moxley (2000) addresses the importance of story telling as a powerful medium for creating and making meaning of our lives and our work in communities.

The EARS report should answer these questions:

• What difference are you making?
• What have you done to make a difference?
• Did you do what you said you would do?
• What are the social, economic, or environmental impacts?

The report should answer the "So What?" and "Who Cares?" questions.

Challenges

Communicating with partners is not without its challenges. Often we are our own worst enemies. We can think of lots of other things we want to do instead of reporting our impacts to the public. It does take time away from the pleasure of teaching and connecting with people. However, using these two methods for reporting we have communicated impacts and strengthened our partnership with decision makers.

References

Boldt, W. G. (1988). Never miss an opportunity. Journal of Extension [On-line], 26 (3. Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/1988fall/a2.html

Covey, S. R. (1990). Principle-centered leadership. New York: Fireside Books.

Diem, K. G. (2003). Program development in a political world--It's all about impact! Journal of Extension [On-line], 41(1). Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2003february/a6.shtml

Hogan, M. (1994). Effective public relations in extension. Journal of Extension [On-line], 32(3). Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/1994october/a1.html

Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Institutions. (1999). Returning to our roots: The engaged institution. Washington, DC: National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges [On-line]. Available at: http://www.nasulgc.org/publications/Kellogg/engage.pdf

McDowell, G. R., (2001). Land-grant universities and Extension into the 21st century: Renegotiating or abandoning a social context. Iowa: Iowa State University Press.

Moxley, R. S. (2000). Leadership and spirit. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2002). Crucial conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high. New York: R.R. Donnelly & Sons.

Senge, P. (1990). The fifth discipline. New York: Doubleday.

Walton, D. W. (1989). Are you communicating? You can't manage without it. New York: R.R. Donnelly & Sons.

Warner, P. D. (1993). It's time to tell the extension story. Journal of Extension [On-line], 31(3). Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/1993fall/tp2.html

4-H Experiential Education--A Model for 4-H Science as Inquiry

Virginia D. Bourdeau
Associate Professor and Extension 4-H Specialist
Oregon State University
mombear@proaxis.com

Introduction

Science education can be improved by immersing learners in the process of using scientific knowledge to "do" science at their 4-H club or school outdoor learning center. Informal learning environments are ideal settings for learners to practice skills necessary for scientific inquiry. Traditionally, outdoor education has been equated with experiential education. Experiential learning may be defined as learning based on personal experiences or direct observation. Experience and observation are key to the scientific inquiry process.

The National Science Education Standards (Figure 1) employ Science as Inquiry as a skill across all science content areas. Like life skills in traditional 4-H programs, the process of using inquiry supports content learning. In Oregon's School Enrichment Programs the 4-H Science Inquiry in Action Model (Figure 2) depicts the relationship between the 4-H Experiential Learning Model and the steps applied in science inquiry. This model assists volunteers and teachers in moving away from "cookbook experiments" toward learner-centered experiential programs.

Figure 2.
4-H Science Inquiry in Action

 Let the Inquiry Begin!

What might a scientific inquiry based program at a pond look like? A class of fifth-grade students is going to visit the pond. The theme for the lesson is, "A pond community is made up of many unique and interesting plants and animals."

The leader begins by asking the learners what they know about life in and around ponds. This helps determine the skills and understanding the learners have brought with them. The answers provided by the learners are recorded on the board. The leader can now identify any gaps in the learners' knowledge or misconceptions about pond habitats (Figure 2, box 1). Their responses will help the leader plan how the lesson will unfold.

Next, learners are asked what they would like to know about the plants and animals in the pond community. What questions do they have (Figure 2, box 2)? The leader can guide learner thinking by asking questions. Record the learners' questions on the board.

The learners are now divided into several small work teams. Each team is asked to work together to choose one question to be investigated at the pond (Figure 2, box 3). The leader takes on the role of facilitator and coach, directing the selection of investigative topics and helping each team to refine its question. The leader helps the teams focus by framing questions using cognitive terminology such as classify, analyze, predict, and create. Through this interactive process, the learners are engaged in planning and directing their own learning experience.

Once each team has agreed upon a separate question, the members of the team design a simple investigation to collect the information and data they need to answer their question (Figure 2, box 4). They make a list of the equipment needed to collect the data and design a data sheet to record it. The class is now ready to go out to the pond, taking along the equipment--nets, pans, thermometers, water-quality test kits, binoculars, and field guides--that they will need to complete their proposed investigation (Figure 2, box 5).

Will all the questions selected by the teams be answered at the pond on their first trip outside? Probably not. When they return to their classroom learners can use their data to formulate an explanation of their findings. With the assistance of the leader, learners may do library research or design further investigations at the pond to continue the learning. To complete the scientific inquiry process, learners communicate their results through written reports, posters, displays, or presentations (Figure 2, boxes 6-7).

Conclusion

Learning to lead learner-centered, inquiry-based activities is as challenging for leaders as it is for learners. The first requirement is for leaders is to develop tolerance for a certain level of chaos. Initially, the inquiry model is also a challenge for learners who are more familiar with prescribed science activities that follow "cookbook experiments" to a known outcome.

With repeated application of the inquiry model--learning by doing--leaders and learners become familiar with the steps applied in science inquiry. Learners will soon take initiative and become engaged in designing their own learning experiences. Using the 4-H Inquiry in Action model, leaders can make any pre-scripted activity more engaging for youth learners.

Reference

National Research Council. (1996). National science education standards. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

Best Practices for Environmental Field Days: Structuring Your Event for Fun and Learning

Robert B. Blair
Wildlife Extension Specialist
Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology
University of Minnesota
St. Paul, Minnesota
BlairRb@umn.edu

Nathan Meyer
Regional Extension Educator
Cloquet, Minnesota
meyer179@umn.edu

Amy B. Rager
Regional Extension Educator
Morris, Minnesota
rager001@umn.edu

Karen Ostlie
Regional Extension Educator
Albert Lea, Minnesota
kostlie@umn.edu

Kent L. Montgomery
Regional Extension Educator
Brainerd, Minnesota
kmontgom@umn.edu

Stephan Carlson
4-H Youth Development Educator
Minneapolis, Minnesota
carls009@umn.edu

University of Minnesota Extension Service

Introduction

The Northwest Minnesota Water Festival, International Falls Field Days, Dakota County Outdoor Education Field Day, Fort Ridgely State Park Youth Day--these are all examples of community events that bring together natural resource professionals, volunteers, Extension agents, teachers, and schoolchildren for a day of learning about the environment.

Although these events are exciting and memorable for students, the programs may not be productive educational opportunities. These events are often structured by logistics more than educational practice. Five hundred kids are coming for 6 hours, and you have 20 people who can present activities having something to do with water. What do you do? Call it "Water Days," and rotate groups of 25 children every 20 minutes, with the presenters giving the same show 18 times. This is one solution, but perhaps you should structure the day using some basic educational guidelines.

Here, we present six "Best Practices" for creating environmental field days that are both exciting and educational. These are based on research in informal education augmented with our own experiences organizing, delivering, and evaluating dozens of these events throughout Minnesota.

Best Practice: Structure Your Field Day Around a Single Theme Incorporating Distinct Learning Goals

We suggest structuring your event around one clear theme--the idea or message you want to communicate to the students attending your field day. Themes answer the "So what?" of the event and are usually phrased as complete sentences. The topic of your Field Day might be "Prairie." The information you want your visitors to learn and retain about prairies is your theme.

Examples of potential themes for a prairie-oriented field day might be:

• Prairies are Minnesota's most endangered ecosystem.
• Bison, fire, and drought kept our prairies alive.
• The prairie is alive at night.

The theme should be shared with all people involved in your event, including presenters, teachers, and students. Presentations should expand on the theme and incorporate no more than five clear, measurable learning goals.

Example goals for student learning based on an experience with the theme "Bison, fire, and drought kept our prairies alive" might be:

• The student will be able to describe at the end of the day three ways that fire, drought, and bison affected prairie ecology before settlement.

• The student will be able to compare and contrast at the end of the day the role of fire in pre-settlement and present prairie ecosystems.

Confer with teachers to integrate your theme with their lessons and learning objectives. Consider developing pre- and post-event classroom activities so the field day complements their curriculum.

Best Practice: Assess Your Audience Before the Event

Getting to know the students attending your event is the foundation of effective planning, marketing, and teaching. Regardless of the content of your presentation, learners will come to field days with a variety of personal experiences, learning styles, ethnic and religious backgrounds, and mental and physical abilities through which your information will be processed. To optimize education, all educators should know as much as possible about participating students and apply this information when planning the event. They should also share this knowledge with all presenters and volunteers.

Best Practice: Plan Your Setting for Effective Education

The setting for your event can provide both opportunities and challenges. Your design can influence interactions among participants. Moreover, participants have social and psychological needs that must be met before they can learn effectively. Students will need to adjust to your event site. They will be distracted from learning in a new environment unless they first explore their surroundings. Consequently, plan an activity that introduces the students to the setting, and, most of all, tell them where the bathrooms are and when they will be able to eat lunch!

Best Practice: Use Experiential and Inquiry-Based Teaching Methods

In a field setting, students learn better when they are exposed to experiential education: hands-on, inquiry-based experiences that engage participants; create a fun, hands-on environment; and help them apply new knowledge. Experiential learning takes place when the student is involved in an activity, reflects on it, determines what was useful or important to remember, and uses this information to perform another activity.

Best Practice: Develop and Implement Program Evaluation and Assessment

Beyond participant satisfaction, evaluation can be used to measure qualitative or quantitative changes in students' attitudes, knowledge, or behavior after the field day program. Effective evaluation can be implemented using methods including written surveys, observation, interviews, and talking to parents and teachers. Regardless of the metric, evaluation of outcomes is important because it provides information to make your event more educational.

Best Practice: Integrate Marketing into Your Planning Process

Although we often view it with disdain, marketing is essential to successful programming. Regardless of the quality of your event, participation will suffer if no one hears about it or feels a need to attend. Marketing processes help you design a program that is attractive to participants and meets their needs. Likewise, a well-planned marketing program can enhance the appeal of your existing programs, increasing the rate of participation and generation of revenue.

An astounding amount of time, effort, and money is expended by Extension on environmental field days in Minnesota and the United States. These "Best Practices" can ensure that this collective work creates the best educational experience possible.

For more information, contact any of the authors of this article, all of whom are involved in the "Best Practices for Environmental Field Days" program of the University of Minnesota Extension Service.

Using Technology to Provide Financial Education

Mark Oleson
Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist
Director, Financial Counseling Clinic
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa
money@iastate.edu

Introduction

Financial problems permeate the lives of many of the families that Extension employees work with. The role of a Family Resource Management Extension Specialist is to disseminate financial information to families. Iowa State University Extension, along with the Iowa State University Financial Counseling Clinic, discovered an effective, educational way to utilize technology in accomplishing this mission.

Financial Tip of the Week

Perhaps the easiest way to disseminate the greatest amount of information, in the quickest amount of time, reaching the largest audience, is through technology. The Internet, e-mail, and distance education have opened windows of learning opportunities that several years ago seemed unimaginable. The Internet is a tremendous opportunity to offer select information to individuals who can absorb the information in a non-threatening environment at their own pace.

One creative example of using technology to spread financial literacy is the weekly financial tips provided by the Iowa State University Financial Counseling Clinic (Clinic). Three years ago, with the permission of the Registrars Office, the Clinic broadcast an e-mail to newly admitted ISU students outlining the specific financial services and resources available at the Clinic. The message also contained instructions for interested students to subscribe to receive weekly financial tips. Over those three years, the list has grown to over 40,000 recipients. The three largest recipient groups are:

1. ISU Students (nearly 80% of the ISU student body)

2. Non-students

3. Extension educators

E-mail has proven to be a cost-effective way to provide useful financial advice (financial topics such as credit, credit cards, setting goals, managing student loans, beginning investing, etc.), information about financial services (including other campus and community resources), workshops, and other available educational/learning opportunities. This has created many unique opportunities for collaboration and closer working relationships with other campus organizations and Extension educators.

Interested individuals can subscribe to the weekly financial tip several ways:

• Clinic Site: http://www.fcs.iastate.edu/financial

• ISU Extension Site: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/financial/MoneyTips.html

• E-mail: money@iastate.edu

Sampling of Feedback on from Students

• "I am a 37 year old non-traditional student. I read your tips thoroughly and then pass them along to my two children who are also in college. Keep the financial tips coming--they are great!"

• "I appreciate that your tips recognize that financial planning is a holistic pattern of lifestyle choices, and you emphasize that money's about being happy, not about amassing as much money as possible. It makes your tips fun to read instead of agonizing."

• "I have found your tips very helpful--if it wasn't for the weekly tips, then there would be a lot of things I would be in the dark about: credit cards, financial aid, investing, etc."

• "I love the tips so much that I have a separate titled financial counseling folder for the tips so that I can keep them and continue to refer to them. I find them very useful."

• "I find something I can use in the financial tips nearly every week. I am a certified financial 'dummy'--this newsletter is one way I'm attempting to improve my knowledge about finances in general and has helped me to prevent and correct many a poor financial decision. I appreciate the newsletter and feel much more informed because of it."

Sampling of Feedback from Non-Students

• "Thanks for your time, effort, and work. I enjoy your newsletter."

• "This is one of the few newsletter types of things that I get that I like."

• "Your financial tips are the best way for me to keep track of changing trends and upcoming legislation pertaining to the way I can keep myself financially secure."

• "I use your tips by printing them bigger and putting them on my classroom bulletin board viewed by high school seniors. We have a financial management unit of my course--the tips provide much broader information than merely saving and investing."

• "I am a notice when it comes to finance. Being such, I consider the information you put out invaluable since you don't represent an investment firm, company, or other conflict of interest."

Sampling of Feedback from Extension Educators

• "I religiously read them and pass them onto the consumer through news columns I do. Please keep up the great, practical, and timely work."

• "Your e-mails are most welcomed and part of the must read pieces for both work and family. I appreciate your dedication and passing on the invaluable pieces of timely financial advice."

• "Your tip of the week is great. As an extension educator, I've incorporated many of them into my programs and have shared them via our newsletter. You do a great job."

• "I support our financial well-being impact team. I routinely pass it along. I also have found it to be personally useful."

• "Your financial tips are very appreciated. I frequently give seminar participants information on how to sign up for them directly. I use some of your tips for radio spot material."

Conclusion

Education is the most basic and essential component of the Extension mission. Iowa State University Extension has uncovered one way of using technology to bring financial education to the homes of individuals and families in an easy, economical, non-threatening way. Initial feedback from the program suggests the information is used not only for personal gain, but also by Extension educators in various programs and efforts.

References

Blair, A. D. (1997, November/December). A high wire act: Balancing student loan and credit card debt. Credit World, 86(2), 15-17.

Manning R. D. (2000). Credit card nation: The consequences of America's addiction to credit. New York: Basic Books.

O'Malley, M. (2000). Educating undergraduates on using credit cards. Retrieved from: http://www.nelliemae.com/library/cc_use.html

Oleson, M. (2002). Student credit card debt in the 21st century: Options for financial aid administrators. Journal of Student Financial Aid, 31(3), 35-44.

Forest Landowner Workshops--Combining Traditional Forestry Field Days and Short Courses

Andrew J. Londo
Assistant Extension Professor
Department of Forestry
Mississippi State, MS
andyL@ext.msstate.edu

Introduction

Approximately two thirds (18 million acres) of Mississippi is covered with forest land, with 66% owned by non-industrial private forest (NIPF) landowners (Londo, 2000). These individual forest landowners provide a large and diverse audience for Extension Forestry programming (Monaghan, 1997).

Direct contact NIPF landowner educational programs in Mississippi have traditionally consisted of landowner short courses and field days (Londo & Monaghan, 2002). Short course evaluations indicated that participants wanted more intensive, hands-on training in specific subject areas in order to learn how to do what they were learning about in the short courses. To meet this demand, forest landowner workshops were created.

Forest Landowner Workshop Mechanics

The original intent of county forest landowner workshops was to provide practical, on-the-ground field exercises of forest management activities, allowing landowners to more actively participate in the practice of forestry. Workshops are a combination of the forestry field days and short courses. Workshops are designed to follow up the county forest landowner short courses, extending the learning experience of participants from the classroom to actual field exercises. The first workshop was conducted in 1999. Since then, 81 workshops have been conducted for 1,840 participants statewide.

Workshops are held in individual counties in conjunction with each county forestry association (CFA) and Extension office. The first workshop was Are My Pine Trees Ready to Thin? This workshop has been widely conducted across the state and has been adapted to other states in the region as well. Due to its success, additional workshops have been created. These include Best Management Practices (BMPs), Forest Herbicides, Forest Valuation, and Royal Paulownia Plantation Establishment. A Forest Taxation workshop has also been created that has no "field work" component. However it does provide intensive training in specific forest taxation subjects.

The first hour of a workshop is typically held indoors and serves as a lecture period. The lecture is usually given by one of the MSU Area Extension Foresters. The Area Extension Foresters are faculty members in the Department of Forestry and are responsible for conducting Extension forestry programs in their area, or district, of the state (Londo & Monaghan, 2002).

With the assistance of forestry faculty and professional foresters, participants are divided into groups and dispersed through the forest for measurement collection. Measurements collected typically include: species, diameter at breast height (DBH), total height, merchantable height, height to natural pruning, and number of stems per acre. The field exercise provides an excellent opportunity for participants to learn how to use the assorted forestry tools for collecting these measurements. In many cases, workshops have prompted the CFAs to purchase this equipment for the use of their members.

Following the field exercise, the data is summarized with a discussion of the results and management recommendations. For example, the results of the Are My Pine Trees Ready to Thin? workshop describe the number of stems per acre, average total height and average height to natural pruning, diameter, and stand volume. These values lead to the final decision on whether the plantation needs to be thinned or not. These workshops have been very popular, in large part because the landowners are taught how to use the equipment and collect, evaluate, and interpret the data and results for their own land.

Conclusions and Future Directions

Forest landowner workshops were created in response to landowner requests for more in-depth training in specific areas. The success of the workshops shows the ability of the forestry Extension program at MSU to respond and adapt to clientele needs for programming. Short courses are still the an important means of providing educational opportunities for Mississippi forest landowners; however, the use of more topic-concentrated landowner workshops is gaining in popularity.

Landowner workshops can be easily adapted in other states. The key to the success of workshops is to create universal teaching objectives and handout materials. These materials are then made available to the instructors, regardless of program location. This ensures consistency in teaching, despite variability in location and instructors (Londo & Monaghan, 2002). Workshop subject areas should be based on local needs assessments and planning activities.

It is likely that workshops will continue to be an important component of forestry Extension programming activities at Mississippi State University. Workshops will continue to cover current subject areas, as well as new topics when landowners' educational needs change.

References

Londo, A. J. (2000). The effects of forest fragmentation on forest management for Mississippi private non-industrial forest landowners. In: Proceedings of the Forest Fragmentation 2000 Conference, pp. 116-124. Sampson Group Inc. Alexandria, Va.

Londo, A. J., & Monaghan, T. A. (2002). Forest landowner short courses at Mississippi State University. Journal of Extension, [On-line]. 40(5). Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2002october/rb5.shtml

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Fieldmen's Luncheon Program Benefits Agriculture Industry

Steven E. Salisbury
Extension Educator
University of Idaho, Twin Falls County Extension
Twin Falls, Idaho
stevens@uidaho.edu

Introduction

Crop consultants, fieldmen, agronomists, and company representatives make up a significant portion of the agriculture industry. This group of agricultural professionals does a great service to the industry by providing producers with expertise and assistance to ensure that the best possible level of production is achieved while maintaining environmental integrity. Continual education and professional development allow these professionals to stay abreast of new knowledge and information, and to broaden their understanding and awareness of sustainable production practices.

These individuals need to be aware of what challenges are occurring or are likely to occur in their area. Dissemination of this information allows time for preventative measures, strategic planning, and treatment so that impacts on crop production can be minimized and natural resources can be protected.

Agriculture lenders are another important group of professionals in the industry. It is imperative for lenders to understand the challenges that their clients must overcome and how those challenges and decisions influence the farm's finances. Furthermore, greater understanding of necessary and alternative practices to ensure successful production will make them a more valuable asset to the producer at times when financial planning decisions are made that influence the farm's profitability.

The Magic Valley Fieldmen's Luncheon program is conducted annually to provide timely education and an information network that benefits the individual and the industry as a whole.

The Program

The goals of this program are to:

• Provide quality, research-based educational information regarding crop production, natural resources, pest management, and sustainable agriculture to the target audience for professional development.

• Develop and provide a medium for agriculture professionals, university Extension faculty, and agency representatives to network information that will benefit a larger number of individuals, including colleagues who were unable to attend and, ultimately, the producers.

The Magic Valley Fieldmen's Luncheon program is conducted during the growing season from May through August. Luncheons are held every second and fourth Wednesday of the month, and each session begins at 11:30 a.m. with lunch. At noon, University Extension educators and/or specialists, crop consultants, or agency representatives deliver an educational presentation approximately 30-40 minutes in length with questions and discussion following. Presentation topics include crop production, natural resource management, integrated pest management, nutrient management, and other critical issues that affect the sustainability of agriculture in the Magic Valley (Figure 1). Idaho professional pesticide applicator recertification credits and Certified Crop Adviser credits are offered for appropriate topics.

For the remaining 20-30 minutes of each luncheon, the Extension educator facilitates and moderates an organized group discussion on the current status of crops, pests, water supply, and other timely issues.

In an effort to increase the attendance, mailings (electronic and postal) are sent to the targeted audience just prior to each luncheon. This mailing provides them with a reminder notice and information about the topic and presenter for the coming luncheon. Public service announcements are also distributed to local news media.

Furthermore, a regional agricultural newspaper correspondent is present at each luncheon. This weekly agricultural newspaper prints articles about the topics covered at the luncheons.

Program Results

The fieldmen's luncheon program was evaluated in 2002 and 2003. A survey was mailed to those who attended the luncheon. The response rates were 67% and 57% in 2002 and 2003, respectively.

• Survey results indicated that the program is valuable (4.2; 5 = very valuable) in helping agriculture professionals increase their knowledge of crop production topics.

• 100% of the respondents signified that they increased their knowledge of the topics covered in the program.

• Respondents indicated that the program is effective (4.2; 5 = very effective) at increasing their awareness of crop production issues and sustainable agriculture practices.

These results suggest that the format of the program is conducive to the education of these professionals and that the topics selected are appropriate and timely. Furthermore, their increased understanding and awareness of sustainable agriculture practices will lead to more recommendations of the sort made to Magic Valley producers. These recommendations will benefit producers, their operations, and the natural resources of south central Idaho.

The fieldmen's luncheon did foster the utilization of an information network among agriculture professionals, university Extension, and producers.

• 100% of the respondents indicated that they shared the information that they had received at the luncheon with others.

• 77% shared this information with both agriculture professional colleagues and producers.

• All in all, there were at least 771 and 1,435 contacts receiving information presented at the fieldmen's luncheon in 2002 and 2003, respectively. The information network is working effectively to educate the agriculture industry in south central Idaho.

The luncheon was also rated as being beneficial (4.3; 5 = very beneficial) to Magic Valley agriculture. Participants believed that the program was an excellent source of information and commented that the luncheon "is very beneficial and valuable to ag professionals," and that "the program needs to continue."

Conclusions

The fieldmen's luncheon program in both its format and content is an effective technique in providing education and professional development to agriculture professionals. Additionally, the luncheon effectively utilizes an information network that results in numerous secondary contacts that ultimately include the producers. Overall, the Magic Valley Fieldmen's Luncheon is positively affecting the agriculture industry by delivering education to its fieldmen, crop consultants, agronomists, and agriculture lenders. Providing timely information and professional improvement to agriculture professionals is leading to more effective and efficient production, which in turn will lead to a more prolific and sustainable industry in the Magic Valley.

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