Andrew, Chandra L. (author) and Tarleton State University
Format:
Dissertation
Publication Date:
2017-01-01
Published:
Ann Arbor: ProQuest
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 17 Document Number: D10469
Notes:
326 pages., ISBN: 9781369787863, Via ProQuest Dissertations and Theses., Stufflebeam’s (1969) context, input, process, product (CIPP) model was used to evaluate 11 undergraduate agricultural communication programs. The programs were selected based upon their 2012-2013 membership numbers in the National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow chapters, with the goal of selecting the universities with the largest undergraduate agricultural communication programs. Research has indicated that regular evaluation is vital to the agricultural industry and the graduates from agricultural communication programs.
The researcher sought to answer the following research questions: 1. How many credit hours does each program require? 2. What categories of courses are offered within the curriculum for an undergraduate agricultural communication degree? 3. What are the expected topics students should receive in each category? 4. What is the degree productivity of each undergraduate degree or concentration in agricultural communication over a five-year timespan?
The context portion of the study was the history of agricultural communication. The input construct of the model was the characteristics of undergraduate agricultural communication programs. The process portion of the model was the traditional programs’ coursework offered in the programs. Finally, the product construct was the topics required by graduates.
The evaluation identified 28 categories of coursework that occurred in the undergraduate agricultural communication curriculum of the 11 selected universities. The frequency of categories occurring at each university ranged from a high of 11 to a low of three. Topics varied depending upon category, but overlap of topics did occur among categories. The overlap indicates that faculty are striving to encompass multiple topics within their offered courses’ framework.
Finally, all programs had increased their number of graduates in a five-year timespan. With the exception of one program, all remaining programs expected enrollment to continue to increase in the future.
USA: Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D08893
Notes:
Pages 23-25 in Lucinda Crile, Review of Extension Research - January to December 1953, Extension Service Circular 493, January 1954. Summary of the author's Master of Science thesis, Iowa State College, Ames. 1953. 236 pages.
18 pages, Soil and land degradation is a common issue in Sub-Saharan Africa leading to poor yield and threatening food security, yet soil conservation technologies remain underutilized. To build on prior work that primarily emphasizes demographic differences in adoption, this study contributes by identifying underlying social and cultural factors that influence farmers' perceptions about and willingness to adopt soil conservation management practices in a rural region of Malawi. Key informant interviews were first conducted to identify constraints slowing composting adoption, which were then used to structure the creation of participatory videos—videos created with the active participation of local farmers that demonstrated compost manure practices and benefits. Farmers from the same communities subsequently participated in focus group discussions before and after the moderated screening and discussion of these videos in order to obtain a more in-depth understanding of the constraints and possible ways to overcome them. Among the identified constraints to the use of composting were inefficient government programs such as the Farm Input Subsidy Program that contributed to a belief that only subsidized chemical fertilizers provided positive returns on investment, a lack of support from extension services that diminished compost use, social norms around gender that hindered women farmers from attempting to use composting, and livelihood strategy changes that led to labour shortages. Findings from the focus groups showed that the participatory video method encouraged adoption by helping farmers, and especially women, to reconsider composting, test it, and reflect upon social and cultural constraints impeding adoption. Over half of the farmers in the study tested composting for the first time after discussing the videos and changed their perception of both the value of composting and their own ability to use these types of soil conservation practices.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 116 Document Number: C11785
Notes:
Francis C. Byrnes Collection, Proceedings of the 13th annual conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education, Arlington, Virginia, April 3-5, 1997.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D08842
Notes:
Pages 126-140 in Dawson, Julie C. and Morales, Alfonso (eds.), Cities of farmers: urban agricultural practices and processes. United States: University of Iowa Press, Iowa City. 333 pages.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D08868
Notes:
Pages 215-256 in Ormrod, James S. (ed.), Changing our environment, changing ourselves: nature, labour, knowledge and alienation. United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan UK, London. 315 pages.
Diaz-Cisneros, Heliodoro (author) and University of Guelph, Canada and Wageningen Agricultural University, The Netherlands
Format:
Proceedings
Publication Date:
1983-08-21
Published:
International: Agricultural University Wageningen, the Netherlands
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 130 Document Number: C19444
Notes:
Burton Swanson Collection, pp 44-49; Proceedings universities and integrated rural development in developing countries August 21-25, 1983, An International Conference
Evans, J. (author), Thomas, S.A.J. (author), and Weidert, J.F. (author)
Format:
Research report
Publication Date:
1963
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 4 Document Number: B00340
Journal Title Details:
18
Notes:
AgComm Teaching, Urbana, IL: Extension Editorial Office, College of Agriculture, University of Illinois. 12 pp (Agricultural Communications Research Report 18)
13 pages, Much is known about the benefits of interacting with animals for learners. However, little is known about the animals’ potential influence on the communication ability of the presenter/educator. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experience of undergraduate students who used live animals (baby chicks, turtles, salamanders, and non-venomous snakes) during in-class and outreach presentations and the animals’ role in influencing their communication ability. The influence of an instructor who teaches with such animals was also examined. A purposive sample of students enrolled in an introductory environmental education course open to all majors was obtained and five students agreed to participate in semi-structured interviews. Once audio was recorded and transcribed, the constant comparative method was used to analyze the data. Six reoccurring themes emerged. Presenting with a live animal (1) helped students feel less nervous while teaching, (2) increased presenter confidence, (3) promoted flexibility while teaching, (4) encouraged audience analysis, (5) helped create a positive, comfortable learning environment, and (6) influenced student career decisions. These themes aligned with Bandura’s triatic reciprocality model. Pre-service teacher education programs may consider using small, live animals, when relevant, with apprentice teachers as they can equally benefit the presenter and learning environment.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 199 Document Number: D09897
Notes:
NCR-90 Collection, From Document D09897, "Department of agricultural journalism University of Wisconsin-Madison: Faculty and graduate student research, 1995". Page 2.
11 pages, This paper considers issues related to farmers' control of program planning for non-formal agricultural adult education1. Discussion is based on an empirical study of a $10 million Canadian sustainable agriculture education program that was initiated, created, and controlled by a coalition of farm organizations, supplanting a traditional role of extension. Theories of participatory extension education provide a theoretical framework for consideration of issues in the case. Participation theory guides the formation of partnerships among extension, communities, industry, and government. In the area of sustainable agriculture, however, stakeholders may conflict, presenting challenges to engagement and decision-making processes. Moreover, agricultural education researchers have produced little data to show effects of stakeholder involvement in program planning, putting the extension system at risk of desiring increased levels of engagement without a knowledge base about potential impacts. The study was conducted over a 3-year period using cultural anthropology and participatory action research. Farmers strongly influenced five program elements: (a) staffing, (b) content, (c) instruction, (d) evaluation, and (e) composition of planning group.
Hasan, Md. Mahedi (author), Mondal, Md. Nazrul Islam (author), Islam, Md. Nurul (author), and Hoque, Md. Aminul (author)
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2017
Published:
United States: Taylor & Francis
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 64 Document Number: D10728
Journal Title Details:
32(3): 214-223
Notes:
11 pages., via online journal., Farm programmes (FPs) of varied categories have been developed and
aired over several decades by Bangladesh Betar, the national radio of
Bangladesh for the diffusion of farm technologies. The study aimed
to produce an in-depth academic evaluation of their effectiveness
in educating farmers in Bangladesh. A sample of 465 respondents
from the Khulna and Rajshahi divisions in Bangladesh was randomly
selected for a questionnaire survey. To analyse the data, relevant
documents were collected from the Ministry of Information, the
Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock
of Bangladesh. Frequency distribution, z-test, and binary logistic
regression analysis were used as statistical tools. The farm knowledge
levels of the farmers were considered the predictors for evaluating
the effectiveness of FPs. The results revealed that 93.33% of the
sample did not listen to the FPs, while only very few of the listeners
listened regularly. Despite this, at the ‘weak’ and ‘average’ levels of
knowledge significant differences were noted between listener and
non-listener farmers of FPs. The binary logistic regression analysis
(Model 1) identified that the farmers who listened to the FPs were
likely to acquire farm knowledge 6.62 times more than the farmers
who did not listen to the FPs. The farmers who listened to the FPs were
likely to have farm knowledge 2.64 times more than the farmers who
did not listen to the FPs but consulted with other sources of farming
information (Model 2). Similarly, a listener of FPs with farm training
was likely to acquire farm knowledge 5.76 times more than a nonlistener with farm training (Model 3). The FPs were found to be very
effective and could be used to better complement other mechanisms
for educating farmers. Regular access to the FPs ought to be ensured
through appropriate stimulants for the diffusion of farm technologies.
15 pages, Food security and agricultural-led industrialisation are pivotal development objectives in Ethiopia. One of the main challenges this country faces is increasing agricultural productivity by integrating smallholder farmers into a high-value agricultural commodity supply chain. This paper examines an integrated project—the Agricultural Value Chains Project in Oromia (AVCPO)—that aims to improve the livelihoods of smallholders in the Bale Zone by involving them in the production of high-quality durum wheat and linking them to the pasta industry via farmers’ cooperatives. Using primary data collected in 2014 and retrospective information, this paper investigates the AVCPO’s effects on the quantity of cereal production, the share of cereals that have been sold through cooperatives, food security, and education. In order to account for potential violations of the exclusion restriction assumption, an instrumental variable approach is applied, together with three additional estimation strategies.
The results suggest that the project has had a large and positive effect on gross and net values of cereal production per hectare, as well as on the share of production sold to pasta makers through cooperatives. These benefits accrue equally to land-rich and land-poor farmers. Furthermore, our analysis suggests that the AVCPO has improved educational outcomes and reduced food insecurity, without affecting crop rotation practices. Overall, our findings point to the effectiveness of the project. Before replicating or scaling up this intervention, however, it is necessary to understand how to better involve poorer farmers and which adjustments are needed if the areas selected have a lower potential than Bale Zone.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D02287
Notes:
Pages 267-277 in Brian Ilbery, Quentin Chiotti and Timothy Rickard (eds.) Agricultural restructuring and sustainability: a geographical perspective. CAB International, Oxon, UK. 348 pages.
Knight, Thomas O. (author), Kubiak, Kathryn A. (author), and Knight: Assistant professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University, TX; Kubiak: Graduate research assistant, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University, TX
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
1987-11
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 84 Document Number: C05350
AGRICOLA IND 88021937, Abstract: Extension economists in many states develop decision aids to assist agricultural producers in evaluating farm participation. It is important that these analytical procedures yield reliable results. Consistency among procedures is also important when they are used in formulating competitive bids for programs like the Dairy Termination Program. Seven Dairy Termination Program break-even bid procedures are examined. The results show that the analytical approaches are conceptually quite different and that numerical results derived for an example farm are inconsistent.
