USING INTERACTIVE TELEVISON AND WEB-CONFERENCING SOFTWARE TO TEACH MASTER GARDENER CLASSES
Extension Education
Tom Fowler
Horticulture Specialist
Eagleville
Abstract
Increasing costs and decreasing travel budgets are limiting the amount of support that state specialists based on campus can give to local Master Gardener classes for live instruction. This gives local Master Gardener coordinators two options: Teach all the classes themselves, or go to Internet-based technology to use other faculty who can teach topics in their specialty. Starting in 2007, the two Horticulture Specialists in Missouri’s Northwest Extension Region decided to use Internet-based technology to coordinate multiple Master Gardener training sites. Many of these sites were located in counties with low populations. By using Internet technology, we could support small class sizes in counties that otherwise could not justify a regular class with live presentations. The first two years used interactive television. While this worked well, it eliminated potential training sites that did not have this technology. The third year, we added web-conferencing software. This worked so well that we decided in the fourth year to eliminate interactive television.This poster will explore the use of these technologies, including positive and negative factors.
Poster has NOT been presented at any previous NACAA AM/PIC
This poster is being submitted for judging. It will be displayed at the AM/PIC if not selected as a State winner. The abstract will be published in the proceedings.
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Authors: * T.R. Fowler, T.P Baker
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Fowler, *. Regional Horticulture Specialist (Northwest), University of Missouri Extension, Missouri, 64507
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Baker, T. Regional Horticulture Specialist (Northwest), University of Missouri Extension, Missouri, 64640