Effectively utilizing
demonstration for Ag. Extension.
“What a man hears, he
may doubt; what he sees, he may also doubt; but what he does, he cannot doubt.”
Seaman A. Knapp.
Peer
teaching and learning is an important part of agricultural education. While
volunteering with the U.S. Peace Corps in Paraguay, I noticed much resistance
to adoption of new soil conservation practices that I was promoting throughout
the community. As a foreigner, there was an aspect of distrust in me and in what I was
promoting. This distrust was justified due to the farmers not knowing my
background, and the fact that I had never ran a farm in that region of the world before.
I eventually built relationships with some of the community members who were
better positioned to take risks on new farming practices. After seeing positive
results in the 1st growing season, these growers shared their
results with other growers, and the practices were slowly incorporated
throughout the community.
This concept of using farmers land
to demonstrate new technologies has been used since 1903. Seaman A. Knapp
worked in agricultural extension at the beginning of the twentieth century. He believed
that showing farmers new techniques on research farms operated at public
expense was of little benefit. Alternatively he proposed and conducted well
thought out demonstrations, based on research results, on land owned by farmers,
in cooperation with the farmer. This model for disseminating useful and
practical information has been wildly successful and a tool used by Extension
ever since.
The process
for conducting an on farm demonstration requires thorough planning. First off,
a problem must be identified. The demonstrated practice must be something that
is relevant for local area growers. This need can be identified through
informal or formal grower survey and field observation. As a form of nonformal
education, the use of demonstration as a teaching tool for growers must be
relevant and engaging in order to effectively reach a large number or growers.
This planning should be conducted by
a guidance committee. This committee should be formed of extension staff,
concerned farmers, and local farm material dealers. The committee should work
to fully plan all aspects of the demonstration and elect the cooperating farmer
to host the demonstration. In depth planning ensures that the demonstration
reaches as many growers as possible, that the demonstration is conducted successfully,
maintaining a good relationship between the growers and Extension.
On-farm peer
demonstration has six goals for effectiveness;
1) Audience interest. You topic should either arouse the learner’s interest or deal with
something that people are already interested in.
2) Understanding the purpose of the demonstration. The project should be widely publicized
to that many stakeholders are aware of the project and what it is
accomplishing.
3) Simplicity.
Demonstrations teaching one practice at a time are most effective.
4) Repetition.
Seeing similar results across several farms or several season reinforces confidence
in the efficacy of a practice.
5) Participation by observers. “A skill has neither been taught nor learned until the
pupil can actually perform the task with his or her own hands.” (Hancock)
6) Satisfaction. Habits
are most easily formed when an act results in satisfaction, hence demonstrations
are most effective when they present solutions that are possible, practical,
and easy to implement.
Just as in the class room, thorough planning and concrete
objectives are crucial for effectively sharing information and promoting
techniques through on farm demonstration. Utilizing the farmer as the primary
person sharing project results is an important method for continuing
this education and practice implementation. This concept of utilizing
cooperative learning and resource people to reach a broader community of people is an important tool that should be widely utilized.
Hancock, J. 1997. Extension Education: Conducting Effective Agricultural Demonstration. University of Kentucky Extension Publication. Retrieved from http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id111/ id111.pdf
