Educational Interests of Extension Agents: Implications for the Delivery of Educational Programming at a Distance

Distance education is coming of age and is becoming commonplace. Nearly one-half (44%) of the 2-year and 4-year degree-granting institutions in the United States offered distance education courses during the 1997-1998 academic year (U.S. Department of Education, 2001), a trend that continues to increase. But in the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the technology potential seems to remain particularly unfulfilled.

Different colleges of agriculture have taken a variety of paths to offering educational programming at a distance. For example, Texas A&M University's Department of Agricultural Education and Texas Tech University's Department of Agricultural Education and Communications have been national leaders in developing and offering a Joint Doctor of Education in Agricultural Education at a distance, the "doc-at-a-distance" program (Texas A&M University, 2002).

In addition, Texas A&M University (2002) and similar institutions such as Iowa State University, Department of Agricultural Education and Studies, (Iowa State University, 2002) have created Master's of Agriculture degree programs that are delivered at a distance, either in part or entirely. The Iowa State University degree program is offered "via distance education courses and [through] on-campus workshops," while the Texas A&M University Master's of Agriculture (MAG) degree program's "primary delivery system for course materials and student communication" (Texas A&M University, 2002) is the Internet.

Currently, the University of Georgia, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), working in conjunction with the University System of Georgia Independent Study (USGIS) office and the Georgia Center for Continuing Education, offer the Certification in Turfgrass Management program at a distance (University of Georgia, 2002). Courses may be taken for college credit, or a non-credit certificate may be earned. Materials supporting the program's 10 courses are made available to students through electronic and printed means. Moreover, distance education, involving Internet- or Web-based delivery strategies, "can go beyond a specific course or seminar that is limited by time and by scope of the teacher or presenter and is well matched to needs of non-formal learners" (Tennessen, PonTell, Romine, & Motheral, 1997).

Clearly, as the delivery of higher education at a distance has navigated its formative stages of development, institutions have taken a myriad of paths and approaches for planning, designing, and delivering courses, programs, and degrees. However, a general consensus exists that educational resources are precious and must be committed judiciously and then used wisely. To this end, Witkin (1984) stated, "Effective needs assessment provides the basis for decisions on priorities either for program development or retrenchment." Accordingly, identifiable areas of need (e.g., perceived interests of clients) can be used as decision rules for determining future resource allocation, including the development of new programs and the systems or mechanisms for delivering those programs.

Frequently, agents have robust schedules that extend beyond a traditional "8 to 5" workday and a workload that may include a significant number of job-related functions that occur on weekend days. Thus, their taking a "traditional" on-campus course is often a very difficult endeavor. Consequently, they may be "prime candidates" for participating in educational programs offered at a distance. So, these educators were identified as a target audience who may hold a high demand for higher education programming offered at a distance.

Accordingly, the University of Georgia, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) sought to identify future educational programming initiatives based on the expressed interests of this audience, i.e., programming that would rely heavily on distance education methodologies for its delivery. So, what were the educational interests of county-level Extension agents in Georgia, and what selected factors were related to their interests?

Objectives

The objectives of the study reported here were to describe the interest of county-level Extension agents in Georgia for receiving educational programming offered at a distance and to identify selected factors related to their interests with implications for program delivery. The following research questions guided the study.

1. What type(s) of educational programming, e.g., degree, certificate, or a specific course, were Extension agents interested in receiving at a distance?

2. What level of interest did Extension agents hold for receiving educational programming offered at a distance?

3. What were selected personal and/or situational factors related to interests held by Extension agents for receiving educational programming offered at a distance?

Methods and Procedures

This was a descriptive-correlational study to describe the interests of Extension agents in Georgia for receiving educational programming offered at a distance and to identify selected factors related to their interests with implications for program delivery. The survey population included all Extension agents (n = 365) in the state of Georgia employed during the summer of 2001. Staff members of the Survey Research Center (SRC) at the University of Georgia coordinated data collection and storage. Collection involved a mixed mail/Internet approach (Dillman, 2000). A cover letter contained within the questionnaire booklet explained the purpose of the survey; a similar "letter" introduced the on-line survey as well.

Members of The University of Georgia, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Information Technology Forum (ITF) work group reviewed the questionnaire items for content validity. The 13 items reported on in this article were of two types: yes/no and multiple choice. Respondents were instructed to skip certain questionnaire items depending on their response to an antecedent question, thus the number of responses for a given question varied. For the questions addressing "level of interest," respondents were asked to rate the items using the following scale: "3" = "Very Interested," "2" = "Somewhat Interested," and "1" = "Marginally Interested."

Questionnaires were distributed to agents through their district directors, who requested that they return completed surveys either to their respective district offices or to postal mail them directly to the Survey Research Center (SRC) at the University of Georgia. Agents also had the option of completing the questionnaire on-line via a Web page designed and monitored by staff members of the SRC. Useable responses were received from 238 Extension agents for a response rate of 65.2%, i.e., a self-selected sample from the original population. Caution should be followed when generalizing the findings beyond those individuals who responded to the survey.

Research questions one and two were analyzed descriptively with frequencies and percentages. Research question three was analyzed using frequencies and percentages to describe factors and correlation analysis to determine relationships (p < .05) between selected variables. Data were collected and stored in a SAS database by SRC staff; it was later imported into an SPSS datafile and analyzed by the researchers using SPSS for Windows, v. 7.5.

Findings

Nearly three-fourths of the Extension agents expressed an interest in pursuing additional education at a distance (Table 1). Approximately six in 10 were interested in pursuing a graduate degree, while less than one-half of the agents expressed interest in pursuing a certificate program through similar means. However, two-thirds of the respondents also expressed interest in completing one or more specific courses at a distance (Table 1).

Table 1.
Extension Agents' (n = 238) Expressed Interests for Receiving Educational Programming at a Distance

Interests	n	%
Not Interested	5	1.7%
General interest in pursuing additional education at a distance	178	74.8%
Interested in pursuing a graduate degree at a distance	140	58.8%
Interested in pursuing a certificate program at a distance	104	43.7%
Interested in pursuing completion of specific courses	157	66.0%

Shown in Table 2 are the levels of interest for those agents who indicated that they were in fact interested in pursuing a graduate degree at a distance or a certificate program at a distance. Mean score (Mean = 2.43; SD = .69) revealed that agents' levels of interest for receiving educational programming at a distance leading to a graduate degree were about midway between "somewhat" and "very interested." However, the expressed interest of agents for receiving educational programming at a distance leading to completion of a certificate program was only slightly above "somewhat interested" (Mean = 2.13; SD = .62).

Table 2.
Extension Agents' (n = 238) Expressed Interest and Levels of Interest for Receiving Educational Programming at a Distance

Expressed Interests and Levels of Interest	n	%
Pursuing a Graduate Degree at a Distance
Not Interested	97	40.8%
Interested	141	59.2%
Levels of Interest (of the "Interested") from above
Very Interested (3)	76	31.9%
Somewhat Interested (2)	49	20.6%
Marginally Interested (1)	16	6.7%
	Meana	2.43
	SD	.69
Pursuing a Certificate Program at a Distance
Not Interested	132	55.5%
Interested	106	44.6%
Levels of Interest (of the "Interested") from above
Very Interested (3)	28	5.9%
Somewhat Interested (2)	64	26.9%
Marginally Interested (1)	14	11.8%
	Meana	2.13
	SD	.62
Note. a3 = Very Interested, 2 = Somewhat Interested, and 1 = Marginally Interested. *p < .05.

Data in Table 3 show that a "salary increase" was most frequently identified by agents (approximately one-third) as the factor that would motivate them to pursue additional education offered at a distance. Nearly four in 10 agents were ready to begin course work during the fall semester of 2001 (i.e., "readiness to enroll"). The remaining respondents either indicated a readiness to enroll for the spring semester of 2002 or later. "Geographic or scheduling conflicts" were most often identified as the greatest barriers to pursuing educational programming at a distance.

A majority of agents indicated that they had access to computers and to the Internet at work and at home. However, about one in three agents had access to the Internet only while at work. A majority of participants identified either "high speed" or "fast dial-up (>56K)" as their type of Internet connection. Slightly more than four-fifths of the agents perceived that their "competence in the use of computers" was "average" or better. The other respondents rated their ability as either "below average" or considered themselves "novices."

Table 3.
Selected Personal and/or Situational Factors Related to Distance Education as Reported by Extension Agents (n = 238)

Selected Personal and/or Situational Factors	n	%
Motivatorsa
Release time from job duties	16	6.7%
Salary increase	74	31.1%
Tuition remission/employer reimbursement	43	18.1%
Other	14	5.9%
No response	91	38.2%
Readiness to Enrolla
Fall 2001	91	38.2%
Spring 2002	53	22.3%
After Spring 2002	30	12.6%
No response	64	26.9%
Barriersa
Desired degree program not offered	39	16.4%
Already hold a terminal degree	33	13.9%
No desire or incentives to continue education	41	17.2%
Geographic or scheduling conflicts	81	34.0%
No response	44	18.5%
TECHNOLOGY
Access to a Computer
Work only	59	24.8%
Home only	2	0.8%
Work and home	175	73.5%
No response	2	0.8%
Access to the Internet
Work only	81	34.0%
Home only	2	0.8%
Work and home	153	64.3%
No response	2	0.8%
Speed of Internet Connection
High speed	80	33.6%
Fast dial-up (>56K)	98	41.1%
Slow dial-up (<56K)	21	8.8%
Uncertain	35	14.7%
No response	4	1.7%
Perceived Competence in Use of Computers
Very experienced	12	5.0%
Experienced	89	37.4%
Average	95	39.9%
Below average	36	15.1%
Novice	2	0.8%
No response	4	1.7%
Note. aParticipants were instructed to skip these items if they expressed no interest in distance education; thus "no response" was coded.

The test of significance for reported correlation analyses was p < .05. Davis' (1971) conventions were used to describe the magnitude of correlations. Analysis revealed a moderate, positive relationship between an agent's interest in pursuing a graduate degree at a distance and his or her perceived level of competence in use of computers (r = .36). As an agent's perception of competence increased so did interest. Further, a moderate, positive relationship existed (r = .39) between an agent's interest in pursuing a graduate degree at a distance and his or her readiness to enroll for such programming. As interest increased, so did readiness.

Similarly, a moderate, positive relationship existed (r = .37) between an agent's interest for pursuing a certificate program at a distance and his or her readiness to enroll for such programming. As interest increased, so did readiness.

However, in the case of perceived level of competence in the use of computers and interest in pursuing a certificate program at a distance, the relationship was low and positive (r = .10). No significant relationships were found for participants between an agent's interest in pursuing a specific course and his or her perceived competence in using computers or his or her readiness to enroll for educational programming at a distance.

Conclusions

A substantial number of agents were interested in pursuing education at a distance. Interest was greatest for programming leading to a graduate degree. Thirty percent of the agents expressing an interest were "very interested" in doing so, while fewer were similarly interested in pursuing a certificate program.

About one-third of the respondents identified an increase in salary as a motivator for pursuing education at a distance; "geographic and scheduling conflicts" were viewed by many as barriers. However, nearly 40% of the agents were ready to enroll for courses offered at a distance during the fall semester of 2001. A majority of agents had access to a computer and to the Internet at work and at home; many had relatively fast Internet connections. More than four-fifths of the participants perceived that their computer competence was average or better.

As an agent's perception of competence in using computers increased, so did his or her interest in pursuing a graduate degree at a distance. This association was statistically significant and positive (p < .05). Further, as his or her "readiness to enroll" for educational programming at a distance increased, so did his or her interest in pursuing a graduate degree. This association was statistically significant and positive (p < .05). A similar relationship also existed between "readiness" and pursuit of a certificate program at a distance. However, no significant relationships were found between an agent's interest in pursuing a specific course and his or her perceived competence in using computers or with his or her readiness to enroll.

Recommendations

A substantial number of agents (178) indicated that they were interested in pursuing educational programming at a distance. Many were ready to begin taking courses in the fall of 2001. Accordingly, the following recommendations are offered: 

1. To meet the "immediate" need, graduate courses with appeal to agents that are being or have been taught previously at a distance, either in part or entirely, should be offered as an "initial" response.

2. Longer term, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences should develop a "coherent" distance education program to address the expressed interest of Extension agents (Lindner, Dooley, & Murphy, 2001).

   • Similar to existing residential graduate degree programs, a coherent distance program would have multiple program options as well as specified support courses and/or recommended electives (Iowa State University, 2002; Jackson, Raven, & Threadgill, 1995; Texas A&M University, 2002).

   • Inherent to the program options also should be "abbreviated" options (e.g., three to five related/supporting courses) for those students who are interested in earning specialized certification in a particular disciplinary area.

   • Moreover, sufficient "flexibility" should exist so that students, who are either undertaking or who finish a certificate program, could use their completed course work toward a degree in the future, if they so choose.

3. Nearly two-thirds of the agents indicated an interest in taking one or more specific courses; however, this research did not identify those courses. So additional inquiry should be conducted to identify courses that agents have the greatest interest in taking.

4. Similar to the "doc-at-a-distance" program developed and offered jointly by Texas A&M University and Texas Tech University (Texas A&M University, 2002), CAES decision makers should consider the feasibility of a "cohort approach" (Imel, 2002) when recruiting students who are interested in pursuing additional education at a distance.

5. Perceptions of groups, such as university faculty and administrators, clients of Extension agents, industry representatives, and other stakeholders, should be elicited to improve our understanding about the development and delivery of educational programming at a distance for this audience.

References

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