1. Title: Online Master Gardener Program Development Principal Leader/Contact:
Kelly Murray Young, Assistant Agent, Horticulture/Agroecology, Maricopa County 2. Situation
Problem or Need
Historically, Extension Agents and Specialists travel to counties throughout the state to deliver the same class content time and time again to people taking the initial Master Gardener (MG) training. Some locations are quite distant from the faculty’s base and travel expenses can be prohibitive. MG program coordinators, both volunteer and paid staff, are challenged to secure high quality speakers that are willing to drive such great distances to teach sometimes small audiences
Another challenge of the current MG program is there is a desire to fit so much lecture content into each class that there is no time to do hands-on or other, interactive
activities. A strictly lecture-based format does not appeal to most learners. For existing MG programs, having an online component to be completed prior to an in-person meeting will allow students to enjoy a greater depth in their learning experience.
A survey was sent out to MG coordinators throughout Arizona to determine their need, interest and willingness to offer online MG training to their constituents. Eight
respondents representing nine counties unanimously indicated that they would use an online MG program if it was available and all eight chose to collaborate on this project. Furthermore, other states have implemented online training in MG core curriculum with great success.
Goal(s) and Objective(s)
The goal is to develop online class modules that cover the core MG curriculum, including plant biology, soils, irrigation, entomology, plant problem diagnosis, weed management, vegetable gardening and pruning. Using an online platform, such as Moodle, course modules would include PowerPoint presentations with instructor voiceover, links to publications and other credible resources and pre/post assessment and evaluation tools. This online curriculum would then be adopted by counties that offer MG initial training or could be made available to the public at the discretion of the course manager for that county.
3. Inputs
Project Leaders and Team Members
The project will be led by Kelly Young, Jo Cook, Stacey Bealmear and Peter Warren. Other team members include Master Gardener program coordinators that expressed interest in the project: Jeff Schalau, Carol Stockwell, Bill Cook, and Bill Brandau and Rick Gibson.
Counties/Departments
Interested staff and faculty from Cooperative Extension offices represent Yuma, Coconino, Yavapai, Mojave, Greenlee, Graham, Maricopa, Pima and Pinal Counties.
Services will be contracted through CALS CCT for video production and web hosting. Involved Collaborators
Collaborators include the instructors that typically travel and teach the classes to MGs and authors of the revised Arizona Master Gardener Manual. Bobby Torres from CALS Agricultural Education has agreed to provide guidance on structuring the modules and curriculum so that they are effectively teaching the adult learner.
4. Outputs
This project will initially produce 10-13 class modules that will each include PowerPoint presentations with instructor voiceover, three-minute videos demonstrating concepts and techniques, publications and other resources. Modules will be aligned with the new Arizona Master Gardener Manual and will feature CALS publications. The curriculum will be hosted on the CALS server. Each county will manage enrollment individually. Over time, additional modules will be added to expand the offerings to include topics relevant to different areas of the state, such as fire-wise landscaping, rainwater harvesting and turf management.
A training to MG program coordinators on how to use the online system will be delivered in the fall of 2015.
5. Outcomes, Impacts and Evaluation
Offering the MG initial training program online will offer the same short and medium term impacts of our existing programs, but to a wider audience and at a reduced cost in the long run.
Short term Outcomes
This revamped course will increase the number of counties that can offer the Master Gardener class while it increases Master Gardener’s knowledge and awareness in core concepts of proper plant care for the Southwest. This course will add a new, hands-on portion that will increase their skills at diagnosing plant disorders and their ability to teach what they have learned to others. This will increase the number of people learning proper plant care and the number of clients UA Cooperative Extension is reaching. Medium Term Outcomes
The new skills learned will allow Master Gardeners to make changes in their own
practices as well as that of the general public they teach. Rural communities will be able to benefit from the access to the Master Gardener class and Master Gardeners. This will allow those areas to be more empowered in growing their own gardens.
Long Term Impacts
The major long term impact of this new program will be the reduction of cost to have a Master Gardener class. We will no longer have to pay agents and specialists to drive around and give talks. This could reduce the cost of the Master Gardener class and allow more people to afford it. More people taking the class generates improvements in both social and environmental issues for these communities.
Delivering our MG program content online is a leap outside of the box and into the present for UA Cooperative Extension. Delivering research-based,
audience-appropriate environmental education to everyone with internet access will increase the UA’s presence worldwide.
Evaluation
Pre/post evaluations will be built into each module to assess participants’ changes in knowledge, skills and abilities. End of program evaluations will be administered to participants to document the effectiveness of the program and to seek input to make improvements. We will also evaluate the impacts on each county’s reach in their community, including the numbers served.
6. Plan for Communicating Program Impacts
Program impacts will be communicated to CALS through a final report and as a submission to Tuesday Morning Notes. Impacts will be reported through Journal of Extension and presented at the National Association of County Agriculture Agents (NACAA) and the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS).
7. Plan for Sustainability
Setting up the online program is where the greatest expenses will be incurred. Web hosting by CALS is priced at $200/year, which may be waived or paid through class fees. All counties charge for the MG training and a portion of those fees can be directed toward web hosting.
8. Budget and Narrative Budget
Item Rate Units Quantity Cost Professional fees for video
recording $50 hr 20 $1,000.00
Video editing $35 hr 80 $2,800.00
Graphic design $35 hr 20 $700.00
Web set up $45 hr 120 $5,400.00
Web hosting $200 yr 1 $200.00
Equipment and supplies
Video cameras and media $1,000 each 3 $3,000.00 Travel for coordinators' training
mileage $0.45 mile 2000 $890.00
meals $15 each 8 $120.00
lodging $95 night 5 $475.00
Budget Narrative
We are requesting $14,585.00 for this project. Once the website is set up and the process for developing the course modules is established, this project can be sustained through enrollment fee-based cost recovery.
A. Professional Services by CALS CCT ($10,100) I. Video Recording and Editing ($3,800)
To ensure consistency among modules and strong UA CALS branding of the online MG program, the Educational and Multimedia Technologies unit will be utilized to produce high quality, professional videos describing the mission of the MG program, Cooperative Extension, CALS and Land Grant universities.
Video recordings by CCT is $50/hour x 20 hours = $1,000.
Editing of the raw footage into short, impactful videos requires four hours per each hour of recording. Student video editors charge at a rate of $15 per hour, professional CCT staff charge $35 an hour. We budgeted 80 hours of
professional staff for this project, but costs may be lower if students are hired instead.
$35/hour x 80 hours = $2,800. II. Graphic Design ($700)
Professional graphic design services offered by CCT will provide design elements incorporated into each module to ensure consistency and branding. Templates will be developed that can be used as future modules are developed. Graphic design by CCT is $35/hour x 20 hours = $700.
III. Web Development and Hosting ($5,600) Web hosting provided by CCT is $200 per year.
Initial design and set-up of the site will be coordinated with the Programming and Web Development unit. This will involve the installation of the appropriate online learning platform, such as Moodle on the CALS server, setting up managers in each county and designing the look, feel and flow of the modules online. Web set up and design by CCT is $45/hour x 120 hours = $5,400.
B. Equipment and Supplies ($3,000)
Basic audio/video recording equipment will be purchased for use by coordinators to create content for upload into the online program. Three sets of equipment will be purchased and shared among coordinators in the southern, central and northern parts of the state.
Video recorder with enhanced audio input, media and connectivity $1,000 each x 3 counties = $3,000.
C. Travel ($1,485)
MG program coordinators will need to be trained on the use of the online program. We are budgeting to bring eight coordinators to Central Arizona for a one-day training on the technology in the fall or winter of 2015.
I. Mileage for five travellers to come to Central Arizona $0.445/mile x 2000 miles = $890.00
II. Lodging for five travellers in Central Arizona $95/night x 5 = $475
III. Meals for 8 coordinators $15/meal x 8 = $120
