A study was made in Wisconsin of knowledge gains by participants in two Cooperative Extension Service educational activities (soil management and cooking for many) organized and presented by the in-depth teaching approach, and of selected factors thought to have an effect on the amount of knowledge gained. Gains were categorized as low (1%-49% above pretest scores) and high (50% or more above pretest scores). The independent variables were personal characteristics (including age, sex, and income), size of learning groups, expressed reasons for participation, extent of participation in various educational activities, participant satisfaction, and the extent of reading in the recommended texts. In the soil management clinic, knowledge gains by persons with little previous knowledge were significantly related to satisfaction with the instructor's handling of the course. However, no significant relationship was found in the soil management clinic or the cooking clinic between knowledge gains and the independent variables. Conclusions were stated on program planning and on the implications of participant characteristics, motivation, and satisfaction. (author/ly)