Experiential learning allows students to connect previous experiences with new ideas. Second Life (SL) is a virtual world that allows students to simulate real-world experiences. SL was utilized as an educational tool in an agricultural risk and crisis communications course. Weekly journal entries pertaining to the SL simulation were analyzed to…

Technological advances have created unlimited opportunities in education. Training and technology have merged to create new methods referred to as technology-based training. The purpose of this study was to identify organizations that hire agriculture and life sciences students for positions involving technology-based training and identify…

The Journal of Agricultural Education has primarily published research that uses quantitative research methods. Perhaps this is due partly to the lack of a qualitative research conceptual framework to guide our profession. Most researchers in agricultural education were academically prepared to conduct empirical research. Those who are in the…

The purpose of this study was to determine the competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) required of effective Agricultural Science teachers both inside and outside the classroom as perceived by preservice and inservice teachers and to suggest ways that preservice teachers can gain those competencies prior to entering the teaching…

The purpose of this study was to determine if a need exists to establish an organization specifically for preservice agricultural science teachers and if so, the attributes of such an organization. Selected peer preservice agricultural education programs were examined and focus groups were conducted with preservice and inservice teachers. Results…

The purpose of this study was to describe student learning in executive leadership core competencies after being engaged in a two-semester leadership education sequence. The researchers used evaluative research techniques to compare perceived and actual growth in learning of executive leadership competencies. Data collection consisted of a…

Comparison of agriculture courses delivered synchronously via interactive television (20 students) and asynchronously via the Web (22 students) showed similar achievement of core distance education competencies: adult learning, technology knowledge, instructional design, communication skills, graphic design, administration) regardless of delivery…

Interviews with 18 students participating in an agriculture doctoral program at a distance found they were satisfied with convenience, instructional design, faculty, and cohort groups. Dissatisfaction was related to isolation, inaccessible resources, registration/technical problems, lack of agricultural communications curriculum, and time needed…

A study of 20 graduate students learning distance education methods found that great variance in idnviudal competence at course begining moved to similar levels at course end. Open-ended verification of competence using behavioral anchors worked well as a self-assessment and benchmarking tool to document growth in learning. (Contains 19…

A study of 18 first-semester, 32 midprogram, and 18 graduating/graduated agricultural education doctoral students showed that degree progress increased the following competencies: foundations, applications, and international knowledge; social, content, process, problem-solving, systems, and resource management skills; and verbal, reasoning,…

Responses from agricultural education faculty (n=263) at land-grant institutions indicated their perception of a lack of institutional support for educational technologies; most had websites for course enhancement and were technically competent; they recognized the increasing importance of technologies. Barriers to adoption included lack of…

Interviews with administrators, faculty, and support staff (n=42) in a university agriculture department revealed that they recognized distance technology as a means of reaching new audiences; policies and procedures must expand to address technology issues; competition, external dependence, and Internet misinformation were threats.…