A 10-Step Process for Environmental Scanning

This article presents a step-by-step process used in North Carolina Cooperative Extension that provides a practical guide for conducting environmental scans. While easy to use, the methods are grounded in best practices from the current literature and provide a mechanism for gathering triangulated data from both primary and secondary sources that reflects a consensus, if you will, of high priority issues upon which relevant Extension programs can be built. In addition, this process also includes identifying individual and community assets that can be used collectively with Extension efforts to address the issues more comprehensively

A Tool for Focusing Integrated Team Efforts on Complex Issues

Focusing the work of interdisciplinary teams to address prioritized issues is not an easy task. This new tool is designed to aid Extension educators in working with their integrated teams to dissect a complex issue by identifying the: 1) primary and secondary target audiences, 2) causal and contributing factors (i.e., root causes), 3) opportunities and threats to addressing and/or improving the issue, 4) program components to build in, and 5) resources to implement/carry out the different program components

Using Culturally Sensitive Methodologies When Researching Diverse Cultures

The purpose of this article is to introduce additional information in the ongoing conversation about using culturally sensitive research methods with diverse research populations. Research, including evaluation research, examining ethnic minorities, international, tribal members, and individuals within diverse cultures should be performed within a context of cultural understanding. Several methodological examples will be presented, expanding the discussion of contemporary research with diverse cultures. The demographics of the United States population are growing more diverse with each approaching year. According to the 2000 Census, (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001) 75 % of the population is White, 12.5 % Hispanic, 12.3 % Black, 3.6 % Asian, 0.9 American Indian or Alaskan Native, 0.1 Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 2.4% More than one race, and 5.5 % Some other race. Population projections estimate that the non-Hispanic White population will decline in size while the minority population will double or triple, with the highest rate of increase occurring amon

An Exploratory Profile of Extension Evaluation Professionals

Extension evaluators serve important roles within our organization, given the increased emphasis on program accountability and renewed focus on program evaluation within the Extension system at all levels. What are the main roles and responsibilities of Extension evaluators? What is the nature and scope of their work? What is their academic preparation? How do they receive continued professional development and training? What is the organizational context in which they work? Prior to the study reported here, little was known about Extension evaluators. The exploratory study provides some insight and, more important, raises significant questions for future study of Extension evaluators

Celebrating Diversity 365 Days a Year: An Educational Calendar for Planning Programs

This article describes the Celebrating Diversity calendar and its uses in planning community-based Extension programs. The Celebrating Diversity calendar covers an 18-month period from July 2003 through December 2004. It serves as a source of information on ethnic celebrations, holidays, and other significant events. Knowledge of those ethnic observances aid Extension professionals in planning their educational programs in several key ways. This article provides a description of the utility of the calendar as an Extension program-planning tool. Information on how to obtain the calendar is provided as well

Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of an Elder Financial Abuse Program

Financial exploitation of elders is the fastest growing crime in America, with telemarketing schemes being the prime methods used. The authors developed the Striking Back program, which includes a Leader\u27s Guide, videotape, practice scenarios, and handouts, to make elders aware of the problem and provide strategies for dealing with solicitors. Pre/post knowledge tests were used to determine if learning occurred as a result of the educational program, and a 6-week follow-up evaluation was conducted to determine whether elders had adopted key practices that deter telemarketers. This article presents the program design and implementation strategies as well as evaluation results

Examining and Supporting Laypeople's Learning in Online Health Information Seeking

It has long been understood that knowledge acquisition is an important component in the information seeking process [2,18]. Further, empirical studies have demonstrated that learning is a common phenomenon in information seeking [8,10,20]. However, for users, especially laypeople, who must gain knowledge through their interactions with a search engine, the current general-purpose search engine does not sufficiently support learning through search. Health information seeking (HIS, hereafter) is a domain-specific search [14], where users who possess higher knowledge tend to have better strategies and performances in solving their search tasks [3,21]. While learning clearly plays an important role in the HIS process, there has been little research in this area. Little is known about the factors that might enhance or impede such learning during onlineHIS. Therefore, this project aims at examining health consumers, especially laypeople’s search as learning behaviors and performances. A mixed method design will be adopted, consisting of experimental-based studies and interviews. So far, we have conducted 24 user studies and semi-structured interviews, investigating the source selection behaviors in the HIS tasks with increasing levels of learning goals. The results of this phase of the study will be used to guide the following analysis and predict laypeople’s knowledge levels in the HIS process and provide corresponding support

A Descriptive View of the 4-H Club Experience Through the Lens of 4-H Youth

4-H like other youth development programs should be generally marked by the presence of three features of optimal youth programming: 1. youth participation and leadership, 2. positive adult-youth relationships, and 3. skill building activities (Lerner, 2004). This paper reviews a study which examined the extent to which 4-H youth felt they had “opportunities” to engage in different learning experiences, and provide leadership to those experiences within their clubs. The study also examined the youth’s perceptions about whether their experience in the 4-H Club helped them spend more time with their parents, have a positive relationship with another adult and do things independently. An examination of whether there is a difference in life skill development in 4-H based on certain key demographic variables is also discussed. The results of this study are shared as well as implications for practice and recommendations for further research

Statistical Testing of a Measure of Youth’s Perceived Improvement in Life Skills

This article presents findings from the statistical test of an instrument designed to measure youth’s perceptions of the life skills that were improved as a result of their participation in 4-H Clubs. The questionnaire was administered to 126 4-H club members in Florida. The 19-item self-rating Life Skills Improvement Scale was examined for face and content validity. The results were also submitted for exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency testing. The factor analysis yielded a four-factor solution to the 19-item scale, which accounted for 62.6% of the variance in the scale. The Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient for the 19 items was 0.88. The article also discusses implications and future use of the instrument, as well as recommendations for further study