UserTesting.com: A Tool for Usability Testing of Online Resources

Extension educators are increasingly using online resources in their program design and delivery. Usability testing is essential for ensuring that these resources are relevant and useful to learners. On the basis of our experiences with iteratively developing products using a testing service called UserTesting, we promote the use of fee-based online usability testing services as an easy and efficient method for improving online resources. We present steps for conducting usability testing and recommendations for best practices. This approach has implications for Extension educators, administrators, and program evaluators who design and evaluate educational programming that involves web or online resources

Evaluating Promotional Efforts for Driving Traffic to an Extension Outreach Website

As online communication becomes more important to Extension professionals, understanding how promotional strategies affect the number of people accessing online content also becomes more important. We tracked website visits resulting from four different promotional efforts to understand relative effectiveness of these efforts. Each effort was unique in cost, efficacy, and efficiency. We found that using multiple promotional approaches to drive traffic to educational content can increase engagement over time and allow for reaching larger audiences

How Do Mode and Timing of Follow-Up Surveys Affect Evaluation Success?

This article presents the analysis of evaluation methods used in a well-designed and comprehensive evaluation effort of a significant Extension program. The evaluation data collection methods were analyzed by questionnaire mode and timing of follow-up surveys. Response rates from the short- and long-term follow-ups and different questionnaire modes by occupational categories also were examined. Overall, the electronic questionnaire mode and 2-month follow-ups yielded significantly higher response rates. The findings have implications for meaningfully evaluating Extension programs operating with limited resources. The recommendations are useful to Extension educators who need to decide how to capture program outcomes but have limited resources

Core Competencies for Successful Watershed Management Practitioners

We surveyed participants from three watershed leadership education programs to identify competencies critical to successful watershed management. Participants rated 26 competency areas identified from literature and watershed education curricula for extent of criticality and listed additional competencies needed for successful watershed management. On the basis of those ratings and listings, we propose that competency in the following areas is required: establishing and maintaining partnerships/collaborating, outreach and communication, project and organizational management, landowner interaction/interpersonal skills, facilitative leadership, and, possibly, developing and maintaining a vision for the future. Our findings have implications for designing professional development activities and developing position descriptions for hiring watershed leaders

Group Mapping in a 4-H Camp Mixed-Methods Evaluation

A week-long residential 4-H Agri-science youth camp had the goal of increasing understanding of agriculture as a system, however evaluating such a complex construct is difficult by adopting any one data-collection method. This paper presents the methods used in the evaluation of the camp and how these methods enhanced the overall program evaluation. The camp introduced 28 students, who were about 12 years of age from rural and urban counties of Wisconsin to the different aspects of the agricultural system, and promoted understanding of the connections among the various system components. The study utilized a mixed-methods triangulation design with group mapping (qualitative and quantitative), participant observation (qualitative), student reflections in the form of group presentations (qualitative), and retrospective post-then-pre surveys (quantitative) to measure and assess the anticipated outcomes. The qualitative assessment of the maps from Days 1 to 5 showed a significant improvement in students’ understandings of the interconnections of farm systems, which was validated by quantitative assessment of maps. Participant observation revealed that the camp provided students with a rich experiential learning experience and identified areas of improvement such as coordination of efforts between the different camp instructors. Student reflections and the end-of-camp survey indicated that the students increased their knowledge and skill levels as a result of attending the camp. The mixed-methods design used in this study serves as an example for designing better quality youth and Extension education program evaluations, as well as programs where the goal is to increase participants’ understandings of complex systems

Our Space: Being a Responsible Citizen of the Digital World

Our Space is a set of curricular materials designed to encourage high school students to reflect on the ethical dimensions of their participation in new media environments. Through role-playing activities and reflective exercises, students are asked to consider the ethical responsibilities of other people, and whether and how they behave ethically themselves online. These issues are raised in relation to five core themes that are highly relevant online: identity, privacy, authorship and ownership, credibility, and participation.Our Space was co-developed by The Good Play Project and Project New Media Literacies (established at MIT and now housed at University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism). The Our Space collaboration grew out of a shared interest in fostering ethical thinking and conduct among young people when exercising new media skills

E. coli contaminated drinking water in rural Uganda: Using results to make an impact

12 p.In January 2006, I worked with Community Based Integrated Nutrition (COBIN) to perform water quality testing and design & distribute health questionnaires to 40 households in the Lyantonde and Kiruhura districts of rural Uganda. Two types of water microbiology tests were used to test families' drinking water for E.coli contamination: the Colilert MPN Test made by IDEXX Laboratories (presence/absence test) and the E.coli Count Petrifilm made by the 3M Company (quantification of E.coli). 46 total water samples were taken directly from homes. Over 90% of unboiled water samples were contaminated with E.coli. All samples from rainwater collection tanks were negative for E.coli. There were boiled samples that were positive for E.coli, most likely because after boiling the water, it was poured back into the same container that the water was collected with. This showed the need for multiple interventions. In January 2007, additional water testing was performed (samples taken straight from the source), and we provided clean clay pots with covers for water storage to village health workers at workshops titled "Home-based water purification trainings.