In 2016, we debuted an online version of a long-running woodland stewardship Extension program to reach property owners unable to attend traditional workshops. In the first 2 years, 119 participants enrolled. They owned or managed 1,796 ac, and many were in an atypical age demographic. In a follow-up survey of 67 participants, 96% of respondents indicated having undertaken one or more of the targeted land care practices, and two thirds indicated having converted some lawn to natural area. Additionally, participant feedback led to several program improvements. The online course is an effective means for imparting an important stewardship ethic. Our methods and lessons learned may guide other Extension staff wishing to convert existing programming to online offerings

Kays, Jonathan S.

Kling, Andrew A.

English

Clemson University: TigerPrints

Journal of Extension Volume 58 Number 2 Article 8 April 2020 Successful Method for Converting an Existing Woodland Stewardship Program to an Online Program Andrew A. Kling University of Maryland Jonathan S. Kays University of Maryland This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. Recommended Citation Kling, A. A., & Kays, J. S. (2021). Successful Method for Converting an Existing Woodland Stewardship Program to an Online Program. Journal of Extension, 58(2). Retrieved from https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/joe/vol58/iss2/8 This Ideas at Work is brought to you for free and open access by TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Extension by an authorized editor of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact kokeefe@clemson.edu. April 2020Volume 58Number 2Article #v58-2iw4Ideas at WorkSuccessful Method for Converting an Existing WoodlandStewardship Program to an Online ProgramAbstractIn 2016, we debuted an online version of a long-running woodland stewardship Extension program to reachproperty owners unable to attend traditional workshops. In the first 2 years, 119 participants enrolled. Theyowned or managed 1,796 ac, and many were in an atypical age demographic. In a follow-up survey of 67participants, 96% of respondents indicated having undertaken one or more of the targeted land care practices,and two thirds indicated having converted some lawn to natural area. Additionally, participant feedback led toseveral program improvements. The online course is an effective means for imparting an importantstewardship ethic. Our methods and lessons learned may guide other Extension staff wishing to convertexisting programming to online offerings.Keywords: online education, woodland stewardship, habitat stewardship, small-acreage owners, distancedelivery in Extension  IntroductionOnline programs enable Extension to reach new audiences (Allred & Smallidge, 2010). As part of ourWoodland Stewardship Education (WSE) program, we have created a noncredit, self-paced online coursethat is an adaptation of our signature The Woods in Your Backyard (WIYB) program for just such a purpose.The lesson-based, activity-driven course provides a wide range of resources, tips, and techniques for smallwoodland owners and managers. In this article, we describe development of the online course, presentnoteworthy participant demographics, exemplify improvements we have made in response to participantinput, and discuss the course's impacts. Others in Extension can benefit from information about ourstrategies and lessons learned for successfully converting an existing Extension program to an onlineoffering.Why an Online Course?Small-acreage owners (those having 1–9 ac) in the mid-Atlantic region have long benefited from the WIYBprogram (Downing, Kays, & Finley, 2009). They become motivated to be better stewards of their land bybetter managing existing woodland and/or converting existing lawn to woodland. Since WIYB debuted in2006, 1,650 property owners and managers have attended 1- to 6-hr workshops in Maryland, and manyAndrew A. KlingAgent Associateakling1@umd.eduJonathan S. KaysExtension ForestrySpecialistjkays@umd.eduUniversity of MarylandExtensionKeedysville, Marylandmore in surrounding states. We considered how to leverage our limited resources to reach an increasingnumber of these property owners across the region. Informal feedback from workshop participants led us tocreate an online version of WIYB to accommodate their busy schedules.At the time we undertook the conversion of the program, online courses had existed for several years withvarying degrees of success (Boton & Gregory, 2015; Lewin, 2012; Onah, Sinclair, & Boyatt, 2012).Extension personnel were developing distance learning programs as well (see Applebee, Martens, &Treadwell, 2009, and Rader, 2012, 2014, 2015).The WIYB format made it an ideal candidate for an online course as a participant could use the printedguide and workbook for self-paced and self-directed study. We surmised that an online version could fostera similar learning environment for Extension audiences who we could not reach through traditional face-to-face workshops. We began developing the online version of WIYB in 2015.Online Version of WIYBIn developing the online WIYB course, we went beyond merely reproducing the guide and workbook contenton web pages. After constructing the course platform, we selected a group of past WSE workshopparticipants to field-test the course. They provided vital feedback, including input on clarity of navigationand ease of completing course activities. The feedback reinforced the concept that an online course shiftsthe focus of education from knowledge transmission to knowledge construction (Vrasidas, 2000). To ensureknowledge construction throughout the course, we added several features. For example, the participanttakes a quiz at the end of each module to assess his or her understanding of key concepts. Additionally, weuse short videos to demonstrate important techniques, such as tree identification and invasive plant speciesmanagement, and to highlight fellow landowners who have used WIYB techniques on their properties.The online course debuted in September 2016. We offer 10-week sessions in the spring and the fall. Eachpaying participant receives the printed WIYB guide and workbook.Participant DemographicsDemographic information collected during the first 2 years of the online WIYB course provides insight intothe audiences we are reaching. During those years, 119 participants from New York State to Arkansasenrolled in the course. Enrollees owned or managed a total of 1,796 acres in parcels from under 1 to over10 ac (Figure 1).Ideas at Work Successful Method for Converting an Existing Woodland Stewardship Program to an Online Program JOE 58(2)©2020 Extension Journal Inc. 1Figure 1.Acreages Owned or ManagedFigure 2 shows that a simple majority (52%) of enrollees were aged 60-plus. This age group is often retiredwith extra time and resources to devote to their properties. However, 84% of the remaining participantswere in the 40–49 and 50–59 age groups, indicating that younger landowners also are enrolling (Figure 2).Figure 2.Participants by AgeMany of the participants in the 40–49 and 50–59 age groups said that they were recent property owners(having owned property for 5 years or less). Participants in these younger age groups shared that they likedthe self-paced nature of the course; many were raising families, and this aspect of the course freed themfrom committing to a workshop schedule. This demographic represents an important source of participantsfor similar online Extension courses.Improving the CourseComments from participants during the first few sessions of the course led to a noteworthy programIdeas at Work Successful Method for Converting an Existing Woodland Stewardship Program to an Online Program JOE 58(2)©2020 Extension Journal Inc. 2improvement. Initially, we had converted the WIYB workbook activities to PDFs, but several participantsexpressed frustration with filling in form fields. This led us to an important observation about theasynchronous learning nature of online courses. We recognized that many participants found that learningto work with PDFs was an additional burden beyond keeping up with course content.Beginning with the fourth session (spring 2018), we presented an alternative to filling out PDFs. Weencouraged participants to complete their activities in the workbook and then upload a digital image (Figure3).Figure 3.Example of a Digital Image Activity SubmissionIdeas at Work Successful Method for Converting an Existing Woodland Stewardship Program to an Online Program JOE 58(2)©2020 Extension Journal Inc. 3The results were immediate and significant. The total number of activity submissions increased 73% overthe previous sessions' average (Figure 4). This small change contributed to a substantial increase in thecourse completion rate, to 70% from a high of 45% in previous sessions.Figure 4.Activities Submitted by FormatImpacts of the CourseIn April 2018, to assess the course's impact, we conducted a follow-up survey of the 67 participants whocompleted the first three sessions of the online WIYB course. Nearly two thirds (65%) responded. Ninety-sixpercent of respondents stated that they had begun or completed one or more of the land care practicesdescribed in the course. More than two thirds (68%) reported that they had converted some lawn to naturalarea. Table 1 summarizes the top land care practices participants had begun or completed, through theirown efforts or through paid professional assistance.Table 1.Top Choices for Land Care PracticesType of labor Percentage of respondentsUnpaid (self and family)Planting trees and shrubs 12.1%Creating wildlife brush piles 11.3%Reducing/eliminating mowing 9.8%Paid laborPlanting trees and shrubs 22.2%Using herbicides to control exotic/invasive plants 11.1%Planting/enhancing mast trees 11.1%Ideas at Work Successful Method for Converting an Existing Woodland Stewardship Program to an Online Program JOE 58(2)©2020 Extension Journal Inc. 4We also gauged an intangible effect of the course. We asked the participants how they felt about theirproperties after completing the course. Figure 5 shows the results of a multiple-response question assessingtheir feelings of stewardship.Figure 5.Participants' Sense of StewardshipConclusionWe find that the online version of the WIYB program is a successful alternative to the printed Extensionguide version. Property owners and managers unable to attend WIYB workshops can now experience theprogram content online. Participant feedback from initial course sessions demonstrates its success inreaching owners having a range of parcel sizes and diverse age demographics while imparting a stewardshipethic. By adding an option for submitting completed activities, we saw a significant increase in coursecompletion rates. Other Extension staff may benefit by creating online versions of similar print-basedprograms using our methods.ReferencesAllred, S., & Smallidge, P. (2010). An educational evaluation of web-based forestry education. Journal ofExtension, 48(6), Article v48-6a2. Available at: https://joe.org/joe/2010december/a2.phpApplebee, G., Martens, K. R., & Treadwell, P. (2009). A long-established Extension course goes on-line.Journal of Extension, 47(2), Article v47-2iw5. Available at: https://www.joe.org/joe/2009april/iw5.phpBoton, E. C., & Gregory, S. (2015). Minimizing attrition in online degree courses. Journal of EducatorsOnline, 12(1). Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1051044.pdfDowning, A. K., Kays, J., & Finley, J. (2009). Backyard woodlots: Large scale education for small acreages.Ideas at Work Successful Method for Converting an Existing Woodland Stewardship Program to an Online Program JOE 58(2)©2020 Extension Journal Inc. 5In International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO) 3.08 Small Scale Forestry SymposiumProceedings (pp. 31–41). Symposium conducted June 7–11, 2009, Morgantown, WV. Retrieved fromhttps://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/programs/woodland-steward/BackyardWoodlots_Downing_etal.pdfLewin, T. (2012). One course, 150,000 students. Retrieved fromhttps://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/20/education/edlife/anant-agarwal-discusses-free-online-courses-offered-by-a-harvard-mit-partnership.htmlOnah, D.F.O., Sinclair, J., & Boyatt, R. (2014). Dropout rates of massive open online courses: Behaviouralpatterns. EDULEARN14 Proceedings (pp. 5825–5834). Retrieved fromhttps://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6f6e/9e3ea887b4042b117d0dbc4a4fa7c41e151c.pdfRader, H. B. (2012). Going the distance part 1: Three keys to successfully delivering an Extension course ata distance. Journal of Extension, 50(6), Article v50-6tt4. Available at:https://www.joe.org/joe/2012december/tt4.phpRader, H. B. (2014). Going the distance part 2: Five ways of teaching an Extension course: Elive,Blackboard, teleconference, correspondence, and face-to-face. Journal of Extension, 52(6), Article v52-6a3.Available at: https://www.joe.org/joe/2014december/pdf/JOE_v52_6a3.pdfRader, H. B. (2015). Going the distance part 3: Teaching an Extension course using a combination ofdistance-delivery methods. Journal of Extension, 53(1), Article v53-1rb2. Available at:https://www.joe.org/joe/2015february/rb2.phpVrasidas, C. (2000). Constructivism versus objectivism: Implications for interaction, course design, andevaluation in distance education. International Journal of Educational Telecommunications, 6(4), 339–362.Retrieved from https://vrasidas.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/continuum.pdfCopyright © by Extension Journal, Inc. ISSN 1077-5315. Articles appearing in the Journal become theproperty of the Journal. Single copies of articles may be reproduced in electronic or print form for use ineducational or training activities. Inclusion of articles in other publications, electronic sources, or systematiclarge-scale distribution may be done only with prior electronic or written permission of the Journal EditorialOffice, joe-ed@joe.org.If you have difficulties viewing or printing this page, please contact JOE Technical SupportIdeas at Work Successful Method for Converting an Existing Woodland Stewardship Program to an Online Program JOE 58(2)©2020 Extension Journal Inc. 6

Successful Method for Converting an Existing Woodland Stewardship Program to an Online Program

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Successful Method for Converting an Existing Woodland Stewardship Program to an Online Program

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