Extension Practice

What is Extension?

A history in Australia

Performance Indicators and Benchmarking in Extension

Pareto's Law

To assist extension planning

Diffusion of Innovations Theory

Founded by Everett Rogers

Peter Honey and Alan Mumford

Learning Styles

Bennett's Hierarchy

Extension Program Evaluation Model

published - 31 August 2016

Communities of Practice and Social Learning Systems

Communities of Practice (CoPs) is a multi-purpose concept. As a social learning theory, CoP considers learning in a social context requiring both participation and reification (making something concrete) in order to make learning meaningful. The interplay of participation and reification creates a social history of learning and it is this …
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Communities of Practice, CoP, Domain, Extension planning, Group Facilitation, Online tools, Social learning system, Social Learning Theory

Methods & Tools, Theory

published - 28 August 2016

Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS)

The Agriculture Innovation System (AIS) is “a network of organisations, enterprises, and individuals focused on bringing new products, new processes, and new forms of organisation into economic use, together with the institutions and policies that affect their behaviour and performance,” (World Bank, 2006:16) that is, the way different agents interact, share, …
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Agricultural Innovation Systems, AIS, Innovation, Network, Partners, Value chain

Methods & Tools

published - 26 August 2016

Agricultural Extension and Rural Development: Breaking out of Knowledge Transfer Traditions

Ison and Russell state that traditional first-order R&D (Research to knowledge to transfer to adoption to diffusion) has failed to take the social, political and environmental context (this includes the RD&E practitioner with their thinking and actions) into account when developing solutions. In other words, the RD&E system is a …
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Engagement, Evaluation, Experiential Knowledge, Extension planning, Knowledge making, RD&E, Self reflexive

Theory

published - 22 August 2016

Social Network Analysis

Social Network Analysis (SNA) is a method used to develop an understanding of people’s relationships, and how they may be supported to become more effective. It is also useful for understanding processes of social influence and patterns of diffusion across systems of “actors” (people, businesses and organisations, who have different …
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Actors, Evaluation, Extension planning, Group Facilitation, Network Theory, Relationships, Social Network Analysis

Methods & Tools, Theory

published - 22 August 2016

Stakeholder Analysis Tool

Stakeholder analysis is an important initial step in project work as it is a process that can provide insights into and an understanding of the interactions between a project and its stakeholders. This tool can identify and prioritise which stakeholders can have impact on the project’s success and is often …
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Evaluation, Extension planning, Prioritise, Rank, Stakeholder Analysis Tool

Methods & Tools

published - 20 August 2016

Extension as a Knowledge System

This model of engagement is based on the ideas of knowledge systems being a series of interrelated functions and processes using terms such as knowledge brokering, knowledge translating, knowledge exchange and knowledge mobilisation.
In 2012, at a conference hosted by the United Nations University – Institute of Water, Environment and health …
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Evaluation, Extension planning, Framework, K*Spectrum, Knowledge systems

Methods & Tools, Theory

published - 10 August 2016

Farming Systems Research

There are numerous definitions and practices around Farming Systems Research (FSR). However, according to the ACIAR definition of Farming Systems Research it is:

Research related to the smallholder, subsistence-orientated agriculture sector because this is the principal target group for FSR through ACIAR;
FSR projects are multidisciplinary and holistic in perspective, therefore projects …
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Extension planning, Farming systems research, Researcher

Methods & Tools

published - 1 August 2016

Agricultural Extension Information and Knowledge as Public and Private Goods

Umali and Schwartz developed a schema that categorises agricultural knowledge and information into an economic classification system. This system denotes the character of the knowledge and information and the degree to which farmers are prepared to pay it. The categorisation is used to inform the appropriate roles for the public …
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Appropriate roles, Economic classification system, Extension planning, Funding, Private sector role, Role of government

Theory