A myth seems to exist among practitioners of many service-oriented fields that philosophy is the exclusive domain of a few select academicians. Given immediate concerns such as lack of time and the pragmatic nature of Extension work, it's likely that such a view is shared by a large percentage of Extension professionals. The purpose of this article, then, is to offer some practical suggestions for using philosophy as a tool to improve the effectiveness of practice within Extension. While Extension staff are expected, indeed required, to address these questions in their planning process, philosophy can make it possible to take a closer look. For instance, philosophy can be used to explain results and process, while the experience of practice gives new insights into theory.
Criticism refers to determining how well a given theory seems to fit reality.
Through criticism, we can examine the mission of Extension and identify some basic assumptions about the clients we serve. Third, just as philosophy can serve as a guide for practice, practice can give direction to philosophy and research. Experiences in climate setting, instructional planning, and evaluation of learning provide a basis for determining the effectiveness of a theory in a practical manner and can lead to the development of researchable questions. Finally, imagination can help expand the limits of what's believed to be possible in a given situation and, as a result, make it possible to move in new directions. The growing emphasis on distance delivery approaches, such as satellite teleconferencing, is one example of imagination in Extension.