Sustainable Agriculture Course Delivered Nationally via Satellite.

COURSE CONTENT A telecourse on sustainable agriculture was offered nationally by Iowa State University in Spring 1991. Nontraditional methods for distance delivery of information and studentinstructor interaction were employed. Course broadcasts were delivered via AG*SAT, a consortium of land-grant colleges and universities formed to share agricultural instruction via satellite distribution. We describe in detail our instructional model for distance delivery, technology employed, preproduction activities, budget, time requirements, course content, and student postevaluation results. We provide information and suggestions for individuals and institutions considering production or participation in an AG*SAT course. Experience with this pilot course has demonstrated that there is vision and potential in the AG*SAT concept. Some logistical and conceptual details need refinement to make satellite-based learning the most profitable possible for all participating parties. A TELECOURSE ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE was offered nationally by Iowa State University (ISU) in Spring 1991. Eleven land-grant universities participated (Table 1). Nontraditional methods for distance delivery of information and student-instructor interactions were employed. Course broadcasts were delivered via AG*SAT, a consortium of 34 land-grant colleges and universities formed to share agricultural instruction via satellite distribution. 1 Sustainable Agriculture was one of two pilot credit offerings available via AG*SAT (a second course, Introduction to Food Science, was produced by Pennsylvania State University). We had taught a similar course during winter session 1989-1990 via satellite uplink for ISU’s Off Campus Programs. The audience for the first course (AGRON 493/593) consisted of professional agriculturists enrolled in Bachelor of Science or Master of Agriculture degree programs (Wooley and Crawford, 1987). Our experience with this first telecourse, and the audience composition (Table 2), influenced our planning and design for the AG*SAT version of the course. R.J. Salvador, Agronomy Dep., 1126 Agronomy Hall, Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA 50011-1010; A.G. Schmidt, Media Production Unit, Exhibit Hall South, Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA 50011 ; and B.E. Miller, Dep. of Agric. Systems Technol. and Educ., Utah State Univ., Logan, UT 84322-4805. Contribution from the Iowa State Univ. College of Agric. as Journal Paper no. 97. Partial funding for this project provided by a grant from The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, 126 NSTL, Iowa State Univ., Ames, 1A 50011. Received 30 Mar. 1992. *Corresponding author. Published in J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ. 22:11-21 (1993). The concept of sustainability has evolved in response to the realization that there are undesirable consequences of unplanned and uncontrolled human activity in all spheres of modern industrial life (Chandler, 1987). This realization extends to industrial agriculture (Douglass, 1984; McRae t al., 1989; Soule et al., 1990). The course Sustainable Agriculture is therefore a synopsis of the development of modern agricultural practices and how these in turn affect social and ecological environments. The main objective of the course is for students to perceive agricultural science as a human activity, with all the attendant fallibilities this implies. Students are introduced to the concept of systemic thinking (Oberle and Keeney, 1991) and to humanist methods of inquiry (Bawden al., 1986). A desired result of this experience is that students recognize the limitations of scientific reductionism as an exclusive method of inquiry, and appreciate that the best-educated scientist knows when and where to apply the techniques of reductionism, and when and where to take more comprehensive views (Wilson and Morren, 1990). Because of this general philosophical approach, the course can be regarded as a course in contemporary agricultural issues rather than a course in agricultural science per se (Table 3). BUDGET AND PREPRODUCTION Planning for the course began in August 1990. A production team was assembled consisting of: (i) instructor to develop and deliver course content, (ii) TV producer/director to handle video production and uplink broadcasts, and (iii) agricultural educator to advise appropriate means to meet course objectives, coordinate course activities among downlink sites. An instructional media specialist from ISU’s media production unit (MPU) was available for consultation with the team. The TV producer/director and agricultural educator were salaried staff assigned to the project. The instructor was paid an honorarium for preparing and delivering the course in addition to normal teaching and research duties. The course was produced at total direct cost of $21 083, and was funded by a $15 000 payment from the AG*SAT corporation and by a grant from the Leopold Center for SusI Agricultural Satellite Corporation, Nebraska Educational Telecommunications Center, P.O. Box 83111, Lincoln NE 68501; (402) 472-3611. Abbreviations: ISU, Iowa State University; MPU, media production unit; BBS, electronic bulletin board. J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ., Vol. 22, no. 1, 1993 B 11 Table 1. Institutions participating in the spring 1991 AG*SAT course. School Geographic distribution Students enrolled Primary viewing mode Local discussion Clemson University South Iowa State University North central North Carolina AT tape delay in class setting None Table 2. Audience characteristics for two Iowa State telecourses. AG*SAT national broadcasts: Spring 1991 Occupation ISU off-campus programs: Winter 1989-1990 Total enrollment: 266~" Gender: 6.4% F, 93.6% M Total enrollment: 153:~ Gender: 22.7% F, 75.3% M Age: 24% 30 yr, 24% in between