Applied Economics Teaching Resources

an AAEA Journal

Agricultural and Applied Economics Association

Extension Education

Extension Programming During a Pandemic: The Cooperative Director Foundations Program

Michael A. Boland(a), Christopher J. Kopka(b), Keri L. Jacobs(c), Courtney Berner(d), Brian C. Briggeman(e), Matthew Elliott(f), Diane Friend(g), Phil Kenkel(h), Greg McKee(i), Frayne Olson(j), John L. Park(k), Will Secor(l), Kristi Schweiss(j), Hannah Scott(m), and Tom Worley(n)
University of Minnesota(a), Center for Agricultural Cooperative Director Development(b), University of Missouri(c), University of Wisconsin(d), Kansas State University(e), South Dakota State University(f), Texas A&M University-Kingsville RELLIS Campus(g), Oklahoma State University(h), Brigham Young University—Idaho(i), North Dakota State University(j), Texas A&M University(k), University of Georgia(l), Ohio Cooperative Development Center(m), and The Ohio State University South Centers(n)

JEL Codes: A29, Q13, Q16
Keywords: Agribusiness, cooperatives, education, Extension, learning, online

Publish Date: June 16, 2022
Volume 4, Issue 2

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Abstract

In summer 2020, when it became apparent that our Extension programming was not likely to be done in person in 2020/2021, a broad group of collaborators, representing universities, cooperative centers, and practitioners, began discussions to collaborate on some form of online learning platform to offer our Extension education modules for new directors on agricultural cooperatives boards across state lines and develop a program that was unavailable in most states. The objective is to describe the process, content, and lessons learned from our collaboration two years later. A legal entity was formed to develop and launch a common learning platform across our universities to handle registration fees and to pay for the development of the programs. The result is a comprehensive, peer-reviewed curriculum composed of 23 digital modules comprising 15 hours of content with a workbook written by a collaboration of 11 universities and 15 authors. We used state-of-the-art technology including storyboards, recorded lecturers, animations, vignettes, and online assessments for the digital content. In May 2022, adoption of the programming has begun slower than expected but moving in the right direction. We discuss lessons learned and about evolving new insights about future Extension programming for this largely underserved group.

About the Authors: Michael A. Boland is a Professor of Agricultural Economics and E. Fred Koller endowed Chairholder at the University of Minnesota (Corresponding author: boland@umn.edu). Christopher J. Kopka is a Co-founder at the Center for Agricultural Cooperative Director Development. Keri L. Jacobs is an Associate Professor and MFA Chair in Agribusiness and GICL Fellow at the University of Missouri. Courtney Berner is the Executive Director of the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives. Brian C. Briggeman is Professor and Director of the Arthur Capper Cooperative Center at Kansas State University. Matthew Elliott is an Extension Agribusiness Specialist and Associate Professor at South Dakota State University. Diane Friend is an Assistant Professor of Instruction Agriculture at Texas A&M University-Kingsville RELLIS Campus. Phil Kenkel is a Regents Professor and Bill Fitzwater Cooperative Chair at Oklahoma State University. Greg McKee is a Professor at Brigham Young University—Idaho. Frayne Olson is the Director of the Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives and Associate Professor at North Dakota State University. John L. Park is a Professor and Extension Economist and Roy B. Davis Professor of Agricultural Cooperation at Texas A&M University. Will Secor is an Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia. Kristi Schweiss is an Assistant Director at the Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives at North Dakota State University. Hannah Scott is a Manager at the Ohio Cooperative Development Center. Tom Worley is a Director at The Ohio State University South Centers. Acknowledgements: We appreciate the comments of two anonymous reviewers on this manuscript.

Copyright is governed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA

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