Handbook 1996 : Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture (Volume 4 page 17)
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Year 3 Agriculture.
Credit points: 10
Coordinator: Assoc. Professor J. W. Cary.
Contact: 36 hours of lectures plus an industry placement.
Timetable: First semester
Aims: Students should be familiar with communication principles and processes in general, and agricultural and environmental issues specifically; they should have developed skills in critical analysis of communication problems.
Objectives:
On completion of this subject students should be:
- aware of the important role of people in agricultural and environmental systems;
- able to understand the role of agricultural and environmental advisory and consulting services as processes of information exchange and guided change, as systems for facilitating the flow of information between research workers, farmers and the general public, and as systems for assisting users of technical information to make better decisions;
- understand the factors which influence the adoption of technologies;
- familiar with the role of government agencies, commercial firms and private consultants in the technical information exchange process;
- familiar with the theoretical background to the communication of agricultural and environmental technology, including the diffusion of innovations;
- able to complete simple analyses of communication problems using an appropriate model of human communication;
- able to plan simple communication strategies involving use of different media as well as face-to-face communication;
- able to carry out practical methods of communication;
- aware of ethical issues related to communication and persuasion practices;
- able to determine producers' goals and appreciate the variation in individuals' goals and objectives.
Content:
Communication of agricultural and environmental technology as processes:
- of information provision and exchange;
- for assisting information users to make better decisions;
- for facilitating and reciprocating information flow between farmers, research workers and other interested members of the community.
The history of the extension movement in the UK, Australia and the USA. The Land Grant College philosophy. The role of government agencies, commercial firms and private consultants in information provision and exchange. Communication and extension methods and strategies, including interpersonal, group, community consultation and mass media techniques. Social structures in which information exchange is practised. Theoretical background to farmers' and other users' of agricultural and environmental technological information - perception, communication models, listening, learning, decision making, adult education, the diffusion of innovations. Evaluating the effects of communication projects, for example, Integrated Pest Management; Landcare and the use of new information technologies. Rural development in less industrialised countries and the role of communication. The training and visit system. The ethics of social influence applied to extension and communication.
Assessment:
A 3-hour end-of-semester written examination; one written assignment (up to 3,000 words); a report on industry placement.
Prescribed texts:
Recommended texts:
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Handbook 1996 : Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture (Volume 4 page 17)
Status: Official 1996 Date created: Oct 9 1995 Last modified: Oct 9 1995 Authorised by: Academic Registrar Email enquiries: Course_Information@registrar.unimelb.edu.au
Maintained by: School of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture.
Copyright © University of Melbourne 1995,1996.