Questions From Jorge Recinos (To reflect a likely response from Jorge to this team's proposed case design, the following questions were adapted from the comments provided by Verònica Donahue & Paul Longo)
Julie--
In your case response you propose a case study in which the students will save a farm from an attack of crop killing bugs. The students, equipped with a certain
amount of money, workers, time, equipment and pesticide, will try to save the farm. Your use of the farm community will help to establish ties between the students and the community.
1. What would you do to provide these students with some actual, structured access to the targeted community beyond the completion of the case analysis?
2. Will there be any support for me to help train the students in use of the Web and the internet?
3. Will the students receive assistance writing up their action plans? How will they have sufficient time to complete this, given its addition to their school requirements?
Jorge Recinos
Response to Jorge Recinos from UVa Alternate Team 1:
1. What would you do to provide these students with some actual, structured access to the targeted community beyond the completion of the case analysis?
Throughout the sessions (see below), FAYAP students will have the following interactions with the community:
- ongoing mentorship with Ag students and faculty - guest lecture with expert farmers
- party in the last session
We will foster relationships between the active farming community and the FAYAP students by organizing a "Farmer For A Day" activity. We hope that farming internships will ultimately result.
2. Will there be any support for me to help train the students in use of the Web and the internet?
As part of the design we will provide you with a facilitator's guide that will address your technical needs and also will contain step by step instructions on how to teach the course.The materials designed for the course are targeting a facilitator who has little experience with the web. Technical support for the pilot study will be provided by the technical support staff at TRLC and if needed, myself.
3. Will the students receive assistance writing up their action plans? How will they have sufficient time to complete this, given its addition to their school requirements?
Yes. The following is an outline of each one hour session:
Session 1: Internet and web introduction
- Familiarize with web browser while searching through selected web sites related to
IPM.
- Introduction to electronic mail: Students e-mail their mentors.
Session 2: Review case (part I)
- Discuss and analyze case
- Introduce case resources
Session 3: Review case (part II)
- Continue analysis of case and resources - Q&A with expert farmer
Session 4: Group Analysis (Action Plan Development)
- Brainstorm solution
- Determine pros and cons of solution
Session 5: Action Plan Report
- Groups and/or individuals finalize and write-up action plan based on a template (described below.)
As part of the case design we will provide a 'response template' for the students, in other words, guided practice. This will provide the students with an outline for the response and help them organize their action plan. Because a template is provided, the students will spend less time writing. Additionally, they have the option to work in small groups.
Questions From Billie Redmond (To reflect a likely response from Billie to this team's proposed case design, the following questions were adapted from the comments provided by Michael Lachance)
How will the case encourage the students to research IPM and contact the content experts?
Will the Web page be valuable enough that other pages will want to link to it? Why do you think so?
Do you think the students possess the skills they need to work in a Web-based environment? How can this be addressed?
Response to Billie Redmond from UVa Alternate Team 1:
1. How will the case encourage the students to research IPM and contact the content experts?
The case study on the web will contain many URLs that link the page to outside IPM resources and students will be responsible for citing examples from these sites in their action plans. There would be places on the template where students would summarize their research and detail from where the information came. The graduate student mentors will help guide the students research in this field, as well as answer any questions that the students might have. These mentors would have copies of the template and could help guide students to areas where they might find answers to fill in the template.
2. Will the Web page be valuable enough that other pages will want to link to it? Why do you think so?
This site is going to be valuable only as an example to other communities that are looking to link universities and colleges to local community organizations. As a stand alone web site, this particular site has a very narrow focus; it was designed with a specific target audience and purpose in mind, and as such, might not be valuable to other audiences. Other groups that would be interested in using this case study would be welcome to tweak the case to meet the needs of their particular audiences as long as they link to the original site as being the original source of the material.
3. Do you think the students possess the skills they need to work in a Web-based environment? How can this be addressed?
See response to question 1 from Jorge
