TRANSFORMING COOPERATIVE EXTENSION ’S DIGITAL ECOSYSTEM
Greg Aronoff, Oregon State University; John Buzzard, Oregon State University; Lindsey Shirley, Oregon State University
At a time when our communities are struggling in the midst of the coronavirus public health emergency, there is a growing need for increased and improved access to educational resources — specifically in rural and small-town America. By most accounts, the current crisis will accelerate trends – ranging from growing income inequality to small business/farm viability – that already challenge our rural communities. Cooperative Extension must provide agile solutions designed to not only keep pace, but also pave the way for the future. Fortunately, the Cooperative Extension System is well suited for this challenge. We see in the current environment both daunting challenges and opportunities to leverage our place-based infrastructure and relationships to strengthen Cooperative Extension ’s “digital ecosystem.” An expanded digital ecosystems model centers on data-informed and responsive online platforms that address education-related gaps and needs at the local, regional, and national level. Given Cooperative Extension ’s immense diversity of non -credit programming and services, our move to online delivery may have more in common with the technology industry’s iterative design approach than with higher education’s sudden embrace of digital classrooms. By seizing this opportunity to set the standard
for online non-credit programming, Cooperative Extension may take a lead role in bringing restorative – and even transformative – impact to audiences of all ages and stages in life. By elevating the Cooperative Extension System as a platform to support community and family resilience, this model offers high quality, direct-to-learner, customizable learning experiences that are accessible, engaging, relevant, and responsive. Powering these experiences are our Cooperative Extension faculty, whose impact and reach we will dramatically expand through world-class digital engagement strategies.
“ You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before. ” - Rahm Emanuel, former White House Chief of Staff
The current crisis has spurred growing interest in online programming – with online searches, for example, rising sharply for topics ranging from public health information and legislative initiatives to career development, gardening, and more. With regard to these and other topics, we believe Cooperative Extension occupies a unique position of trust among the respective communities we serve. While there may be an argument for trying to maintain some version of the status quo – with an ad hoc approach to online outreach and programming – we believe now is the time for a more robust approach. Most Cooperative Extension leaders would agree that the current circumstance presents a potential inflection point for our organizations. This is not entirely new. Over the decades, we have often worked alongside communities to help our states navigate periods of economic upheaval and natural disaster.
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