So, what does this look like in practice? Two quick examples/outcomes:
As part of Oregon State University Extension ’s coordinated response to the coronavirus crisis, Master Gardener faculty opted to provide previously fee-based course content (Vegetable Gardening) freely available through our Professional and Continuing Education platform in response to a surge of online searches for gardening-related content. This course is part of a popular and longstanding self-paced course series, distinguished by accessible, state-of-the-art content, an engaging web interface, and successful online marketing. Our teams leveraged this foundation to garner unparalleled exposure over the course of a few days in late March 2020. The result? Facebook posts that generated more than 2,000,000 views, nearly 500,000 web page visits, and over 20,000 new contacts for Extension. In 2018-19, our Cooperative Extension teams worked with the College of Agricultural Sciences faculty to offer a new non-credit course in the business of distilling. This offering, which tapped Oregon State’s unique faculty expertise in this area, was deeply informed by market research highlighting the rapid growth of startup distilleries. In addition to validating the program through this research, our marketing team developed a series of short YouTube video question-and- answer sessions with program faculty based on top web searches for distilling-related questions. Variations of this content were offered in search engine-optimized written (blog) form, posted via social media and more. The traffic and attention generated by these initial efforts continues to drive engagement and ongoing demand for the revenue-generating business of distilling program. In short, we’re positioning Cooperative Extension to lead the way by leveraging our authentic service and knowledge creation capacity to respond to the growing needs and challenges facing individuals, families, and communities. Digital ecosystems can assist the Cooperative Extension System in developing and deploying high quality, direct-to-learner, customizable learning experiences that are accessible, engaging, relevant, and responsive. The future of Cooperative Extension is here and together our living ecosystem of professionals have the capacity to co-create solutions to our changing reality in the United States and around the world.
This short video, produced by Oregon State University in 2020, explores the Extension Futures National Action Dialogue. The purpose of the Dialogue is to imagine near-future possibilities for how Cooperative Extension can better serve individuals and communities in the face of evolving needs and capabilities. The outcome of this Dialogue will support the transition of Cooperative Extension to a more-virtual delivery platform and will inform future needs.
VIDEO
Site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP4T6iBer6g
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP4T6iBer6g
Reflection Questions:
What’s your digital ecosystem? Which of the four elements described in this piece does it include?
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