Part Two: Featured Technologies
INTRODUCTION
Rose Hayden-Smith, PhD, 2020 Extension Foundation Education Technology Fellow
Cooperative Extension organizations use a wide range of communication technologies. It was impossible to explore all of them in this publication.
Some of the content we curated was based in part on the results of a survey of 328 individuals conducted early in 2020.
We chose to curate information about two technologies:
Instagram, a free popular social media platform; and
Connect Extension , a newly launched social intranet platform.
Social Media Most of us use social media in our daily lives. In short, social media refers to the growing number of websites and mobile technologies that enable us to quickly share digital content and information with others. Social technologies provide a way for us to engage the audiences we serve and partner with. Social media has also become a valuable “listening” and research tool for some Cooperative Extension professionals and organizations (1.5.1 "Linking Communication and Information Technology to Agricultural Knowledge Networks"). Social technologies are levelers. Most are free, which enables broad access. They flatten social and data hierarchies. In their best form, they can democratize information. They are now an integral part of - and player in - social movements. However, as noted in the survey we conducted, there are challenges to their use. The use of social media has increased dramatically in recent years, driven in part by the growing use of mobile technologies. Trends indicate it’s where we’ll find a growing number of those we serve in our Cooperative Extension programs.
Instagram, in particular, holds great potential for science communication, capitalizing on the growing popularity of visual content, including video, and engaging with younger audiences.
We all use the internet. Most of us are also probably members of social intranets. Social intranets are internal platforms or websites that help connect members of a designated group (employees, fans, etc.). These platforms typically serve as a communications and collaboration channel, as well as a place for engagement. Universities often use social intranet platforms to engage alumni and motivate them to action (for example, fundraising campaigns.) Companies use them for a range of functions, including onboarding employees. Major sports teams and retailers also use social intranet platforms to engage fans. An example of a social intranet platform that many reading this publication may be familiar with is the Extension Foundation’s Connect Extension platform, which provides a place for Cooperative Extension professionals to post information about webinars and other virtual events. While this publication was being written, the Extension Foundation customized a commercially available audience engagement tool - CrowdStack - to create a new social intranet platform: Connect Extension. The team went from concept to full implementation in a week.
26
Powered by FlippingBook