The whirlwind implementation of Connect Extension - and the rapid growth in the platform’s members - is also teaching us much about the value of social intranets for peer-to-peer engagement and collaboration. You’ll learn about this effort in a case study included in this publication.
COVID-19 Affirms Our Choice The content of this publication was being finalized as the COVID-19 crisis emerged. The pandemic has forced Cooperative Extension organizations to quickly pivot to a largely virtual environment. Cooperative Extension professionals across the nation are seeking information and ideas about how to respond to emerging needs. They are also seeking peer-to-peer connection. The Extension Foundation has pivoted quickly, aggregating and organizing resources and virtual offerings, and serving as a clearinghouse for information. A quickly conceptualized weekly Social Café provided a place for Cooperative Extension staff to gather to learn how their peers were using social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. They wanted to see what was working for others...and to understand how these technologies might work for them.
The needs we saw in the early days of Cooperative Extension ’s response to the crisis confirmed a few things:
Cooperative Extension professionals are already using social media in their work, but wanted to learn more about platform features and best practices; People are eager to share information and best practices; Providing opportunities for peer-to-peer education and collaboration are critical to increasing our capacity across the national network; and People are seeking connection with their peers across the nation.
Sources:
Pew Research Center. (2019, June 12). Demographics of social media users and adoption in the United States . Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech.
Social Media Fact Sheet. Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, Pew Research Center, 2019. Pew Research Center. (2019). Social media fact sheet . Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech.
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