AGEX310 Agricultural and Natural Resource Extension

Unit Information
Additional Information

Credit Points

Offering

Responsible Campus	Teaching Period	Mode of Study
Armidale	Trimester 2	Off Campus
Armidale	Trimester 2	On Campus

Intensive School(s)

Start	Finish	Attendance	Notes
26 June 2013	28 June 2013	Mandatory	On-campus and off-campus students must attend the intensive school. Ability to enrol in this unit will be removed approx two days prior to the commencement of this mandatory intensive school.

Supervised Exam

There is no UNE Supervised Examination.

Pre-requisites

72cp or candidature in a postgraduate award

Co-requisites

None

Restrictions

AGEX510

Notes

Combined Units

AGEX510 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Extension

Coordinator(s)

Julian Prior (jprior2@une.edu.au)

Unit Description

This unit explicitly focusses on employment-relevant skills and knowledge suited to agriculture and natural resource extension. All assignments are designed to become part of each student's employment portfolio upon graduation, and to provide evidence of the student's achievements and competencies to potential employers when job-seeking.

Both off-campus and on-campus students must attend the four day mandatory intensive school in June. At this school students will be trained in extension approaches, oral presentation skills, facilitation skills and media skills.

During semester, on-campus students will attend lectures and practicals. As the major assignment task, on-campus students will be formed into groups and will undertake an 'extension consultancy' for a client external to the University. Off-campus students will undertake a similar 'extension plan' assignment on a topic of their choosing.

Materials

Textbook information will be displayed approximately 8 weeks prior to the commencement of the teaching period. Please note that textbook requirements may vary from one teaching period to the next.

Disclaimer

Unit information may be subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Assessment

Assessment information will be published prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Learning Outcomes (LO)

Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:

develop a comprehensive understanding of the recent evolution of extension theory and practice;
develop extension-related and employment-relevant skills and competencies in areas such as: (i) the use of the media; (ii) effective written and oral communication skills; (iii) group facilitation and group extension techniques; (iv) the application of adult learning principles to the development of an extension program; (v) the selection of farmer targeting strategies and the effective utilisation of farmer information networks; (vi) the development of research-extension linkages; and (vii) extension program planning;
set and achieve their own individual learning objectives in relation to the above skills, competencies and knowledge; and
develop their own definition of the purpose of extension and consequently to refine their concept of their future professional role as an extension practitioner.

Graduate Attributes (GA)

	Attribute	Taught	Assessed	Practised
1	Knowledge of a Discipline Students are required to read literature describing the recent evolution of agricultural and natural resource extension. During the mandatory intensive residential school they are also trained in relevant skill areas. Students are then asked to apply this knowledge and skills within both written assignments and within a team-based practical extension consultancy.
2	Communication Skills Students are specifically trained and assessed in oral presentation skills. They are also trained and formatively assessed in communication skills related to group facilitation. Written communication is taught, practised and assessed in relation to media release writing, feature article writing and extension plan writing.
3	Global Perspectives Students examine and analyse agricultural and natural resource extension examples from around the world. International trends in extension are taught and students are expected to demonstrate a knowledge of these trends in written assignments, particularly in assignment 5.
4	Information Literacy Students are instructed, assessed, and expected to demonstrate research capacity in written assignments, and utilise a wide range of sources. Students are expected to utilise journal articles, books, research reports and the internet to access relevant materials to complete assignments.
5	Life-Long Learning Students are instructed in, assessed and practice learning skills that will be useful to them beyond the unit. Within this unit there is a strong emphasis upon students setting their own personal learning objectives in the area of professional workplace knowledge and skills, and the ongoing life-long personal assessment and development of this knowledge and skills.
6	Problem Solving Students undertake a major extension consultancy task or an extension plan report that involves extensive problem solving. This assignment requires the application of a strategic planning process involving the identification of objectives, strategies, actions, and performance indicators in order to achieve extension-related outcomes.
7	Social Responsibility Students are trained in the concept of social responsibility and required to exhibit social responsibility in group discussions and when undertaking group work.
8	Team Work Students are given training in team skills and perspectives. Students subsequently work in teams in practical and class activities, and within their major extension consultancy assignment. Student teams collectively set behavioural rules for these activities, and undertake peer assessment of their teammates' performance.

Global UNE Links:

Course and Unit Catalogue 2013

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AGEX310 Agricultural and Natural Resource Extension

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