Trends and Issues in Extension

I finally got to Philly yesterday and online today. The east coast storms have played havoc with the flights. It would have been perfect for twitter, but oh well.

More later!

Starting on Monday I will be attending the 2007 National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) annual National Conference in Philadelphia. I hope to get a post or two up during the conference. I was hoping to play with Twitter too, but that is looking less likely to happen. How to keep up with everything?

I am also part of a team presenting a workshop on Extension restructuring, Centers, and moving to multi-programmatic programming. And a way from less geographically maintained programming issues (see the top of page five of this PDF for a brief description). And eat some real cheese steaks. Bring on the Cheez Wiz!

If you are at the conference be sure to look me up.

My Extension 2.0 paper proposal for this fall’s ESP conference has been accepted. I’ve been actively collecting enterprise 2.0 and web 2.0 type posts, reports, documents, etc. to help prepare for the presentation and some related journal articles. Any ideas, suggestions or just pointing me to new resources is greatly appreciated. Related to this, I’m also part of a team that has a session on virtual work in Extension. For delicious users, here is my current delicious Extension 2.0 list.

Below is the Extension 2.0 abstract:

Extension 2.0? The impact of Web 2.0, Enterprise 2.0 and other forces in creating new organizational work structures in Cooperative Extension

Jerold R. Thomas

Ohio State University Extension

Several authors have been writing about structural changes in work environments brought about by new technology, changing demographics, global competition, and external issues like energy costs. This presentation will demonstrate how the Web 2.0 tools can be used and provide recommendations about how Extension systems can use Enterprise 2.0 techniques to improve their efficiency and effectiveness.

Many technology writers (Tim O’Reilly is a leading example) have been discussing a significant change in information technology that has been dubbed Web 2.0. Web 2.0 refers to new online technologies that allow users to interact with writers of web content and each other. Examples include wikis, blogs, podcasting (both audio and video) and other collaborative platforms. Web 2.0 changes the direction of discourse from top down (whoever posts information) to a more collaborative partnership. Early examples in Extension include the structural organization of eXtension. Enterprise 2.0 has followed Web 2.0 as researchers and practitioners look for ways of incorporating Web 2.0 tools into work structures. Leading researchers in this area include McAfee and Lakhani from Harvard University. Enterprise 2.0 is important because it focuses not on the technology, but rather on the technology as a tool to help develop and create systems that make us more effective and efficient. Enterprise 2.0 also encourages the development of systems and structures rather than imposing them.

Other trends that are converging to push society to Enterprise 2.0 functionality include demographics (the increased generational difference in the use of mobile and other electronic media), increasing energy costs that have led to more collaborative and geographically distributed work teams and systems and competition from around the world in adult education and providing of information resources.

The presentation will cover the major trends, address what Web 2.0 is and briefly demonstrate some of the tools (specifically a collaborative program management program, a blog, a collaborative writing instrument teams can use, and podcasts), and then introduce Enterprise 2.0 concepts and their impact on Extension. Dialogue and interaction will be used throughout the presentation, with questions and reflection encouraged.

Summary:

The presentation will cover major trends like technology, demographics, and energy and provide an overview of Enterprise 2.0 theory and how it increases effectiveness in Extension systems. Specific tools that will be demonstrated include: a collaborative program management program, a blog, a collaborative writing instrument teams can use, and podcasts.

eXtension recently announced their April training list. Among the topics is a presentation on April 24 about Web 2.0 tools. I’ve already placed it on my calendar and am looking forward to it. Beth Kanter is the guest teacher. Of course, several of their other offerings have been on Web 2.0 topics. We just tend to see them as individual tools versus part of an overall system of linked tools sharing a common philosophical outlook. I’m also interested in the widget training and it’s applications to Netvibes. I’ve been a very poor user of Netvibes. I keep going to my Feeddemon and Blogbridge readers instead, despite having a personalized Netvibes page as my home page. Still much to learn……