National eXtension Initiative

We rolled out a few changes to the Public site, People and Ask an Experts applications this morning. Here’s an overview of what’s new and different:

People Application

Institutions received a facelift and now have the same feature set as Communities. This makes institutions easier to manage and use because they have a dashboard, membership self-management and can have mailing lists just like other eXtension Communities. You can view your institution by visiting: https://www.extension.org/people/profile/me and clicking the view link beside Primary Institution.

Searching for communities has also been improved. The community search now favors the name of the community, but still will search the community’s description and tags.

Ask an Expert

Hand a Question off to a Question Wrangler
Question Wranglers are a group of volunteers who monitor the incoming questions and help assign them to the right person. If you’ve been assigned a question and just don’t know what to do with it, you can now click the “Hand off to a Question Wrangler” button.

If you’d like to be a Question Wrangler, you can join the community here, or click the QW link in your Ask an Expert preferences.

Question Handling Rate
We’ve added a new piece of information to the tooltip that appears in question assignment interface. When you search for someone to reassign a question you can now see how well that person handles questions that are assigned to him. The handling rate is displayed as a green bar that looks like this:

The handling rate looks at how many times a person has been assigned a question and either resolved it or reassigned it to someone else. This piece of information can help you determine if a question is going to sit inactive or get handled if it’s assigned to that person. The handling rate only looks at the last 6 months of activity. If a person hasn’t been assigned anything in that time period, you’ll see “This person hasn’t handled any questions in the last six months” instead.

Assignment History
You can now view a list of all AaE questions ever assigned to you. Visit http://www.extension.org/aae/reports and type in your login name. On your user report page you’ll find a new line titled: “Questions Assigned (Ask an Expert)”

The Public Site

Share this
We added a share/save widget to articles, FAQ and event pages on the public site. This allows visitors to more easily email pages or share on their social networks. The sharing service we’re using integrates with Google Analytics so you will be able to use GA to see what content visitors are sharing.

Mobile Views
There are now basic mobile styles for public site content. These styles are not completely refined, but they do create a better experience for users with mobile devices. The design will continue to be developed in the coming weeks.

Amy Hays (Texas) and Karen Jeanette (Minnesota) have been added to the eXtension Content staff to assist with Community of Practice support. Both Amy and Karen will spend about 15% of their time in support of CoPs. Their experience as leaders of existing CoPs will be invaluable to new communities. They will concentrate mainly on helping CoPs get organized, work in the development of content, and identify appropriate social networking environment and applications for CoPs to use. Amy Hays is currently a member of the Map@Syst CoP and Karen is a member of the Consumer Horticulture CoP. Their contact information can be found at http://about.extension.org/wiki/Staff.

eXtension is putting the finishing touches on the eXtension Overall Metrics Report. This report will provide a summary of appropriate data that highlights the continuing evolution and growth of eXtension. The data in this report represents a snapshot of the breadth and depth of eXtension at one point in time, with growth data as appropriate. As eXtension continues to grow and expand, new data will be added to further characterize its growth and expansion.

In this report, a summary of the following will be provided: eXtension ID holders, Communities of Practice, eXtension content metrics, Frequently Asked Questions, Ask an Expert, eXtension sponsored professional development sessions, the use of Moodle in both professional development and course learning, and the overall eXtension website statistics.

The report should be released in November.

If you have questions or suggestions, please contact: Michael Lambur, eXtension Evaluation and Research Leader, mike.lambur@extension.org

On October 20, the national Cooperative Extension Web site, eXtension.org, added information on fire risk, prevention and fire safety, and land and home recovery after a fire to its list of resources. Each year wildfire threatens lives, property and natural resources. For most people living in wildfire prone areas, it is only a question of when, and not if, a wildfire will threaten their homes.

Extension educators, land-grant university faculty, government researchers and other technical and fire-fighting professionals assembled research-based information to teach homeowners how to live more safely in wildfire prone areas. Educators can use the information for teaching aids.

“People living in wildfire-prone areas will find accurate and current information on all aspects of wildfires,” said Steve Quarles, University of California Cooperative Extension and co-chair of the new eXtension resource.

At the close of 2008, the wildland fire community in the United States completed an assessment and pledged to create new content, mediums and networks for information sharing and public education using the Internet. The eXtension site, http://www.extension.org/surviving_wildfire, works toward that goal.

“I’m excited about joining forces with my Extension colleagues across the country to help teach homeowners how to live more safely in high-fire hazard areas. We possess a lot of real world experience and knowledge that helps save lives and property,” said Ed Smith, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.

eXtension topics

The Wildfire Information Network resource from eXtension (pronounced E-extension) covers topics including

* Pre-fire actions that reduce the wildfire threat to homes and other property;
* Homeowner actions when the wildfire threat is eminent, including information on evacuation and staying to defend a home;
* Post-fire actions pertinent to homeowners and their property; and
* Social science aspects of implementing plans to reduce the wildfire threat to homes.

The National Interagency Fire Center year-to-date report in early October shows Alaska leads the nation with nearly 3 million acres burned. The other top wildfire states in acres burned are Arizona, California, Florida, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah.

Five driving forces

The U.S. wildland fire community conducts a strategic assessment every four years to evaluate strategies and capabilities against best estimates of the future environment for fire management. That group named five driving forces:

* The effects of climate change will continue to result in greater probability of longer and bigger fire seasons, in more regions in the nation.
* Cumulative drought effects will further stress fuels accumulations.
* There will be continued wildfire risk where wildlands meet urban areas despite greater public awareness and broader involvement of communities.
* Emergency response demands will escalate.
* Fire agency budget resources – federal, tribal, state or local – will be strained by increased demands and rising costs during a period where government budget revenues will be very tight or falling.

Contributors

“The Surviving Wildfire section of the eXtension website will be invaluable for Extension and natural resource professionals, as well as homeowners, who are looking for information on all aspects of wildfire in the wildland/urban interface,” Yvonne Barkley, University of Idaho Extension, noted.

“When you visit this website, one question can lead to many aspects of wildfire risk, survival, and recovery and the knowledge to be prepared and know what actions to take,” added Ron Mahoney, also with University of Idaho Extension.

The wildfire section of eXtension provides information that’s easy to access and is frequently updated with the latest reliable research. Experienced researchers and extension personnel in the United States contributed to the new site. The experts are based in 1862 and 1890 land-grant universities, other universities and education centers.

As of November 1, 2009, nearly 11,500 of all approximately 15,000 Cooperative Extension Service professionals had eXtension IDs. We’re working to increase that number to 100 percent!

One of the first steps to being fully engaged with the eXtension initiative is to create this eXtension ID. BUT, if you’re reading this newsletter YOU ALREADY HAVE AN ID!!!

Share eXtension by asking your coworkers if they have an ID. Does all of your support staff have IDs? Signing them up will allow them to work in the eXtension collaborative space, they can become a member of one of nearly 40 Communities of Practice, and they’ll be registered to receive routine email updates on the initiative.

If people you know don’t have an ID yet, it’s a simple process! Send them to http://people.extension.org and they’ll begin the registration process.

Encourage your friends and colleagues in Cooperative Extension get an eXtension ID today!

eXtension’s professional development opportunities are open to all Cooperative Extension faculty, staff and employees. No
pre-registration. Please share this announcement with others and encourage them to pick a topic and try it out!

Special Topic

THE LIVEABILITY HOUSE: EXPLORING AN IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT
November 19, 2009
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time
http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/Learn

Have you ever wondered what Second Life is all about and what the possibilities might be for its use in Cooperative Extension? This session will introduce one collaborative project currently underway: the LiveAbility House. The LiveAbility House is a virtual home designed to teach people about assistive technology and universal design features that enable a person to live at home despite physical or mental challenges caused by aging, illness, or disability. The developers will share their vision, discuss their reasons for using Second Life, highlight the home’s capabilities, and provide a tour of
this interactive learning experience. Presenters include Deb Sellers and Larry Havenstein-Kansas State, Sarah Kirby-North Carolina State, and LuAnn Phillips-eXtension.

This session will be broadcast and use your computers speakers for audio, not your phone. Audience interaction will include opportunities to use built-in chat capabilities. Plan to join the session five minutes before the starting time. The session will be held at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (1:00 p.m. CT, Noon MT, 11:00 a.m. PT, 10:00 a.m. AT; 8:00 a.m. HT) (For all Extension)

30-MINUTE SESSIONS
This month we are offering a 30-minute session on Connecting with Online Communities. Give us 30 minutes and we’ll teach you something useful! These sessions will be held at our Web Conferencing Center at http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/learn and your telephone. Plan to join the session five minutes before the starting time. Each session will be held at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (1:00 p.m. CT, noon MT, 11:00 a.m. PT, 10:00 a.m. AT; 8:00 a.m. HT) unless otherwise noted.

* November 24 at 2:00 p.m. ET, a 30-minute session on Connecting with Online Communities: The Seaman Knapp Model of Engagement. The Seaman Knapp model for online communities starts with the premise that your communities already exist and are engaging online. This session will focus on helping you to unearth existing networks in your areas of expertise, monitoring community conversations, and sensing emerging issues. A special focus will be placed on real-time search and trending topics. The session will concentrate on the tools and techniques for living in the flow. (For all Extension)

OTHER SESSIONS
These sessions are a bit more in depth and will last one hour. These will be broadcast and use your computers speakers for audio, not your phone. Audience interaction will include opportunities to use built-in chat capabilities. Plan to join the session five minutes before the starting time. The sessions will be held at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (1:00 p.m. CT, noon MT, 11:00 a.m. PT, 10:00 a.m. AT; 8:00 a.m. HT) unless otherwise noted. (For all Extension)

* November 6 at 11:00 a.m. – Noon ET, Search Engine Optimization. Presented by Wright Frazier, Webmaster for Purdue’s Agriculture Communications Service. Search Engine Optimization. What does it mean? Why is it relevant? Who is my audience? Join us as the answers to these mystifying questions are unveiled. He’ll discuss search engine optimization concepts, the importance of subjects and bylines, using keywords, originality of text, and tools for measuring success. He’ll also help you ask your Webmaster the right questions to better understand what is going on. (for all Extension) This Professional Development session is offered in partnership with the ACE Media Relations SIG.

* November 9 at 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET, The New Ask an Expert (AaE) “Follow-up” Feature, Demo with Discussion. Presented by Aaron Hundley and Beth Raney. This session will be a one-hour demonstration and discussion focusing on the new recently launched “Follow-up” feature in Ask an Expert. Everyone who has used the AaE system is encouraged to attend and learn how the follow-up feature works and the implications it has on experts who are actively working in the system. (For all Extension)

* November 10 at 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET, Successes and Challenges of a Statewide Ask an Expert Widget Implementation. Presented by Rhonda Conlon, Kyleen Burgess and Adrian Gaskins. North Carolina Cooperative Extension is well into a statewide effort to implement the eXtenson Ask an Expert widget on all of their county web sites. This session will discuss the steps taken to obtain administrative support for the project, enable adoption by field faculty and staff, and provide on-going training, support and motivation for using the Ask an Expert widget. (For all Extension)

* November 18 at 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET, (2 p.m. CT; 1 p.m. MT; Noon PT; 11 a.m. AT; 10 a.m. HT), Intro To Pachyderm: Interactive Multimedia on the Web. Presented by Jeff Hino, Lifelong Learning Leader, Oregon State University. This presentation will demonstrate Pachyderm– an open source web-based, media-rich interactive flash presentation and authoring system. Pachyderm allows the construction of online nonlinear learning objects and modules that can incorporate video, audio, graphics and text in a template-driven user-friendly environment. (for all Extension) This Professional Development session is offered in partnership with the ACE Information Techology SIG.

SECOND LIFE
Second Life is an immersive 3-D virtual environment, inhabited by over a million users from all over the world. You can learn to use Second Life to meet with colleagues, to create 3-D models that would be too expensive or impossible to make in reality, to provide guest speakers for a real life group, to teach using role play or group problem solving, to make content in your subject area available to a worldwide audience. This is an emerging and transformative technology, much like the early days of the Internet, and is expected to change the way most people experience web content within the next five years.

In Second Life, you will find that eXtension has a virtual fairgrounds, a model county office, projects in development on
assistive technology, turf grass, pest management, and more. In Teen Second Life, we have Bailey Island available for any 4-H educator to use for programming. Each month eXtension hosts several community events in Second Life. It is best to spend two or three hours orienting yourself to the Second Life environment before attending an event. You should know how to walk, sit, chat, use voice, and teleport.

Instructions for entering Second Life are here: http://collaborate.extension.org/wiki/Cooperative_Extension_Second_Life_Educators

LuAnn Phillips, Second Life educator, is available to assist you, and can be reached at luann.phillips@extension.org or by instant message to Thynka Little in Second Life.

Please consider joining the Facebook group “Cooperative Extension Second Life”.

November Second Life Events:
* Thursday,November 12, Second Life Roundtable 2:30-3:30 p.m. ET — web conference, meet at http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/learn Getting
started in SL, tips and resources. eXperienced users encouraged to become mentors!

* Friday, November 20, Second Life Meetup — 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. SL time (Pacific), 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET. Meet at the Virtual State Fair, Morrill Island, in Second Life http://slurl.com/secondlife/Morrill/165/136/29 Group tour, a sampling of science education content by public and
land-grant universities.

* Monday, November 9, Avatar Express 9:00-10:00 a.m. Second Life Time, Noon-1:00 p.m. ET, and again at 5:00-6:00 p.m. Second Life Time, 8:00-9:00 p.m. Eastern. This month we will try an evening session as well! Basic orientation for new newbies, how to move, communicate, search, and use the map. Meet at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Morrill/165/136/29

Add these dates & topics to your calendar, and plan to join us on for one or more of these sessions in November!!

TO PARTICIPATE in any of the sessions held in our Web Conferencing Center…
1. Five minutes before the start time, go to our Web Conferencing
Center meeting room at http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/learn.

2. You will be presented with a login screen that has an “Enter as Guest” option.

3. Enter your first name, your last name, and your institution/university, then click the “Enter Room” button to join the
conference.

4. To hear the audio of the workshop and participate in the Q&A portion of the workshop we will be using a built-in teleconferencing capability of Adobe’s Connect Pro conferencing software. Once you log into the meeting you will be presented with the option to enter your call-back number, your phone will automatically be called. After entering your number you will be automatically called and joined into the audio portion of the Web conference on your phone.

EMAIL LIST:
If you or a colleague would like to get notices about upcoming professional development sessions offered by eXtension, go to https://people.extension.org/communities/learn and Click “Join Community.

RECORDINGS:
Recordings of many past professional development sessions can be found at the main eXtension wiki at http://about.eXtension.org/wiki and scroll down under Professional Development heading and find “Recordings of eXtension Professional Development Sessions”, or search
on the word Recordings.

Looking forward to having you join us to learn something new in November!!

eXtension’s Virtual News Room provided web viewers with information on Ohio’s controversial animal welfare ballot issue as well as helped amateur forecasters learn all about wooly worms and the weather.

Top 10 News Releases during October 2009
Google Analytics–Number of Pageviews

1, 744–Ohio Issue 2 – Ohio State University Fact Sheet on Legal Questions (Agriculture in Van Wert County, Ohio)
1,395–Wooly Worms and the Weather (University of Illinois)
830–Deer Overpopulation Causes Problems, (University of Kentucky)
653–Tax Credit Available for First-time Homebuyers (Oklahoma State University)
365–Pennsylvania Fall Foliage Could be Awesome Expert Says, (Penn State University)
338–Aronia Berries Easy to Grow Organically, Have High Levels of Antioxidants (Iowa State University)
331–The Pros and Cons of Television Viewing for Children (University of Missouri)
329–Ohio’s Ballot Issue 2 Pertains to Care Standards for Farm Animals (Agriculture in Van Wert County, Ohio)
310–Even Frost-Free Outdoor Faucets Can Freeze, Break (Kansas State University)
266–The Third Wire: Using Three-prong Plugs with Two-prong Adapters (Louisiana State University)

Number of News Releases by Sources
23–North Dakota State University
22–University of Arkansas
21–North Carolina Cooperative Extension
20–Louisiana State University
17–University of Illinois
16–Ohio State University
14–Iowa State University
13–University of Missouri
12–University of Minnesota
10–Kansas State University, Oklahoma State University, University of Wisconsin
9–Penn State University
8–University of Kentucky
7–Mississippi State University, Oregon State University, Purdue University, Texas AgriLife Extension
6–University of Nebraska
5–University of Georgia, Utah State University
4–Washington State University
3–Alaska Sea Grant, Clemson University, Cornell University, University of California, University of Nevada, Virginia Cooperative Extension
2–Montana State University, Southern University, West Virginia State University
1–Alabama Cooperative Extension, Michigan State University, Rutgers University, University of Maine, University of New Hampshire
9–Other sources
3–Original releases
294–Total Releases

Number of news releases posted to each community of practice
35–Gardens, lawns and landscapes
31–to both Personal finance; Entrepreneurs and Their Communities
24–to both Corn and Soybean Production, Families, Food and Fitness
19–Beef cattle
18–Dairy
17–Parenting
13–Horses
10–Science, Engineering, and Technology for Youth
7–to both Family caregiving; Pest management in and around structures
6–to both Animal Manure Management; Agrosecurity and floods
5–to both Wildlife damage management; Cotton
4–to each Geospatial Technology; Organic Agriculture; Bee Health; Ag Energy
3–to each: Imported Fire Ants; Wildfire; Marine Fisheries
2–to each: Diversity Across Higher Education; Goats; Small Meat Processors; Food Safety
1 to both Swine; Freshwater Aquaculture
294 Total Releases

Carey Williams, Equine Extension Specialist, Rutgers University and member of the HorseQuest Community of Practice, gave a presentation about eXtension to the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board (NAREEE) in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, October 29.

Her presentation was one in a series given by various CES professionals intended to inform the NAREEE Board of the impact of today’s Cooperative Extension program. Carey explained the role and mission of eXtension, the impact Communities of Practice are having in serving the educational needs of Communities of Interest, and how her work in the HorseQuest Community of Practice is benefitting her and other CES colleagues. The NAREEE Board quickly recognized the importance of eXtension in terms of reach, engagement with new audiences, access to “best of the best” content and programs.

Fred Cholick, Dean & Director College of Agriculture, Kansas State University, who was responsible for organizing the overall CES presentation for the Board, said afterwards the Board appreciated learning how Cooperative Extension is making difference for all citizens and that it is changing with the times, which was not uniformly believed by several board members prior to the presentation.

eXtension recently announced its first national awards recognizing outstanding partners, as well as individual and team achievement.

Partner Award
My Horse University, a collaborator with eXtension’s HorseQuest community of practice, received the partnership award. Based at Michigan State University, staff from My Horse University worked with equine experts from other land-grant universities creating information, educational programs, national presentations and promotions as well as securing financing. The two organizations created monthly Web casts and an electronic newsletter of horse tips, developed a module for youth leaders, published and presented joint abstracts and papers, worked on federal grant proposals and secured Purina Mills as a sponsor.

Vermont and North Dakota educators honored
Elizabeth (Betsy) Greene, associate professor and Extension equine specialist at the University of Vermont, and Debra Pankow, associate professor and Extension family economics specialist at North Dakota State University, received awards for their individual contributions and leadership.

Greene is a contributor, collaborator, mentor and member of the HorseQuest community of practice. She has served as vice chair and chair of the equine eXtension group, delivered presentations at national and regional meetings, hosted web chats and webinars and mentored others on how to start and sustain a community of practice. Greene played a pivotal role in establishing HorseQuest and set high standards for other eXtension groups.

Pankow was honored for her achievement working with the Financial Security for All community of practice. As the first leader for the eXtension content on personal finance, Pankow motivated colleagues from across the country as well as devoted time and expertise to eXtension. She promoted the work of her community at workshops and conferences nationwide.

Communities of practice receive awards
HorseQuest and Financial Security for All were recognized for innovation and leadership in their respective areas of expertise. eXtension started in 2005 with eight content areas formed as communities of practice. These two were among the eight pioneer communities.

The equine group helped develop some of the initial eXtension processes and mentored other university experts in ways to reach the general public. The HorseQuest experts created information for the entire equine industry from new horse owners to professionals working to support the equine industry. Members of the leadership group included Kathy Anderson (University of Nebraska), Clint Depew (Louisiana State University), Betsy Greene (University of Vermont), Ashley Griffin (University of Kentucky), Nancy Valentine (National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA), Jennifer Whittle (University of Kentucky) and Carey Williams (Rutgers University).

As the financial crisis hit the United States, the land-grant experts in personal finance found their work on eXtension in high demand. The group focuses their research-based information on financial stability, financial literacy for children through young adults and information on achieving financial security for those close to retirement. Members of the group receiving awards included Erik Anderson (University of Idaho), Janet Bechman (Purdue University), Judy Branch (formerly with University of Vermont), Michael Gutter (University of Florida), Linda Kirk-Fox (Washington State University), Elizabeth Kiss (formerly with Purdue University), Jacque Miller (Colorado State University), Megan O’Neil-Haight (University of Maryland), Barbara O’Neill (Rutgers University), Debra Pankow (North Dakota State University), Nancy Porter (Clemson University), Jane Schuchardt (National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA), Sharon Seiling (Ohio State University) and Pat Swanson (Iowa State University).

“We are thrilled to be able to recognize these outstanding individuals and groups,” said Dan Cotton, eXtension director. “While eXtension represents the ‘best of the best’ in land-grant university content and informal education, the people we honor today represent the ‘best of the best’ working to achieve these high standards.”

Awards were presented on the final day of eXtension’s first national conference Oct. 20-23 in St. Louis.

Three individuals instrumental in the creation and development of eXtension received champion awards at the organization’s first national conference.

Colien Hefferan

Colien Hefferan, former administrator of USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES); Ronald A. Brown, executive director for the Association of Southern Region Extension Directors (ASRED); and Dan Cotton, eXtension director, received eXtension’s highest honor, the champion award.

Hefferan provided financial and administrative support as eXtension moved from concept to reality beginning in 2003. Her support establishing regional listening sessions, bringing together experts in a digital access resource team, and developing a business case and strategic roadmap were critical in building the foundation for eXtension. Her support integrated national program leadership into communities of practice and helped to develop and fund the new technologies for agricultural extension federal budget line.

Ron Brown

Brown was instrumental in organizing the first meetings of individuals and teams for eXtension’s beginnings. He served as a vocal and active member of the eXtension Directors’ Council, meeting weekly with eXtension staff and helping pilot the initiative through the Cooperative Extension System and federal government. He has served as a model for Extension directors and administrators nationwide who seek his counsel on eXtension.

Dan Cotton

Cotton, eXtension’s first director, joined eXtension in 2004 and developed a culture of openness, honesty, innovation and passion. He has built a dedicated virtual staff, engaged thousands of Cooperative Extension workers and presented eXtension from the folksy local Rotary Club to the high echelons of university presidents and the U.S. Congress. eXtension has grown from eight pioneer communities of practice to nearly 50 groups of specialty experts. Cotton worked to build a handful of Cooperative Extension employees as ID holders to nearly 12,000 and seen the Web site grow from hundreds of page views to millions.

Hefferan, Brown, and Cotton were honored at eXtension’s first national conference Oct. 20-23 in St. Louis.