Leslie D. Edgar

A Semiotic Analysis of a Texas Cooperative Extension Marketing Packet

Semiotic analysis in agricultural communications / education and related fields is largely unexplored territory. This study used semiotics, a theory of the production and interpretation of meaning based on images, to evaluate a Texas Cooperative Extension marketing packet. Photographic and logo images throughout the packet were analyzed by employing descriptive methodology and quantitative content analysis methods to “identify the symbols used in the image and determine their meaning for society as a whole”. The purpose of the study was to interpret the messages directed to the audience and determine if they matched the perceived meanings. The findings revealed five repeating themes within the 81 images included in the marketing packet. The themes were: messages portrayed, diversity, relationships, exchange of information, and stereotypes. Each image was analyzed for denotative and connotative meaning. Results showed the images portrayed predominately positive messages while logos were neutral. Adult Caucasian females were depicted as the primary age, ethnic, and gender group. The most reoccurring relationships depicted were that of families and a student / mentor relationship. For information exchange, more images portrayed hands-on learning than dialogue instruction. Findings also indicate visual stereotypes were present. Additionally, no messages regarding individuals with disabilities were discovered. This research focused solely on visual analyses, further research is recommended to evaluate Extension’s marketing tactics both visually and in print to determine if marketing materials are meeting the needs of the organization and their publics. Additional visual marketing assessments should continue.

Citation Structure: An Analysis of the Literature Cited in the "Journal of Leadership Education" from 2002 to 2006.

The Journal of Leadership Education (JOLE) has been a primary outlet of leadership education publishing and research dissemination since 2002. The purpose of this study was to assess the first five years of literature cited in JOLE . The study used a quantitative content analysis design. Analyzed in the study were 45 articles with research methodologies published in JOLE from 2002 through 2006. Seven hundred eighty-one cited literature works were identified in the journal. The average number of citations per article was approximately 17. The most frequently cited journal sources were from leadership, management, and psychology. Additional cited works are defined. Citation analysis indicates that JOLE relies heavily on books, journals, conference proceedings, and other literacy works outside leadership education. JOLE does not exhibit compactness, indicating that it reaches past its citation boundaries and into interrelated areas of other disciplines. However, it does exhibit extremely weak self-identity meaning it does little to build upon research previously cited in JOLE . Future research in JOLE should strive to cite articles from within its journal and determine what drives citations in leadership education.

A 10-year assessment of information and communication technology tasks required in undergraduate agriculture courses

This study sought to assess required information and communication technology (ICT) tasks in selected undergraduate agriculture courses in a land-grant university during a 10-year period. Selected agriculture faculty members in the fall 1999 (n = 63), 2004 (n = 55), and 2009 (n = 64) semesters were surveyed to determine the ICT tasks they required of students. There were significant (p < .05) increases in the number of required Internet and electronic mail tasks between 1999 and 2009; but no significant changes in the number of word processing, computer graphics, spreadsheet, database, or miscellaneous ICT tasks required over the period. In 1999, three specific tasks (receive electronic mail, search the Internet, and type a lab or project report) were required in more than 50% of courses; in 2009, these three tasks plus three additional tasks (send electronic mail, submit assignments as attached electronic mail files, and use Blackboard^(C) to acquire course information) were required in a majority of courses. Faculty with higher levels of self-perceived ICT skills and those teaching higher-level courses tended to require larger and more diverse sets of ICT tasks than other faculty. Course level explained the largest proportion of unique variance in the number of required spreadsheet, word processing, computer graphics, and miscellaneous ICT tasks. Self-perceived ICT skills and course level explained approximately equal amounts of the unique variance in total ICT tasks required. Both the quantity and complexity of ICT in undergraduate agriculture courses should be increased.

Knowledge and Perceptions of Agricultural Communications Pilot Curriculum in Arkansas Secondary Agricultural Classrooms

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to assess the effectiveness of agricultural communications curriculum developed and incorporated into a semester-long agricultural leadership and communications course for secondary agricultural education programs in Arkansas. Students (N = 297) participated in newly developed instructional modules addressing four categories of agriculture-themed curricula predetermined by a committee of agricultural education and communications faculty at the University of Arkansas (careers, writing, design, and multimedia). Student agricultural communications knowledge change was assessed using preand post-test instruments in each module of study. Additionally, content analysis of participating teachers’ journals was used to identify emergent themes related to teachers’ experiences teaching the curriculum throughout the semester. Overall, the findings from this study indicated students’ knowledge increased after instruction for each curriculum module: careers (16.2%), writing (23.1%), design (35.7%), and multimedia (31.3%). Lack of time, limited technology, teacher training, and curriculum content were the most common emergent themes among teachers. Based on findings from this study, it was concluded future efforts should be made to provide technology for agricultural education instructors to improve agricultural communications program effectiveness and reach.

Chalkboards to Virtual Environments: Technology's Role in Expanding the Classroom to Provide Professional Development and Education for Agricultural Communicators

Agricultural communications education has evolved over time, shifting in an effort to meet the needs of students through new approaches, new methods, and new technologies. The purpose of this paper was to examine the influence of educational and communications technologies on agricultural communications education. A literature review related to the history of the processes, methods, and technology uses in education and more specifically in agricultural communications education was conducted. Technology was identified as enhancing learning in settings that included secondary education, university settings, continuing education, Extension programming, and professional development. Only a limited number of articles specifically addressed the use of technology to teach agricultural communications. The high rate of change in communication technologies was identified as a critical reason for considering the role of technology in the agricultural communications education context. A virtual environment to teach crisis communications was shared as an example of successful educational technology use. Continued research focusing on teaching methods and tools related to agricultural communications education is needed. New technologies have the potential to encourage innovative learning experiences; however, the ongoing challenge to educators will be to harness the technology for the good of the learner.

The contribution of selected instructional methods toward graduate student understanding of crisis communication

Providing quality instruction that meets students’ learning needs is an issue facing teachers of agriculture in higher education. A considerable amount of research has been devoted to assessing the effectiveness of various instructional methods, but the research is inconclusive in identifying a singular method of instruction that works well with all individuals. The purpose of this study was to examine students’ perceived value of instructional methods in contribution towards their understanding of and confidence in risk and crisis communication content and practices. This study also compared students (N = 30) from two semesters to determine if new instructional methods incorporating new technology (i.e., Second Life) impacted the knowledge, comprehension, and self-confidence of students. In this descriptive survey research, the data revealed that students did not identify one singular instructional method as being most beneficial and influential, but found a combination of instructional methods influenced their self-confidence. No significant differences were found in changes in students’ content knowledge scores or end-of-course degree of

Poultry Production Messaging in Two National-Circulation Newspapers

Consumers are concerned about the use of antibiotics and hormones in poultry. News media is the primary way consumers gain knowledge about this subject. This study assessed articles in an effort to describe and compare coverage of antibiotic and hormone use in poultry production from The New York Times (NYT) and The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) between 1994 and 2014. Content analysis methodology was used to assess selected articles (N = 265) to identify key messages about antibiotic and hormone use in poultry production, article type, type by year, and complete a comparison of focus, frames, and emergent themes. Five emergent themes were identified: 1) consumers awareness of and concern for antibiotic/hormone use in poultry production (NYT 38.8%, WSJ 51.2%); 2) the role of antibiotic use in poultry production in increased levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (NYT 43.8%, WSJ 24.4%); 3) regulation of antibiotic use in poultry production (NYT 35.0%, WSJ 31.7%); 4) purpose of antibiotic/hormone use in poultry production (NYT 32.5%, WSJ 29.3%); and 5) transparency of antibiotic use poultry production practices (NYT 15.0%, WSJ 12.2%). Articles were primarily news stories, and there was an increase in articles focused on antibiotic and hormone use in poultry over the 20-year period. NYT was 8.8 times more likely to write an editorial on one of these topics than was the WSJ. Recommendations include increased understanding and addressing consumer concern about antibiotic and hormone use in poultry production, increased transparency, and improved relations with media contacts who cover poultry production issues.

A Content and Visual Analysis of Promotional Pieces Used in a Communication Campaign for the Arkansas [Commodity] Promotion Board

This study analyzed a communications campaign developed by a third-party communications group (TPCG) for a prominent commodity promotion board in Arkansas. The campaign included numerous promotional pieces targeted to three audience segments: general public, [commodity] producers, and animal agriculture producers. A systematic, content-driven assessment examined message content and visuals used in these creative pieces, comparing the actual messages with intended messages from TPCG’s original communications campaign plan. A total of 53 pieces were evaluated, and 27 different communicative themes emerged. Many of the creative pieces used in the campaign displayed multiple messages in a single piece. Celebrity endorsements of [commodity] were the most saturated theme, accounting for 21.01% of messaging in the general public creative pieces. Promotion of the [commodity] board was the most prominent theme (16.38%) in the [commodity] producer pieces. Benefits to the Arkansas economy was the most prominent theme (10.73%) in the animal agriculture creative pieces. Although TPCG predominantly achieved consistency through messages that aligned with its campaign plan, a portion of the promotional pieces across all audiences did not contain messages that were a part of the original plan. Therefore, more than one-third (38.1%) of the messages found in the creative pieces were deemed inconsistent or inconclusive. The researchers recommend utilizing a needs assessment to aid in identifying appropriate messaging, and testing those messages through standard evaluation procedures.

Agricultural Communications: Perspectives from the Experts

This qualitative research study evaluates the perspectives of agricultural communications (ACOM) according to ACOM experts (N = 25) from across the United States. Respondents represented policy makers, industry leaders, educators, and researchers and averaged about 15 years of experience. However, respondents were unable to identify a consistent definition of ACOM. Skills and characteristics needed by agricultural communicators ranged from general agriculture and policy understanding to technical communications and science knowledge. Audience identification, agricultural and policy knowledge, and targeted message development and delivery were all important skills needed by ACOMRs. Agricultural communicator characteristics focused on being flexible, responsible, gaining trust, and thinking critically. Challenges, sometimes noted as barriers, ranged from knowledge area changes to division and defense and from a nonunified voice to rapid expansion of technology. The discussion of higher education institutions training generalists versus specialists is an important topic based on findings of this study. Recommendations for future ACOM focus and education are discussed.

Literature Themes from Five Decades of Agricultural Communications Publications

The discipline of agricultural communications has been developing for nearly two centuries. As the discipline has adapted, professional organizations such as the American Association of `Agricultural College Editors (AAACE) and the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE) have published literature representative of the topics and issues that have impacted the discipline through magazines and journals such as the AAACE, ACE Quarterly, and the Journal of Applied Communications ( JAC). The purpose of this study was to review the literature published in AAACE, ACE Quarterly, and JAC from 1968-2015 to identify primary and secondary literature themes. There were 13 emergent themes identified. The most prolific primary theme identified was Channel Development, Use or Research while the most prolific secondary theme identified was Educating Professionals. A count of the number of articles classified as “professional development” and “research” revealed a shift in the focus in the journal outlets. In earlier years, the discipline focused mainly on professional development articles (AAACE and ACE Quarterly), but transitioned almost completely to research ( JAC). This research acknowledges that the discipline has experienced significant literary shifts and provides a recommendation for further research in audience analysis of the literature coming from the journals of the discipline.