Enhancing Global Perspectives Using Videoconferencing and Experiential Learning

<p>NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:<br/> This project focuses on increasing the availability and utilization of videoconferencing (VC) for Agriculture and Bio-Sciences faculty and students at Alcorn State University to expand global educational information. The Program Priority areas targeted by this project include, but are not limited to, education in food safety and global food security and hunger, at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The Program Need Area is Teaching with specific Need Areas of Faculty Preparation and Enhancement for Education, Instruction Delivery System, and Student Experiential Learning. The objectives of this project are to: 1) augment and expand the current course material relevant to the priority areas by arranging for VC sessions, primarily with universities abroad, but, also, with other American universities. The project staff will oversee a portable
multipoint-capable VC equipment for use in various classrooms. Assessment data will be collected, analyzed and disseminated, pertaining to the overall effectiveness of VC to enhance global perspectives in Agriculture and related disciplines.
<p>APPROACH:<br/> The project staff will partner with ASU faculty members, (School of Agriculture, Research, Extension and Applied Sciences and Arts and Sciences) to select target subjects for VC sessions. The staff will facilitate communication between targeted ASU professors and the faculty members at collaborating institutions. Selected faculty, staff and students will travel to partnering international universities to discuss VC scheduling, equipment set up and finalize student projects. VC sessions will be conducted initially with foreign universities that have signed long-term collaborative agreements with ASU, and later expanded to other universities, and international development organizations. For example, a course in Agribusiness Marketing at Alcorn State University could be paired with a similar course at a foreign university for joint lectures, discussion
sessions, and joint projects among student teams comprising members from ASU and the foreign university. The responses of evaluation surveys administered to student and faculty participants will be collated, stored in a database and analyzed statistically to assess the effectiveness of this new approach to expand international education in Agriculture and related disciplines.
<p>PROGRESS: 2012/09 TO 2013/08<br/>Target Audience: Undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty and staff and the general public constitute the target audience of this project. Changes/Problems: No-cost extension was requested and approved. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Professional developmentthrough participation in fact-finding missions, conferences and workshops. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Afaculty-led study tour will be implementedin Brazil, Nicaragua or Ghana. New video conferencing sessionswith collaborating universities will be held. Seminars and workshops on international issues will take place during the next reporting period as well. Students will participate in
international-related institutes in preparation for study abroad.
<p>PROGRESS: 2011/09/01 TO 2012/08/31<br/>OUTPUTS: The overall goal of this project is to increase global educational information and broaden international collaborations in the area of food security and agriculture (in general), through videoconferencing and experiential learning. Project activities in the second year of implementation continued to build on progress that was made in the first year of the project. Some examples of project specific output in the second year of the project are listed below. (1) A group of undergraduate students from the Department of Agriculture, three faculty members and a departmental staff participated in a faculty-led study tour at the National Agricultural University of Nicaragua (UNA). The study tour included seminars presented by the faculty of UNA, e.g., the Schools of Agronomy, Rural Development, Agricultural Engineering, Animal
Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, and Natural Resources and the Environment. Study tour participants visited an international development youth project sponsored by USAID, and were hosted by the staff of USAID and other government agencies represented at the U.S. Embassy in Managua, Nicaragua. The students had excellent exposure to agricultural and rural development challenges in Nicaragua, as well as tropical agriculture. (2) The President of the UNA visited Alcorn State University (ASU) and presented a lecture at ASU. In addition, he met with administrators and scientists to discuss collaborations between ASU and UNA under the current MOU between the two universities. (3) The Office of Global Programs hosted Fulbright Chinese and Arabic FLTAs in the fall and spring semesters; language institutes were offered to students in preparation for study abroad in the middle east and China. (4)
There was one Agriculture major (Agribusiness Management) among ASU students studying abroad in the fall semester 2012. The student was a recipient of the Benjamin Gilman study abroad scholarship. (5) Responses collated from an evaluation instrument distributed to participants show that video conferencing has a positive impact on the respondents' knowledge of other countries, and the respondents' desire to learn more about global issues affecting agriculture and the food industry. Project results (obtained thus far) were presented at the 2012 NIFA Annual Conference of 1890 Capacity Building project directors. PARTICIPANTS: The individuals who worked on the project are: the project director, the project co-investigators, graduate students and staff members. Partnering organizations for the second year include: National Agricultural University of Nicaragua (UNA) Voronezh State Agricultural
University (Russia) Organizations that hosted Alcorn Study Abroad students include: VERITAS Universidad (Costa Rica) University of Ghana through ISEP (International Student Exchange Program) Al Akhawayn University (Morocco). TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
<p>PROGRESS: 2010/09/01 TO 2011/08/31<br/>OUTPUTS: The overall goal of this project is to increase ASU's global educational information and to broaden international collaborations in the area of food security and agriculture generally, in order to achieve the university's mission. More specifically, this project seeks to enhance knowledge of global food issues affecting food production, consumption and production/consumption gaps, enhance knowledge of international developments affecting food safety, international trade and policies, enhance knowledge of other countries, the people, their perspectives and enhance cultural and language competencies. Project output in the previous fiscal year included the building of the infrastructures and network for global video -conferencing with international partnering universities. The following equipment and software were purchased
and installed for use: (1) Polycom HD videoconferencing system, including HD camera, microphone and 55-inch monitor; (2) Portable Dell LifeSize HD videoconferencing system with HD camera (this unit is portable, and therefore can be moved to different classrooms depending on the needs); (3) Portable Cambridge sound system, and Dell HD Projector and Screen; (4 ) Polycom PVX Software (this unit will allow our international partners to connect to Polycom video, if they do not have a Polycom system. Additional outputs during the previous fiscal year are listed below: (a) Three-way videoconferences were held with Voronezh State Agricultural University (Russia) and the University of Nebraska; (b) Four-way video conferencing (Alcorn State University, Voronezh State Agricultural University - Russia and University of Nebraska and University of Costa Rica) was held; (c)An administrative meeting was
held via videoconference, between the staff of the Office of Global Programs at Alcorn State University and the leadership of the SVVR Educational Society University in Hyderabad, India, as part of the cooperative agreement between Alcorn State University and SVVR. A group of exchange students from SVVR spent a month-long study tour at Alcorn State University participating in experiential learning, educational enrichment and exchanges at Alcorn State University ; (d) Planning activities were implemented and arrangements were made for an Agriculture Department faculty- led study tour to the UNA (National Agricultural University, Nicaragua) for fall 2011. (e) The Office of Global programs held Chinese and Russian Language Institutes in the Summer of 2011; Semester-long Chinese and Arabic Language institutes began in August 2011. Furthermore, Global Programs held numerous
international-related workshops and events throughout the 2010-2011 fiscal year. (f) One student completed a thesis on the "impact of Higher Food Prices on Food Security in West African Countries". The student was an advisee of the principal investigator of this project. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals who worked on the project in FY 2010-2011 include: the Principal Investigator, the co-Investigators, graduate students and undergraduate students, personnel of the Center for Information Technology, and the staff of the Office of Global programs at Alcorn State University. Collaborators and partnering institutions that contributed to the project in 2010-2011 are: (1) Voronezh State Agricultural University, located in Voronezh Russia (one of the oldest comprehensive agricultural universities in Russia); Alcorn State University is engaged in educational exchanges with VSAU; (2) SVVR Educational
Society, especially the college of Agribusiness Management. SVVR offers a graduate degree in Agribusiness Management; (3) UNA (National Agricultural university) in Nicaragua,offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in agricultural disciplines. TARGET AUDIENCES: Undergraduate students, graduate students and the general public constitute the target audience. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.