The Ohio Watershed Academy

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The Ohio Watershed Academy

• Applying Principles of Adult Education Theory to
  a Professional Development Program for Watershed
  Group Leaders
• Joe Bonnell and Anne Baird
• Ohio State University Extension

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Introduction to the Ohio Watershed Academy

• Purpose
• Build the capacity of current and future
  watershed group leaders in Ohio to facilitate the
  development of community-based watershed action
  plans.
• Audience
• Watershed coordinators and natural resource
  professionals

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Course Design

• Five-month course
• Instructional components
• On-line modules and assignments
• Face-to-face meetings
• In-depth learning projects

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Desired Outcomes

• Gain confidence in applying process skills.
• Exposure to new ideas and tools for stakeholder
  involvement.
• Broader perspective on engaging stakeholders.

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Components of Adult Learning (Merriam and
Caffarella, 1992)

• Life experience as content or triggers to
  learning
• Self-direction and autonomy
• Self-reflection
• Expression of learning

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Evaluation

• Capture reactions of recent graduates and
  non-graduates.
• What was helpful?
• Helped build confidence.
• What would you change?
• Timing of modules.
• More modules.

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Evaluation

• What was helpful?
• It made me take a hard look at how focused we
  are and what the lack of focus is going to do to
  our project.
• 2004 Student on-line comments on module 5
  Strategic Planning.
• What would you change?
• The concept is important but the resources were
  overwhelming. I spent way too many hours on
  this.
• 2004 student on-line comments on module 7.1
  Getting Water Quality Standards to Work for Your
  Watershed.

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Life experience as a trigger to learning

• Student project A Guide for Developing a
  Watershed Presentation
• Student objectives
• Develop a sense of the audience
• Develop an audience friendly presentation
• Develop motivational skills

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Self-direction and Autonomy

• Students select the most appropriate and timely
  modules.
• Multiple assignment options depending on level of
  expertise.
• Exposure and access to new resources.

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Self-reflection

• Looking over the many strategies and forms
  provided with this exerciseI feel the SWCD
  meeting that I discussed could have used
  round-robin or small group techniques to have
  better gained input from the group on important
  activities for the SWCD to work on.

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Expression of Learning

• Assignments lead to useful products
• e.g., Stakeholder involvement module
• Identify stakeholder groups.
• Whats in it for them?
• Whats in it for us?
• Required action

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2004 Mid-course Evaluation Findings

• What is not working about the Academy?
• Number of required readings, more instruction on
  in-depth projects.

• I had trouble finding time to do all the
  readings. They have been mostly useful but, but
  if required readings could be condensed to a
  couple of most important that would be good.
• In-depth project was difficult to coordinate for
  group effort
• (3/16/04, OWA participants)

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2004 Mid-course Evaluation Findings

• What is working? Assignments, resources,
  flexibility, and networking opportunities.

• I have learned from the assignments they have
  forced me to make time to look into issues I
  would not have been able to do otherwise.
  (3/16/04 OWA participant)

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Reflections

• Started with prescriptive, step-by-step approach.
• Moving toward more adaptive approach
• Exposure to new ideas.
• Try out new ideas reflect on practice.
• Develop new perspectives.

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Reflections

• Moving away from expert model to peer-teaching.
• Student creation of knowledge.
• Moving toward just-in-time versus
  just-in-case learning.

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Additional information

• Ohio Watershed Academy Web-site
• http//ohiowatersheds.osu.edu/owa/index.html
• Anne Baird baird.41_at_osu.edu
• Joe Bonnell bonnell.8_at_osu.edu