Course Description
Two credits (two hours lecture) T/R 12:45- 2:00, Blocker 150

The course will provide students with an understanding of the importance of mass communication and various other communication methods in the agricultural industry. The course will cover communication mediums aimed at agricultural producers including: magazines, newsletters, radio, the Internet, field days, demonstration plots, informational meetings and other communication methods.

Prerequisites: None

Instructors:

Lead Instructor: Dr. Tracy Rutherford

Teaching Assistant: Jennifer Norwood

Dr. Tracy Rutherford Assistant Professor Department of Agricultural Education trutherford@aged.tamu.edu

Jennifer Norwood Teaching Assistant Texas A&M University jnorwood@aged.tamu.edu

Course Objectives:

As a result of participation in this course you will be able to:

1.  Understand the various communication methods and mediums used to communicate agricultural information;

2.  Explain the advantages of one medium versus another to communicate specific information to a given audience;

3. Understand the issues in agricultural communications.

4. Make intelligent choices on which communication medium (media) to use to best communicate information to a given audience.

5. Have an appreciation for how the mass media cover agriculture and agricultural issues.

How Does a Web-Assisted Course Work?

• Each week you will click on the class link that corresponds to that week's lesson (click here). You should review the lesson and its related materials before the class meets for that week. The objective is to have the lesson for each week posted by Friday of the preceding week.

• A PowerPoint slide show will be used to facilitate discussion during class; it is viewable in Adobe format and may include an online presentation. However, like all dynamic courses, the PowerPoint slide show will not serve as the alpha and the omega; each student is responsible for additional inquiry through self-directed processes.

• One of the benefits of a Web-assisted course is the opportunity to experience a multitude of materials on the Internet. Under the list of learning activities, you will find a list of Web sites, journal articles, papers, and other materials to be reviewed. In this class we utilize the power of the Internet. You are to visit each site that is listed under the learning activities and read or view the materials. For some of the materials, you will need to have the Acrobat Reader on your computer. If you don't have Adobe, it's a free download at Adobe, and will be indicated by the Adobe symbol . Materials that do not require Adobe will have the symbol.

• The course utilizes e-mail for additional information and dialogue among course participants. You should check your NEO email account weekly to ask/post questions and engage in dialogue with other class members. This is not in real time so you will need to drop in from time to time and add your contributions. On some weeks there will be specific directions regarding the administration of this course. For more information regarding the NEO email program, review the help section when you get to NEO.

• You should establish a standard time every week to work on this class and "just do it." You don't want to get behind because it will be hard to catch up. In a typical class you would spend 3 hours in the classroom and 6-9 hours reading and doing assignments during a week. This class will require similar time commitments.

Course Text:

Boone, K., Meisenbach, T., and Tucker, M., (2000) Agricultural Communications: Changes and Challenges. Iowa State University Press: Ames, Iowa.

Course Requirements:

• Active class participation is expected from each student during each meeting.
• Two individual projects will examine current issues in agriculture and career exploration.
• Three major exams will be administered during the semester. These exams will be a combination of multiple choice and/or short-answer questions covering course material, readings, lectures, and guest speakers.
• One final exam will contain comprehensive questions.

Specific Assignments and grading expectations are available here.

Course Policies:

Your  work should be:

• Professional - There is no excuse for sloppy work. You can have fantastic ideas and thoughts but if your work is sloppy, colleagues will think your thoughts and ideas are sloppy too. Always let the quality of your work be an accurate reflection of your professionalism!
   
• Academic Integrity: Both faculty and students at Texas A&M University have a responsibility to maintain academic integrity. Information about academic integrity can be found at: <http://www.chem.tamu.edu/class/fyp/integrty.html>. Check these links for more information on the Student Conduct Code.