Using Distance Education in Master Gardener Training.

Home lawn care is a critical component of the training program for Master Gardeners in most states. As Extension budgets shrink and travel costs rise, traditional face-to-face Master Gardener training is becoming more and more difficult for Extension specialists and agents. At the same time, the demand for Master Gardener training has increased.  Many states now use distance education to provide the Master Gardener trainees with access to state specialists while saving time and resources. This often takes the form of a videoconference-style class, where the Master Gardener students gather together at their usual site for class, but the instructor is at a remote location (usually their office site on campus). This allows a classroom atmosphere for the students. In Alabama and Colorado, this model has worked well and received positive reviews from agents and students.  To be successful, the videoconferencing equipment used must allow for as much interaction between students and instructors as possible. For example, with Alabama’s Polycom system, the instructor has full control over the remote cameras and can see the students and respond to a raised hand or a spoken question by panning and zooming to the questioner. The class can see this and know that they have the instructor’s attention.  Distance education also allows classes to be taught to two or more states simultaneously. In Colorado, 3 to 8 sites are often taught at once, though there is a reduction in spontaneous interaction with multiple sites. Classes may also be recorded and archived for those who miss a session.  Although distance education methods are being more and more widely embraced, there are still potential problems. Transmission speed is an important issue, as lag can render conversation difficult. A dedicated support crew readily at hand to deal with issues related to connectivity also helps tremendously.