PERCEPTIONS OF OKLAHOMA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION PERSONNEL REGARDING THEIR USE OF ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY IN DISSEMINATING EXTENSION EDUCATION INFORMATION

Scope and Method of Study. The major purpose of this study was to determine the nature and extent of use of electronic communications equipment by Oklahoma cooperative extension personnel for disseminating extension education information. The respondents in this study consisted of 221 cooperative extension personnel in the State of Oklahoma. Two survey questionnaires were designed to obtain the data needed to achieve the purpose of the study. The treatment of the data consisted of frequency distribution, overall means, rank order scales, and percentages.;Findings and Conclusions. Analysis indicated that there was a variety of electronic communications equipment available to extension personnel for disseminating extension education information. Among those indicated by the respondents were: microcomputers, printers, video equipment, audioconference equipment, and videoconference equipment. The problem of availability of equipment was perceived as the most serious problem. Extension personnel anticipated using slidetapes and videotapes containing information on livestock judging, wheat production, marketing techniques, greenhouse management, insect identification, and nutrition more than any others in a group of subject areas. All the respondents perceived they needed additional training in using some instructional methods and certain electronic communications equipment. The instructional method and the electronic communications equipment for which respondents perceived the greatest need for training were panel discussion and the videodisk, respectively. Supplementing clinetele's other learning experiences was indicated as a major objective which the use of electronic communications equipment helps accomplish. A perceived difference existed between the six groups of respondents on the choices of electronic communications equipment to use for conducting different extension activities.