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Agricultural Advisory Practice & Theory (AGRI90092)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Online and On Campus (Parkville)
Please refer to the return to campus page for more information on these delivery modes and students who can enrol in each mode based on their location.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
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Contact information
Semester 1
Semester 1
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 - Online Semester 1 - On Campus |
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Fees | Look up fees |
A common and important role that agricultural scientists play is supporting farmers to implement strategies for continuous improvement on-farm to achieve sustainability and productivity goals. This subject will provide students with the theory and practice of how to support change on-farm through professional advisory practice.
The subject covers the four main aspects of professional advisory practice in contemporary agriculture: the farmer-advisor relationship; building your professional network/s; ethics in advisory practice; and reflexive praxis (theory-practice). To achieve competency and professionalism in each of these aspects, advisors must understand both the practical strategies for working with farmer clients to achieve on-farm improvements, as well as the theories that support such change processes, including: adult learning approaches (e.g. joint fact finding, sense making, valuing different knowledge/s); dynamics of social network formation (e.g. social learning, social capital); perspectives on ethical practice (e.g. role of trust); and reflexivity (e.g. understanding how to tailor messages and communicate effectively with a range of different people.)
Topics covered in the subject include:
- Key concepts and approaches in agricultural advisory practice and theory to support improvements in farm productivity and sustainability
- Rural social science research theories and methods to understand and work with farmer clients (e.g. segmentation, stakeholder analysis, social network analysis)
- In-depth consideration of the factors influencing farmer decision making (e.g. values, beliefs, worldviews, context)
- The dynamics of social networks in agricultural change and the role of the advisor in facilitating and coordinating collective action for supporting on-farm practice change (e.g. concept of the knowledge and innovation broker)
- Attributes of effective leaders and the role of the professional agricultural advisor in supporting on-farm change
- Design and delivery of effective extensions strategies for a diverse farmer-client base in a whole-farm-systems context (e.g. social media, models of advisory practice)
- Introduction to approaches to strategic development of advisory business models to cater to farmer client needs
Intended learning outcomes
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of theories of farm practice change and the implications for advisory practice design and delivery
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the role and capacities of agricultural advisors in supporting farm practice change
- Design and plan advisory support to diverse farmer-clients in a whole-farm-systems context
- Critically reflect on and evaluate and agricultural advice that meets farmer-client needs and sustainable and productive change on-farm
- Assess and apply effective knowledge transfer and communication tools and techniques for supporting farm
Generic skills
- A profound respect for truth, intellectual and professional integrity, and the ethics of scholarship
- Capacity for independent critical thought, rational inquiry and self-directed learning
- An ability to derive, interpret and analyse social, technical or economic information from primary and other sources
- Familiarity with appropriate communication technology
- Capacity for creativity and innovation, through the application of skills and knowledge
- Ability to integrate information across relevant disciplines to solve problems in applied situations
- Highly developed written communication skills to allow informed dialogue with individuals and groups from industry, government and the community
- Highly developed oral communication skills to allow informed dialogue and liaison with individuals and groups from industry, government and the community
- Appreciation of social and cultural diversity from a regional to a global context
- Ability to participate effectively as a member of a team
- Ability to plan work, use time effectively and manage small projects
Last updated: 3 November 2022