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Principles of Farm Practice Change (AGRI20041)
Undergraduate level 2Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable (login required)(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 2
Overview
| Availability | Semester 2 |
|---|---|
| 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 introduce students to the principles of farm practice change and how change can be supported by effective advisory practices. These principles include: appreciating diversity amongst farmers and its implications for change; understanding theories of adult learning and how they apply to change management on-farm; recognising factors that influence farmer decision making; and the multiple advisory strategies for achieving change on-farm. This subject also introduces students to a practical toolbox of approaches that agricultural advisors use with their farmer clients to support decision-making including: mentoring; facilitated discussion; field visits; joint data analysis; and peer-to-peer learning.
Students will apply these principles to a farm case study where students interview a farm manager and then design an advisory strategy to support a particular farm practice change issue.
Topics covered in the subject include:
- Introduction to farms as complex adaptive systems
- Introduction to rural social research theories and methods to understand farm practice change from a farmer perspective
- Factors influencing farmer decision making (values, beliefs, worldviews, context)
- Context to farmer decision making: food policy and regulation, agricultural workforce & farm human resource management, natural resource management, rural community context, social licence and consumer preferences
- The role of agricultural advisors in supporting farm practice change
- Models of one-on-one agricultural advisory practice to support farm practice change and examples
- Tools and techniques for agricultural advisors to use to effectively support farm practice change
Intended learning outcomes
Upon completion of this subject students will be able to:
- Articulate the social factors affecting farm decision making and practice change in agriculture
- Examine and describe the different roles and capacities of agricultural advisors in supporting farm practice change
- Identify and compare different models of one-on-one agricultural advisory practice for supporting farm practice change
- Collect, analyse and interpret agricultural and environmental information in collaboration with farmers for appropriate decision making
- Describe a range of different knowledge transfer and communication tools and techniques for supporting farm practice change
- Critically evaluate and formulate farm practice change options to support farm practice change
Generic skills
- Capacity for independent critical thought, rational inquiry and self-directed learning and research
- Ability to derive, interpret and analyse ecological, biological, social, technical or economic information from primary sources
- Highly developed written communication skills to allow informed dialogue with individuals and groups from industry, government and the community
- Ability to participate effectively as part of a team
- Ability to plan work, use time effectively and manage small projects
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Essay on the issues and challenges of supporting farm practice change
| Week 6 | 30% |
Report which details a one-on-one agricultural advisory strategy to support a particular farm practice change issue
| Week 12 | 40% |
Examination
| During the examination period | 30% |
| Hurdle requirement: Students must attend a minimum 80% of scheduled tutorials | N/A |
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 2
Principal coordinator Margaret Ayre Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 12 x 1 hour lectures, 12 x 1.5 hour tutorials, 6 hours of self-directed practical (consultation/s with farm business owner/s), 6 hours of field trip Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 22 July 2024 to 20 October 2024 Last self-enrol date 2 August 2024 Census date 2 September 2024 Last date to withdraw without fail 20 September 2024 Assessment period ends 15 November 2024 Semester 2 contact information
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Last updated: 31 January 2024