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Agricultural Advisory Practice & Theory (AGRI90092)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 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 1
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 |
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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
On completion of this subject, students will
- 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: 31 January 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
- Students with work experience in advisory roles will learn theories of advisory approaches allowing critical analysis of current practice.
- Students with no work experience will learn about common advisory practices and underpinning theories
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 |
---|---|---|
Assessment A - Essay and personal reflection on theory and practice of agricultural advice to support farm practice change
| Week 5 | 25% |
Assessment B - Written assignment on a defined topic
| Week 8 | 20% |
Assessment C - Report on design and delivery of extension/advisory activity (field work component) (Can be in multi-media form)
| Week 12 | 40% |
Assessment D - Individual presentation on a client change and the advisory response (1000 words) Presentation to be given in tutorial sessions between weeks 5-12
| From Week 5 to Week 12 | 15% |
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Principal coordinator Wycliffe Oyunga Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 2 hour/week contact hours – lectures (24 hours) and 1.25 hours/week contact hours Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 26 February 2024 to 26 May 2024 Last self-enrol date 8 March 2024 Census date 3 April 2024 Last date to withdraw without fail 3 May 2024 Assessment period ends 21 June 2024 Semester 1 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.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 31 January 2024