Europe
March 8, 2013
In the quest to provide agricultural advisers with new tools to accompany a reduction in pesticide use, the New Advisers project has tested three learning approaches in eight European countries. The results of these trials are now being analysed and, eventually, instructional manuals and videos will be produced to encourage their wider use.
The three approaches in question are discussion group, clear vision and problem-based learning and below we provide a short outline of each:
1. Discussion group has been developed by New Advisers’ Irish partner Teagasc and, as its name suggests, is used with groups of farmers, for example, a series of meetings throughout a winter on successive themes agreed with the participants. Each event is carefully prepared with the farmer, whose farm hosts the meeting. The adviser not only provides technical knowledge, but importantly brings relational and methodological expertise in facilitating discussions. This lead adviser may be assisted by colleagues as experts on specific issues, and the work is organised as part of a team.
2. Clear vision is used in France with the aim of discovering the whole farm. Even if the question or difficulty appears very technical and short-term, an effort is made to place it in a broader context, considering environmental, structural and organisational aspects: the ambitions or plans of the farmer, constraints and opportunities, economic and regulatory issues, decision-making and financing, and the quality and use of equipment. Over the course of a short interview (two or three hours), the vision of the farmer is gathered. The adviser structures this vision and proposes an action plan to gradually deepen the key issues for improving practices or finding new systems solutions using the same techniques.
3. Problem-based learning is a method which involves learners as part of a collective. It is used in agricultural schools in Sweden and New Advisers is testing it for training advisers or farmers. From the description, sometimes very brief, of a ‘problem situation’, a small group (four to six people) reformulates the problem, organises the research for the information needed to solve it and presents feedback which clarifies both the responses to the problem and the ‘learning path’ taken. To be successfully completed, problem-based learning involves being supervised by an experienced trainer who is both attentive and empowering for the group and for each participant. This approach makes it possible to produce original solutions, for example, for a group of advisers facing problems in controlling diseases and considering innovative cropping systems.
Each of these tools has been tested at least once in each country with a group of farmers, advisers or agricultural students. Observations have been recorded on the difficulties for users in appropriating these tools, on the quality of available resources and on the efficiency of the tool in the given situation.
These observations are being used by New Advisers to improve the tools, refine their recommendations for use and, if necessary, imagine other adaptations. Once testing has been completed, New Advisers will produce short instructional videos available on the internet.
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