Assessment and Valuation of the Northern Grapes Project Webinar Series

Abstract

<jats:p>Webinars have become an important aspect of many extension outreach programs, especially for large research projects that cover wide geographic regions. Evaluation of webinar impact is important to funders and stakeholders alike. Surveys to gather direct and indirect data can be used to evaluate webinars for their overall utility. The results can inform funders of program success and also serve as an indicator of the continued viability of webinar programming for extension audiences. The Northern Grapes Project administered a webinar series on topics related to grape (<jats:italic>Vitis</jats:italic> sp.) and wine production from 2012 through 2016. Thirty webinars were delivered to an audience of 3083, with nearly an additional 2400 views of recorded webinars. To estimate the value of the series, we modified two models, one that estimated viewer time investment and one that calculated the “green savings.” In addition, we surveyed webinar participants, asking them how much they would pay to watch a live webinar and access the archives, as well as how much money they had earned and/or saved from the information presented. Together, the models and survey indicated a webinar series value of nearly $3.4 million.</jats:p>

Building Agricultural Knowledge of Soil-biodegradable Plastic Mulch

“…For example, the northern grapes (Vitis sp.) project webinar series conducted over a 4-year period was valued at $3.4 million, which included 36 webinars delivered to an audience of 3083 individuals with 2400 additional views of recorded webinars (Particka et al 2018). Field days, especially when combined with hands-on demonstrations, can enhance the value of electronic media (Larochelle et al 2019).…”

#YardFruits: Twitter as a Tool to Disseminate Horticulture Education during a Pandemic

“…Although powerful, the educational experience using these platforms has limitations and certain guidelines are needed to improve outcomes (Su et al, 2017;Zhang et al, 2020). Remote delivery via webinars has proven successful (Hoke et al, 2018;Particka et al, 2018) but social media platforms can potentially reach more consumers. Twitter (Twitter, Inc., San Francisco, CA) is one such tool and it has been successfully used during times of crisis, such as extreme drought (Wagler and Cannon, 2015) and hurricanes (Ruth et al, 2020).…”