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Creating Tactile Space during a University Extension Field Day Event: The Case of a Sustainable Agriculture Innovation
Author(s) -
Cowan Jeremy S.,
Goldberger Jessica R.,
Miles Carol A.,
Inglis Debra A.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
rural sociology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.083
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1549-0831
pISSN - 0036-0112
DOI - 10.1111/ruso.12073
Subject(s) - experiential learning , embodied cognition , citizen journalism , event (particle physics) , mulch , space (punctuation) , extension (predicate logic) , field (mathematics) , participatory action research , sustainable agriculture , agriculture , marketing , sociology , psychology , architectural engineering , engineering , business , computer science , pedagogy , mathematics , geography , ecology , artificial intelligence , world wide web , anthropology , archaeology , biology , operating system , quantum mechanics , programming language , physics , pure mathematics
Drawing on the concept of “tactile space,” we evaluate the experiential learning environment of a university extension field day event focused on a sustainable agriculture innovation: biodegradable plastic mulch. Introduced by sociologist M ichael C arolan, “tactile spaces” are sensuously rich learning environments where participants interact with each other and the environment in an “embodied” and “embedded” manner leading to long‐lasting attitudinal and behavioral change. In our study, farmers, extension professionals, crop consultants, and mulch manufacturers participated in a field day event designed to provide both embodied and embedded experiences in an effort to stimulate interest in biodegradable plastic mulch, an economically and environmentally sustainable alternative to polyethylene mulch. Field day participants engaged in hands‐on demonstrations preceded and followed by focus group sessions. Enhancing the learning environment in these ways improved the success of the field day event by encouraging practice‐based forms of learning, which supplemented and reinforced the claims made about biodegradable plastic mulch. However, the tactile space could have been enriched by providing more opportunities for participants to become embedded within the environment, and by adding elements to overcome the temporal limitations of the field day event. This research contributes to the broader literature on participatory research and extension.