Spider Plots: A Tool for Participatory Extension Learning

Here we demonstrate how spider plots can be used in a participatory fashion to simultaneously assess the performance of agricultural systems. We present how we used spider plots to assess ecosystem services from cover crops at a field day and suggest how the activity can be adapted to other purposes. We conclude by providing recommendations to educators for successfully facilitating a participatory assessment using the spider plot. Participatory Learning Increasingly, stakeholders are requesting hands-on, interactive workshops that teach meaningful skills and information (Barbercheck et al., 2009). Participants who learn new skills by doing them are more likely to adopt those skills (Sturdy, Jewitt, & Lorentz, 2008) or adapt them to meet their own needs and circumstances (Green, Mills, & Decker, 1993). Participatory techniques are particularly well suited to adult learners, who learn through relational situations and whose diverse experiences can provide rich sources of knowledge (Knowles, 1990; Ota, DiCarlo, Burts, Laird, & Gioe, 2006). Spider Plots: A Tool for Participatory Extension Learning 10/28/10 06:33:40