A Program Evaluation of the Online Master Gardener Course for Northern Arizona
Abstract
The first online Master Gardener course for the state was designed for residents at the higher elevations of rural northern Arizona. This 16 week course was delivered through Community D2L and began February 4th 2020. A formative program evaluation was conducted to gain participant feedback both during and at the conclusion of the course. Weekly questionnaires were administered at the end of each module, including an end of course questionnaire. Likert-type and open-ended questions were designed to capture data on participant satisfaction with course content and online delivery, intent to remain in the program, ways to build community in the online environment, and accessibility of volunteer and continuing education opportunities. Findings concluded that participants were very satisfied with the course overall and that the majority intend to remain in the program; however, there is a need for continuing education and community building opportunities for new Master Gardeners from the online class who reside in these rural areas.
Project Background
The purpose of this project was to develop, deliver, and evaluate an online Master Gardener training for northern Arizona. The central question that guided the project evaluation was: is the online Master Gardener course effective in training, creating community among participants, and retaining Master Gardener volunteers in northern Arizona? The evaluation of the project will address participant satisfaction with the online delivery of the Master Gardener training for northern Arizona and evaluate its effectiveness for building community and retaining volunteers among participants earning their Master Gardener certification online.
Course Participants
The target audience for the evaluation was residents of rural areas of Apache, Coconino, Gila, and Navajo Counties, including residents of northern Arizona tribal lands. All participants were enrolled in the online Master Gardener course. Of the 53 participants accepted into the program, 33 finished the course. Participant rationales for not completing the course are as follows: Medical reasons (5), work schedule (1), COVID-19 front line worker (2), too much science (1), unable to adapt to technology (1), region greatly impacted by COVID-19 (5), never logged in to course (4), unknown (1).
Course Participant Demographics
Participants by County and Town
Master Gardener Online Course Participants by County and Town *NN=Navajo Nation, HL=Hopi Lands
Participant Age Range
Participant Age Range for Those That Completed the Course
Participant Gender Identity
Gender Identity of Participants Who Completed the Course
Findings
Volunteer project interests listed in the final questionnaire by participants included:
Volunteering at farmers markets, community gardens, and Hospice gardens
Volunteering at local non-profit greenhouses and for the National Park Service
Writing gardening columns for the local newspaper
Answering gardening questions from neighbors, at community events, through Master Gardener helplines, and at the local library
Conducting gardening workshops and developing demonstration gardens
Helping at local Extension offices
Working with youth in school gardens
66.7% of participants indicated that these types of volunteer opportunities were available within their local communities
Course Participant Testimonies
“As a fairly experienced gardener I still learned a lot! Really appreciated all the hard work put into the creation of this course. There is a real need for this course, looking forward to sharing the information in the community, encouraging others to take the course. Thank you so much!”
“Being a professional that lives in a remote location, I can’t express enough how grateful I am to have access to a certification program that works with my 9-5 schedule.”
“Thank you for this class. I have enjoyed it greatly and am looking forward to applying and sharing this information with others. I will be sure to look for online cooperative extension classes related to this class going forward.”
“Thank you for providing this opportunity to our rural community.”
“I would like to thank everyone who made this class possible, all the knowledgeable instructors and my classmates for this incredible opportunity. I am excited about becoming a Master Gardener to help my family and community members learn about gardening.”
Future
An ideal next step is to continue to develop online programming available through the Extension System. Online classes are an effective way to deliver programming and they can benefit those in rural communities, full-time working professionals, and others who would not normally be able to participate in a face-to-face class. Because volunteerism is at the core of the Master Gardener program, finding ways to keep Master Gardeners from the online class engaged in the program should be a priority. Additionally, efforts should be made to build community among Master Gardeners from the online class by connecting them with their local Extension offices and other Master Gardeners in their regions. In the future, it may be beneficial to develop a hybrid approach to this class by offering hands on workshops that align with course material when applicable.
Gayle Gratop
Instructional Specialist Coordinator, Coconino County Master Gardener Program
Email: gaylejennifer2@arizona.edu
Gayle has been a resident of Coconino County for 24 years where she has split her time between Flagstaff and Grand Canyon National Park. A native plant horticulturist by trade, she holds a BS in Environmental Studies from NAU, a Certificate of Horticulture Production from Yavapai College, and an MS in Agricultural Education from UArizona. Gayle would like to thank all of those who made this course possible including:
All of the future Master Gardeners who completed the course!
From Cooperative Extension
Hattie Braun, Dr. Jeff Silvertooth, Chris Jones, Rick Gibson, Jennifer Weber, Gloria Blumanhourst, and Amy Nickel
From CALS
Dr. Amber Rice, Dr. Stephen Poe, Dr. Ursula Schuch, and Dr. Kathleen Walker
Coconino Master Gardeners
Jim Mast, Ellen Ryan, and Jackee Alston
Local NoAZ Experts
Justin Brereton: Yavapai College and Melissa Eckstrom: Willow Bend Environmental Education Center
