The study sought to: (1) evaluate agriculturalists’ characteristics as adopters of IoT smart agriculture technologies, (2) evaluate traits fostering innovation adoption, (3) evaluate the cycle of IoT smart agriculture adoption, and, lastly, (4) discern attributes and barriers of information communication. Researchers utilized a survey design to develop an instrument composed of eight adoption constructs and one personal characteristic construct and distributed it to agriculturalists at an agricultural exposition in Rio Grande do Sul. Three-hundred-forty-four (n = 344) agriculturalists responded to the data collection instrument. Adopter characteristics of agriculturalists were educated, higher consciousness of social status, larger understanding of technology use, and more likely identified as opinion leaders in communities. Innovation traits advantageous to IoT adoption regarding smart agriculture innovations were: (a) simplistic, (b) easily communicated to a targeted audience, (c) socially accepted, and (d) larger degrees of functionality. Smart agriculture innovation’s elevated levels of observability and compatibility coupled with the innovation’s low complexity were the diffusion elements predicting agriculturalists’ adoption. Agriculturalists’ beliefs in barriers to adopting IoT innovations were excessive complexity and minimal compatibility. Practitioners or change agents should promote IoT smart agriculture technologies to opinion leaders, reduce the innovation’s complexity, and amplify educational opportunities for technologies. The existing sum of IoT smart agriculture adoption literature with stakeholders and actors is descriptive and limited, which constitutes this inquiry as unique.

This paper provides a rationale and convention for discussing the true limits and interpretation of data collected using unidimensional, summated, Likert-type, and attitudinal scales used in research investigating human behavior, sociology, education, psychology, and other related fields of study. All vague quantifiers must be described in methods and findings. The true limits of the scale and of each vague quantifier should be described. This information should be placed in the methods section. A five-point summated scale, for example, can be interpreted as follows: Strongly Agree = 5 - 4.51, Agree = 4.5 - 3.51, Neither Agree nor Disagree = 3.5 - 2.51, Disagree = 2.5 - 1.51, Strongly Disagree = 1.5 - 1. This paper also provides a rationale and convention for the use of nonstandardized effect size (ES) estimates to describe the magnitude and strength of the effect. This is accomplished by subtracting one summated M from another summated M and interpreted using the following convention: Small (ES = .19 and lower); Medium (ES = .20 - .49); and Large (ES = .50 and higher). The rationale for this is based on the intuitiveness of the measure, true limits of the scale, and scale intervals.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe selected Caribbean extension officers' technology preferences and examine factors that may affect their technology preferences. Design/methodology/approach: The sample consisted of extension officers (N = 119) participating in professional development training sessions in Grenada, Belize and Saint Lucia. A 29-item instrument with a four-point scale was used to gather data on technology preferences. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. Findings: Extension officers used Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) for personal benefits and increased professional productivity but then would use traditional interaction methods with farmers. Education levels of extension officers played a part in technology acceptance; higher levels of education earned led to an increase in technology use. Practical Implications: An increase in awareness is important for the further adoption of ICTs for extension purposes. Organisations in both the public and private sector must work to increase knowledge of ICTs for the benefit of stakeholders. The use of ICTs can increase productivity for extensions officers and expand educational opportunities for learners. Originality/value: The use of information communication technologies (ICTs) by extension to disseminate educational materials around the world is widespread. While ICTs exist, extension officers' level of acceptance in using technology for their core job functions may prohibit the dissemination of ICTs to farmers. Increasing awareness and use of ICTs can lead to more productive relationships between extension officers and agricultural stakeholders.

Advanced Methods in Distance Education: Applications and Practices for Educators, Administrators and Learners: 9781591404859: Educational IS&T Books

The purpose of the study was to evaluate and measure perceived learning in a training program delivered via distance education. The program was entitled: Course Design for the Digital Age: Instructional Design and Materials Conversion. The study documents the growth in distance education core competencies of professionals in Costa Rica using a competency-based behaviorally anchored instrument. The study uses both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis. The resulting scores provide outcome assessment measures useful for researchers and practitioners for documenting the results of self-assessment and comparing observable behaviors of competence.