| Poster
presented on March 6-8, 2002 at the conference on Communicating the Future:
Best Practices in Communication of Science and Technology to the Public,
co-sponsored by the U.S.
Department of Energy Office
of Science, and NIST. Poster topics
were selected as "best
practices" through a formal peer review by a
committee of distinguished science writers, educators, and researchers.
Diverse
Educational Needs in Agricultural Biotechnology
Program
conducted by: University of Nebraska, Colorado State University, U.S.
Department of Agriculture
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Abstract
Plant breeders, nutritionists,
and agricultural education specialists familiar with genetic modification
technology have initiated a project (through the support of an USDA Initiative
for Future Agriculture and Food Systems (IFAFS) grant) to provide reliable,
accessible, complete and unbiased information on genetically modified
crops and foods to as wide an audience as possible. This information is
provided through two avenues. The first is through day-long biotechnology
workshops. Workshop topics include methods and applications of transgenic
crops, health and environmental concerns about their use, ethical dimensions
of agricultural biotechnology, and ways of communicating biotechnology
risks and benefits. The target groups for these workshops include teachers,
extension educators, health and nutrition professionals, journalists,
and other professionals who educate others about biotechnology-related
subjects.
The second avenue is delivery of information through a partnership of
two Web sites, funded in part by the American Distance Education Consortium
(ADEC) and USDA-IFAFS, and established to meet diverse educational needs
in crop technology. The first Web site (croptechnology.unl.edu)
consists of peer-reviewed lesson modules targeted toward credit and non-credit
learners and science educators. This open source database has been tested
with over 500 students and utilized by teachers and journalists internationally.
Expansions are currently under way for topics in weed science, nutrition,
and food safety, with possible translation to Spanish. The second site
(www.colostate.edu/programs/lifesciences/TransgenicCrops)
is targeted for more general public use, focusing intensely on crop genetic
engineering issues. It has been reviewed or mentioned in Science magazine,
The Chronicle of Higher Education, and the Internet Scout Project
(an NSF-sponsored organization). Currently, over 125 other Web pages link
to this site. Expansions in process include Spanish translation and enhanced
agricultural biotechnology educational resources. Over 150 people (e.g.,
high school science teachers, agricultural and nutrition extension educators,
seed company employees) have attended the workshops. Seventy-four participants
voluntarily completed surveys that measure awareness, attitude, delivery,
and demographics.
Funding
Major funding
for this project has been provided by the American Distance Education
Consortium (ADEC); the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and
Extension Service (CSREES), under Agreement No. 98-EATP-1-0403; and the
USDA Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems (IFAFS), under
Agreement No. 00-52100-9710.
Budget
$694,520
Contact
Susan
Fritz
University of Nebraska
300 Agriculture Hall
Lincoln, NE 68583-0709
402-472-9559
sfritz1@unl.edu
Web
Site
http://croptechnology.unl.edu
and http://www.colostate.edu/programs/lifesciences/TransgenicCrops
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Created: 5/18/2002
Last updated: 12/9/02
Contact: inquiries@nist.gov
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