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Though the dairy industry in California is an extremely important component of the state’s agriculture, it is faced with significant financial hardships. Our preliminary study conducted in 2015 shows that dairy farmers intended to reduce cost risks and to maintain a price over cost margin. However, farmers were found lack of knowledge about risk management instruments. In this study agribusiness researchers developed an interactive online teaching course in November 2015. The course is pre-tested with 135 agribusiness college students and the discrete choice model results suggest that: 1) senior students who have previously taken an online course tend to rate low for the online learning experience. 2) Female students are found to be less likely to rank high for the online course because they feel the course required more work and more time. And 3) participating students believed the online coursework is more difficult than a face-to-face course. The revised course to be released to farmers should focus on the development of interactive course activities; should provide additional course work help to assist female farmers; and should propose appropriate instructive methods to better explain risk management concepts to farmers.
Conference | 2016 Extension Risk Management Education National Conference |
Presentation Type | Poster |