Extension Scholarship Products
In the past ten or so years there has been a movement in Extension to better tell our story to a variety of stakeholders. This includes our peers in higher education. We need help our coworkers and partners on campuses better undestand the scholarship that comes from good Extension work. I’ve been conducting workshops for faculty and staff on how write tenure, promotion, and reclassification documents/dossiers that fully express the many forms of Extension scholarship. I frame these products within the definition of Extension scholarship used by the University of Wisconsin Extension, “creative intellectual work; reviewed by the scholar’s peers who affirm its value added to our intellectual history through its communication; and valued by those for whom it was intended.”
I separate Extension scholarship products into three categories:
- Peer (journal articles, conference presentations, grants/competitive contracts)
- Applied (curricula, materials, guides, technical assistance, policy briefs, training videos, tool kits, assessment instruments, issue forum proceedings, content apps)
-Community (forums/workshops, newsletters, web sites, presentations, reports, designs, displays, photovoice exhibits, PSAs, podcasts)
In addition, these end products need to be developed in a context that includes clear goals, adequate preparation, appropriate methods, significant results, effective presentation, and reflective critique (Glasser et al.). How do you build the development of scholarly products into your Extension work?