Distance Delivery of Graduate Education in Agricultural Economics For Middle- and Low-Income Countries

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1 Distance Delivery of Graduate Education in Agricultural Economics For Middle- and Low-Income Countries Draft September 23, 2002 Contacts. Joe Coffey, Midlothian, VA, (804) , Richard Shumway, Washington State University, (509) , Peter Wyeth, Washington State University, (509) , Introduction: This is a proposal developed, determined feasible, and endorsed by the National Association of Agricultural Economics Administrators (NAAEA), a section of the American Agricultural Economics Association. The NAAEA, as its title suggests, consists of some 50 leaders from all the major land-grant universities and agricultural economics research agencies and organizations in the U.S. and Canada. The proposal also is endorsed by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). The NAAEA is proposing and seeking funding for a program for the distance delivery of graduate education in agricultural and resource economics at the masters and doctoral levels. The program is based upon a recently completed feasibility study. In collaboration with local universities, the program is designed for students in middle- and low-income countries. It will also accommodate individual students in any country. Faculty members from a consortium of universities will prepare courses and deliver them using computer-based media. Objectives: The overall goal of this project is to increase the number of highly competent professionals in agricultural and resource economics in middle- and low-income countries. This goal will be achieved through the implementation of an accredited Masters and Ph.D. distance education program conducted by a consortium of North American Universities. The specific objectives are to: 1) Create a consortium of universities and establish at a lead university the administrative home for the program 2) Develop and obtain accreditation for M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs to be offered via distance education without a residency requirement 3) Recruit knowledgeable and experienced faculty from the university consortium to develop and teach courses and advise the students 4) Begin offering 4 courses to 20 students in January ) By 2006, graduate the first class and have a full complement of 20 courses being offered to 75 students 6) By 2010, grant 30 M.S. and 20 Ph.D. degrees per year Feasibility: A recently completed study, supported by Farm Foundation and available at ( concluded that there is substantial interest in middle- and low-income countries in receiving graduate courses and graduate degrees in agricultural economics by distance education. Demand was assessed through both personal contacts with universities in middle- and low-income countries (mainly in Africa) and a formal sample survey of similar countries worldwide. The major observations from the feasibility study were:

2 1) There is considerable interest in the program, in taking both degrees and individual courses. 2) Without receiving financial support, the target students would not be able to afford the typical fees of current distance education graduate courses of $1,500 to $2,500 per course. The majority of respondents indicated that $250 to $500 per three-credit course was the maximum participants would pay. 3) This proposed program is unique. Other programs fall into two main categories: programs where users or their employers have a high ability to pay, such as online MBA programs and master's degrees in agribusiness, and programs aimed primarily at broadening the number of students within the delivering institution's area, such as distance education programs which most land grant universities currently offer. This program proposes that universities meet the educational needs of students who are outside traditional catchment areas and who cannot afford to pay full costs. 4) The program will be adaptable to varying national contexts and open to local participation to ensure local relevance. Participants would be encouraged to conduct a thesis project on a topic relevant to their home country and encouraged to collaborate with faculty located in their own region of the world. 5) The program will meet the varying requirements of local universities and students. The program would begin by first offering individual courses in high demand and gradually develop the full range of courses needed for a degree. 6) The faculty will use media that is appropriate given the nature of the material they wish to convey, the available communication infrastructure, and the cost of alternatives. 7) Development and delivery costs will be low enough to make the program viable with financing from fees and realistic donor support. 8) There is no residency requirement for the degree. Justification: Several factors are leading to increased interest in distance learning, especially in middle- and low-income countries. 1) The need for up-to-date understanding of principles and practices in agricultural and resource economics is growing as world trade and foreign investment expand, the structure and functioning of the food system changes, markets are privatized, and environmental and natural resource policy issues emerge. 2) There is a growing need for capacity building and for training the trainers. A recent survey sponsored by IFPRI found that the 15 agricultural economics departments in 9 different African countries had a faculty vacancy rate of 26%. Fifty seven percent of the faculty did not have Ph.D.s, and of those that did, 17% were from the institution where they were teaching. 3) Tragically, the precious cadre of young professionals and faculty members in many countries is being decimated by AIDS, further depleting the understaffed programs. 4) Many want to take their education further but do not have the resources or desire to leave their jobs to become full-time university students in North America. 5) Funding that allows some to attend residential programs in high-income countries is diminishing. This is partly because donors believe that too many students who leave their 2

3 home countries to study abroad never return. Distance learning avoids this problem and is less expensive per student than on-campus education. 6) Developing countries are increasing the number of their own universities, but financing to build and maintain programs is tight. They are looking for ways to fill out their course offerings. This proposal s distance learning courses may be a cost-effective means of doing this. 7) Rapid advances in the capability and availability of computer-based technology have substantially improved the quality and attractiveness of distance learning, increased the speed of communication and the scope for interaction among students and instructors. 8) Universities in North America are increasing their involvement in distance education, and this proposal would build on their experience and established infrastructure. Features of the program 1) Flexible graduate program. a) The NAAEA program would offer courses in agricultural and resource economics leading to masters and Ph.D. degrees. Students would also be able to take them as stand alone courses if they wished. b) The courses would be developed and offered by faculty in a consortium of universities rather than a single institution, spreading development costs, avoiding duplication of programs, and providing a large pool of instructors to deliver top quality courses. c) The courses would be conducted using distance learning technology. They would be computer-based either through the Internet or through CD-ROMs, or a combination of the two. The media would change as technology evolves. d) In targeting students in middle- and low-income countries, the program would work as much as possible through local universities or other higher education institutions in those countries. i) The program would help strengthen rather than compete with the programs of local universities. This collaboration would not only benefit these institutions but also actively involve them in promoting the program and facilitating outreach efforts with businesses and government. ii) The involvement of local faculty would greatly increase the scope for making the program interactive and relevant to local conditions, as the faculty would be able to lead local group tutorials and apply course principles to exercises using local data. iii) Local faculty would be able to proctor examinations, play a role in grading, and provide on-site guidance of research. e) The courses would include a significant element of interaction among students as well as between students and faculty. For example, chat rooms and seminars would be used to engage students in discussions of major economic issues and problems. f) The program would follow the approach of working toward a degree by accumulating credit hours, which is preferred by some universities in the target market. g) The degree requirements for the Masters would be 30 credit hours consisting of about 8 formal courses of 3 hours each and 6 hours for thesis/paper preparation or internship. As the program matures, options would be offered so that students could concentrate in 3

4 selected areas such as quantitative methods, resource economics, marketing and management, and international trade and policy. h) The degree requirements for the Ph.D. would be 48 credit hours beyond the bachelor s degree consisting of about 10 formal courses of 3 hours each and 18 hours for dissertation preparation. Options would also be offered to permit students to concentrate in selected areas similar to those for the master s degree. 2) The options for institutions granting the degrees. There are at least two options and, if appropriate, both could be accommodated simultaneously: a) The universities contributing courses under the program would grant the degrees. These universities would accept one another s courses for their own resident masters and Ph.D. students. Courses available through distance learning would be cross-listed. Students not resident at these universities could also enroll in the courses and could take a degree via distance learning. Students would decide to take their degree from a particular university but cross listing would allow them to build up the credits they need from courses at several different contributing universities. (At least one program is already following this approach successfully: the Tri-State Agricultural Distance Delivery Alliance TADDA operated by Oregon State University, the University of Idaho and Washington State University.) b) Universities not contributing courses would grant their own degrees, while adopting certain courses from among those offered by the NAAEA to broaden their own programs. These universities might be in high-income as well as in middle- and lowincome countries. (Universities with sister institutions in other countries commonly adopt this model. The difference here would be that the courses would come from several universities rather than a single sister institution.) Students taking the NAAEA courses might receive certificates for those courses in addition to the degree from their local university. 3) Broad appeal The program could meet the needs of a variety of place-bound and other participants such as: i) Graduate students whose schedules are constrained by job or other requirements. ii) Civil servants, experiment station researchers, university faculty, and other professionals who want to improve their skills and upgrade their qualifications. iii) University departments with limited budgets wanting to increase their graduate course offerings. iv) International companies and organizations who desire to broaden and bolster the training of their professional employees. 4) Global recruitment a) The primary market is in middle- and low-income countries. Rather than target particular parts of the world, it would be natural to initiate the program among institutions that already have links with the contributing universities, and that could also advise on how best to develop the program to suit users needs. Currently the best-established links are with universities and professional associations in Africa. b) Potential students in high-income countries are not the primary targets, but the program will be flexible enough to accommodate them. 4

5 5) High academic standards a) The degrees would be fully accredited and be equivalent to graduate degrees now being offered by the universities in the consortium. b) The universities contributing to the program would approve the courses and select the faculty. a) Students could take exams in the presence of a proctor close to home. The instructor would be responsible for grading. b) Where local universities in middle- and low-income countries are involved, the local faculty might supply proctors for the distance course exams and contribute to the preparation and grading of exams and assignments. c) All students are required to have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 for graduation (on a 4.00 scale). d) The Masters candidate must also present an acceptable thesis/paper on a selected professional problem or a report of internship training. Up to 6 graduate credits are given for an acceptable paper. e) The Ph.D. candidate must also present an acceptable dissertation. 6) Capitalize upon existing expertise Distance education capacity already exists at many universities that may contribute to the program. Furthermore, several universities already belong to the American Distance Education Consortium (ADEC), an international consortium made up of state and land grant institutions that have a great deal of expertise in providing distance education programs using computer based-technologies (see 7) Supported by consortium of universities The NAAEA would oversee the implementation of the business plan and administration of the ongoing program. Once the program is operating, NAAEA would ensure that the program remains up to date and effective. 8) Cost effective and sustainable a) Costs will be kept down by using, as far as possible, existing software and the participating universities' distance education production and administration facilities. b) Even with low costs there will be a need to balance cost recovery against ability to pay in middle- and low-income countries where participants' means are typically very limited. c) A viable approach may be to set fees at cost recovery levels and then seek donor financial assistance in the form of scholarships for users who cannot pay their own way. d) As student numbers grow and fixed and developmental costs are spread, the level of the cost recovery fee and the size of necessary scholarships should decline. Preliminary financial projections indicate that the cost per credit hour after a period of 5 years is around $325, with the student paying $150. Costs to meet the 30-hour MS requirement are about $10,000, of which student fees cover $4,500 and $5,500 from other sources. The program would be self-sustaining if fees were raised to $10,000 or if scholarships on average of $5,500 were granted each student, or some combination in between. It should be noted that this is a bare-bones budget that does not include the standard 5

6 40% university overhead. It assumes that the students purchase their own computers, software, internet connection, textbooks and supplies. e) How do these costs compare with other distance education Masters Programs? The Kansas State Master of Agribusiness costs $15,000 and the Purdue EMBA costs $37,500. However, both of these programs include substantial costs for some oncampus sessions and books. Distance education masters programs at other US universities in other fields such as education typically cost from $15,000 to $25,000. 9) Global marketing the program. a) In order to maintain the collaborative nature of the program it would be promoted primarily through universities in middle- and low-income countries. b) The program would also be promoted through international and national professional associations of agricultural economists in middle- and low-income countries. A special presentation of the program is being planned for the August 16-22, 2003, 25th International Conference for Agricultural Economists (IAAE) in Durban, South Africa. c) Members and officials of international groups, such as the African Seed Trade Association and the International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development, have expressed an interest in graduate training in agricultural economics. These and similar organizations will be contacted and asked to share the program information with their members. d) A web site will be established where potential participants can learn about the program. Access to a demo of an existing graduate course in the Policy and Regulatory Environment of the Food System, is now available at To access this site, use the name joe_coffey and the password demo. 10) Careful performance monitoring and evaluation. The program will be monitored and evaluated in at least three ways: a) Feedback solicited directly through formal course evaluations by students and faculty in universities making use of the courses. b) Numbers of students enrolled and successfully completing the courses. c) Follow-up contacts with former students after they have completed the program to determine how the program has assisted them both in terms of job advancement and relevant professional skills. 11) Fits a niche a) There are institutions that will soon offer masters degrees in agriculture, with agricultural economics courses in their curricula, but no university in the US or Canada appears to offer full agricultural and resource economics degree programs at the masters or Ph.D. levels by distance education. The Imperial College of Wye, UK, offers an online MSc and Postgraduate Diploma in Agribusiness Management. Summary The key strengths of this proposal 6

7 1. Addresses a major need building the professional capacity in agriculture -- the largest sector of the economy in middle- and low-income countries. 2. Cost-effective much less expensive in out-of-pocket and opportunity costs and a higher portion of students will continue careers in middle- and low-income countries. 3. Strong backing has the support of dozens of major academic and governmental organizations and can tap a wide range of expertise to develop and administer the program and teach the courses. The International Food Policy Research Institute endorses this proposal. 4. Timely global access to the Internet is expanding and becoming affordable. Distance education technology and teaching techniques that have proven successful are available. 5. Much potential student interest and need reflected in the survey and discussions held at international conferences. 6. Complements and leverages existing programs utilizes existing distance education technology to build complementary courses to universities in middle- and low-income countries. 7

8 Questions & Answers What is agricultural economics? The American Agricultural Economics Association ( the lead professional organization of the 3,000 professional agricultural economists, defines agricultural economics as the application of economic tools to analyze issues and solve problems in the areas of agriculture, food, rural communities and natural resources. Agricultural and applied economists work in a variety of institutions applying their knowledge of economics and business skills related to food production, rural development and natural resources. Who is this program designed for? The intended students are residents of middle- and low-income countries who want to earn the MS and Ph.D. degrees while continuing their employment or remaining in their home country. How is the program tailored to meet the varying conditions among countries? Approximately half the courses will be basic economic theory and quantitative methods which are applicable to all countries. Students will be encouraged to develop their class reports and assignments based upon issues facing their own countries. Each course will have an international collaborator from a university in a middle or low income region of the world. Some students will take selected courses, e.g., the basic quantitative methods, by distance and receive their degree from a university in their home country. Some will take courses in their home country as electives in this program. Others will take all courses by distance and receive a degree from a major U.S. or Canadian university. Is this degree accredited? Yes, the degree will be fully accredited at a major U.S. or Canadian university. How long is the program? The masters program is designed to be completed in two years. A new class will start every 12 months and these subsequent entering classes will follow the same two-year schedule. The Ph.D. program is a three-year program. What courses will be offered? A typical schedule of courses for the master s degree is as follows. These will be the first courses offered. As the number of students expands and the program matures, a wider selection of courses will be offered. Core courses include theory and quantitative methods. Options will be provided among the applications courses. Each of the courses listed in this typical schedule was identified by survey respondents with high demand for delivery through this program. 8

9 Year 1 1 st Semester: Microeconomic Theory (3 credits) Macroeconomic Theory (3 credits) Year 1 2 nd Semester Quantitative Methods (3 credits) Production Economics (3 credits) Year 2 1 st Semester Agricultural Marketing (3 credits) Environmental Economics (3 credits) Year 2 2nd Semester Agribusiness Management (3 credits) International Trade & Development (3 credits) Completion of Thesis/Paper/Internship (6 credits) How much time away from the job will be required? All of the program will be delivered via distance education technology on an asynchronous basis students can earn their degree via the Internet whenever and wherever it is most convenient. A full course load will require an investment of 18 to 21 hours per week. Students can work at their own pace during the research phase. How will questions for the instructor be handled? Students will post their questions via the Internet or and the instructor will reply within 24 hours on weekdays. How will the course material be delivered? Delivery will, of course, vary by class, but all will have many common features. They will be delivered using common readily-accessible software. They will initially be made available both on CD and on the Internet. As Internet access becomes readily available and accessible in all countries, the technology will move entirely to the Internet. In the meantime, the lectures will be provided on a CD for the entire course and placed on the class web site each week. Typically, they will be in Power Point with audio clips highlighting the key points. The lectures can be downloaded and read off-line. The instructor will post questions for discussion on the class web site and distribute by . Students can respond to the questions and interact with each other and the instructor in a chat-room format on the Internet or by . What are admission requirements? Admission decisions for students seeking a degree through the program will be based on: (1) completion of a baccalaureate degree for admission to the MS degree program and completion of a Masters for admission to the Ph.D. degree program; (2) grade point average 9

10 of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale in previous degree; (3) work experience; and (4) recommendations. How will students be evaluated and graded? Evaluation will vary by course, but in general grades will be based upon written class papers, discussion participation in the chat-room, and formal examinations done online or proctored by a collaborating instructor in the student s home country. Must students and faculty have access to the Internet and computer? Since this is a distance education program, not a set of correspondence courses, both faculty and students must have access to a computer and Internet access to . Internet access to the web is not a requirement, but is highly desirable. The actual time on the Internet can be fairly brief, even for those accessing the web, because course materials can be downloaded and read off-line and student responses and papers can be written off-line and uploaded. High speed access is not necessary, as the files will be compressed for more rapid transmission. The minimal Internet access is probably 20 minutes online per week. Can part-time students or any qualified person take a course? Yes, but there is a 6-year time limit to complete requirements for the masters and 8-year limit for the Ph.D. Will computers and computer support be provided to students? No, students will be responsible for knowing how to use and for obtaining access to a computer, the Internet and necessary software (spreadsheet, word processing, presentation, and statistical). Inexpensive student versions of required software will be sold to students. Will this program undercut existing programs in middle- and low-income countries? No, the basic goal is to increase the number of trained professionals and complement the existing ones, not to displace them. Some courses may be taken by existing faculty to enhance their skills. Some courses may enable universities to offer a graduate degree. The objective is to teach the teachers and thereby more rapidly multiply the capacity to educate. Is distance education effective? Yes, according to a review of 355 research reports, summaries, and papers in the 1999 book by Thomas L Russell, The No Significant Difference Phenomenon, other forms of instruction were not statistically significantly superior to distance learning in terms of learners' success. How will students obtain reading materials, references and periodicals? 10

11 Course materials will be from the texts the students can purchase or download from the course website. Students will be provided online access to a full range of online research libraries and services. Which Universities Might Participate in the Consortium? We have not yet formalized the consortium. The following universities have indicated an interest to this point and were represented in the Visioning Meeting on Distance Graduate Education in Agricultural Economics, Chicago, January, We remain in contact with several of these universities and they remain interested in the proposal. University of Alberta University of Arkansas Clemson University University of Guelph University of Idaho Illinois State University International Food Policy Research Institute Iowa State University (unable to get to meeting because of blizzard) Kansas State University Louisiana State University University of Minnesota Mississippi State University Ohio State University Pennsylvania State University Texas A&M University Texas Tech University Utah State University Virginia Tech University Washington State University 11