INTERNET MASTER PROGRAM EXPANDED INTO AUDRAIN COUNTY IN 1997

The subject matter is new. The program delivery method has a history of more than 75 years of success.

Since the early 1900's University Extension has had a history of success teaching early adapters and community innovators about farming practices and family living practices that would improve lives. In turn, the early adapters and innovators tried the new methods and then turned around and taught their friends and neighbors about the new practices. Today the cutting edge subject matter is computer technology and the Internet.

The Internet Master concept was first piloted in Saline, Boone, Cooper and Pettis Counties in 1996 with the leadership and vision of Don Day and Maryann Redelfs, Central Missouri Regional Technology Specialists. Patterned after the Master Gardener program, Internet Masters attend a minimum of 30 hours of instruction on the Internet and facilitating community education. Internet Masters receive in-depth instruction on Internet service providers, E-mail, searching the World Wide Web, downloading files, creating a web page, using browser programs, virus protection, evaluating information from the World Wide Web and tapping into individual teaching and learning strengths. Following classes, the Internet Masters are to do a minimum of 30 hours of volunteer community education about the Internet within a year of completing the program.

"When we use the words Internet Master, we're talking about developing a mastery of the Internet. This is not just a quick, introductory learning experience," explains Mark Stewart, organizer of the AUDRAIN County class. Because the class is intensive and in depth, Stewart called on several Extension colleagues to teach various classes, including Mary Sobba, Kathy Dothage, Maryann Redelfs, Don Day, and Mark Stillwell.

Nineteen people enrolled in the AUDRAIN County class. During the same time period as the 1997 AUDRAIN County classes, Internet Master classes were sponsored by University Extension Cole and Pettis counties. There was not a statistically significant difference in the AUDRAIN County class for increasing knowledge and use of the Internet and confidence to facilitate community education as compared to the other two counties.

The Internet Master classes in the Central Missouri Extension region draw a diverse audience. Participant ages range from 20's to 70's, with the greatest number being in their 40's. About half of the participants have an undergraduate degree, 20% have a high school diploma or equivalency, and about 1/3 have advanced college work. Women make up 58% of those enrolled. Statistical analysis reveals that there is no statistically significant difference in increase in knowledge and use of the Internet and increase in facilitating community education for age, education or gender. Both men and women, people of all ages and educational background are able to do well with the curriculum.

Motivation is a statistically significant factor among Internet Masters. Those ranking themselves below average in motivation to learn about the Internet do not do as well as those that are highly motivated to learn about the Internet. "Interestingly enough," chuckles Cynthia Crawford, Extension specialists with evaluation responsibilities for the Internet Master program, "nearly all our learner's are average or above in their self ratings. People that tend to enroll in the program are early adapters of technology with much enthusiasm for learning about computers and their uses."

Ninety percent of the 1997 Internet Masters have a home computer. Three-fourths of them utilize a computer at work.

Prior to the Internet Master series of classes, learners reported a median of 3 hours per week on the Internet. During classes their use of the Internet more than tripled, to 10.5 hours per week. They projected that they will continue to access the Internet 10 hours per week. This is nearly an increase of one work day per week.

Is the curriculum effective? In a word, yes. A repeated measures design was used to compare the Internet Master's knowledge and use of the Internet at the beginning of class one and at the conclusion of class 10. There was a statistically significant difference in knowledge and use of the Internet at the .0001 level.

In addition, the repeated measures design was utilized to compare the Internet Master's confidence in facilitating community education from the beginning of class I to the conclusion of class 10. There was a statistically significant difference in confidence to facilitating community education about the Internet at the .0001 level, as well. Internet Masters will fill out evaluations again at the conclusion of their 30 hours of volunteer community education. If the 1997 Internet Masters are consistent with the 172 that graduated from the program in 1996, they will find that their knowledge and use of the Internet and their confidence to facilitate community education will be further boosted by their volunteer hours.

AUDRAIN County Internet Masters are enthusiastic about their participation.

*This is a great program. The presenters really had a thorough knowledge of their information.

*I would tell people thinking about enrolling in the Internet master program to go for it! Another said, "I would tell them that this is their best opportunity to get good information from informed teachers.

*In addition to the instruction it was great to get together with other Internet users and share information.

*A highlight was getting the links in my web page to actually work!!

*The three highlights for me were web browsing, HTML (loved it) and E-mail.

*If I can do it, anyone can do it.

*1 liked the fun teaching styles of the presenters. Even the jokes were good.

(Programmers: Mark Stewart, Mary Sobba, Kathy Dothage, Maryann Redelfs, Don Day, Mark Stillwell, and Cynthia Crawford - evaluation and reporting)

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