Extension Corner - "eXtension.org"
Imagine a website that provides free access to thousands of unbiased experts on all sorts of life’s questions – from parenting, to saving and investing, from entrepreneurship to vegetable gardens! That’s what Extension’s new website, “eXtension.org”, has to offer!
Think of it as sort of “next-generation Google,” where you can find a range of information. Even better, if you can’t find the information you are looking for, real, live authorities monitor and answer your questions through the website. And all of the “eXtension.org” resources are available at no cost.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension is part of the national extension partnership that has created “eXtension.org”. The idea is to pull together the “best of the best” educational resources from the nation’s land-grant universities and make them easily accessible to the public.
The website is currently supported by 16 national teams, or “Communities of Practice”, as they are called. Each Community of Practice is composed of extension staff members from across the country who have the specific expertise needed to address a given problem. Staff members may also be drawn from multiple disciplines, when needed, to address today’s multi-faceted issues.
Consumers can easily navigate the site to find the answers to their questions. In addition to providing unbiased, research-based information, “eXtension.org” also allows users to interact with each other. Modeled after popular on-line social networking sites, individuals interested in a specific topic or subject matter area can gather ‘virtually’ to form a Community of Interest. As that Community of Interest grows, professional educators with expertise in that subject matter join the group to form a new Community of Practice.
Not only does “eXtension.org” bring consumers the best knowledge from the sharpest minds in higher education, but it also uses the most innovative and advanced features available on the Web. For example, users can rate “eXtension.org” articles based on their usefulness. The “most useful” articles rank highest on searches. Articles also receive tags showing what users are searching for most often. If an article does not adequately answer a question, the “Ask an Expert” option is always available.
Users who register with “eXtension.org” can really personalize their experience by subscribing to RSS feeds that allow them to automatically receive updates on their topics of interest. Be sure to check out this valuable resource during your next cyberspace encounter!
