Sources and Channels of Information Used by Educational Program Clients

摘要

Organizations that want to create change through educationalprograms need to engage clients in a process that makes use ofexisting communication networks. Most clients use a repertoire ofsources and channels for becoming aware of, learning about, andmaking decisions about practice or technology adoption. This paperfocuses on one group of clients served by Cooperative Extension--horse owners--to identify patterns in the sources and channelsof information they use. Further, the association between sets ofchannels and sources is assessed, controlling for relevant clientattributes. The results show that horse owners have four correlatedsets of information sources and four sets of information channels.The net influence of channels on clients' use of sources varies, withtraditional Extension channels, one-on-one consultations, andInternet channels being strongly associated with the use of sourcescharacterized by linkages outside the community. Overall, theresults suggest that horse owners can be sorted into distinct marketsegments that use specific sources and channels. These findingscan guide the design of communication strategies for Extensionprofessionals serving adult horse owners in Florida, as well asprovide general rules for others involved in developing educationalprograms for other clients.