Helping Farmers in East Africa- Michigan State University Researchers

It is so exciting when researchers are able to take concepts and ideas from the classroom and apply them in a real-world setting.

It is especially exciting when it means that this can make a difference in people’s lives.

That is exactly what a team of researchers from Michigan State University did when they traveled to Tanzania and Kenya to help improve agricultural practices.

MSU doctoral candidate in media and information studies, Tian Cai, and a research team created a research project-creating low-budget videos of videos that communicated farmers perspectives for not using drought-resistant maize.

Then, they showed a group of villagers the videos followed by a discussion. The control group did not receive the videos. An additional treatment group received the videos and a text message.

This group indicated they were most likely to use drought-resistant maize, which would benefit their likelihood of success, and help the environment.

This is a great example of applied research and the significant impact that researchers can have in helping those that might not have access to the necessary information and support to make lasting changes. Teachers of media studies, environmental science will especially want to share this research with their students.

For a link to the MSU news article by Nicole O’Meara, please click here. 

Questions for Discussion

1. Who was involved in providing input at the initial one day workshop?
2. What government agency provided funding?
3. What is the local language of the region studied?
4. Which condition had the most impact?
5. What additional data would you want to review to determine the efficacy of this research?
6. What changes might you make to this research to potentially improve its outcomes?
7. Why did professor Steinfield say this research was aligned to the philosophy of the media and information department at Michigan State University?