WOCAT in Education

Participate in our survey on the use of WOCAT in research and education!

The WOCAT Task Force on Research and Education would like to perform a small survey on the use of WOCAT in research and education. You are therefore kindly requested to fill-in the attached survey form. On behalf of the Task Force on Research and Education, we would like to thank you for giving time in filling-in this survey form. If you know anyone who has used WOCAT in R&E, kindly forward this survey form and provide us with their address also. Thank you in advance.

Romy Labios and Miodrag Zlatic

Letter (pdf, 11 KB)

Survey Form (Word-file, 60 KB)

WOCAT in Education

Even though not planned originally, WOCAT has been used in education and training programmes in various countries, for example in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Thailand and U.K. There is general agreement on the suitability and feasibility of integrating WOCAT methodologies and products into educational curricula, essentially at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. WOCAT tools can be used to improve teaching of SWC issues in the form of lectures and student exercises. WOCAT should not be seen as a subject in itself, but used within a broader context, and presented as a powerful tool in planning, evaluating and researching SWC.

Examples on how the WOCAT tools can be used in education (at University level):

a) If you have 15 students or so presenting different technologies, this can be very informative for the students. One could then imagine the presentations by the students to be followed by a wrap up session where the various technologies are compared and discussed. This could be very interesting if, for instance, all the technologies relate to a specific climatic zone, thereby making a comparative analysis more relevant. That is just one idea on how one might make a general course on SWC more lively through an analysis of practical examples.
b) The database can also simply be used as a "picture book" so students can have an overview of existing technologies while browsing through.
c) WOCAT can be a very useful base for an introductory lecture on how to gather information on a very complex issue like soil and water management, and how to use this information for better decision making. The emphasis here is on methodology, tapping the knowledge of experienced persons, and showing the strength and weaknesses of the method.
d) Data from WOCAT can be used for analysis by students: e.g. a cost / benefit analysis for SWC Technologies in Eastern and Southern Africa. Here students can spend 1-2 weeks analyzing data and presenting their results verbally or in a short report.
e) Students can carry out their Masters' theses using the WOCAT methodology to collect information, and analyze the data with an emphasis on selected interests e.g. grazing land Technologies and Approaches in South Africa.

So far, the general WOCAT tools have been used in an adapted form for educational purposes. WOCAT has not yet invested time in developing special educational tools.

See below what WOCAT users think about WOCAT in Education:

"We need to repackage part of the WOCAT and convert it from an information source to an education tool of 'Best Management Practices'"

"I think it would be good if we could develop some basic WOCAT educational materials so that we don't have to re-invent the wheel every time"

"I would strongly encourage you to consider producing an Internet based graduate course on Soil Erosion Management. You have the best material and you can package it very easily."

"The fact is - WOCAT is a tool. In education, we want to see how tools perform; at advanced level, we might want to critique the tool to see its strengths and weaknesses; we might want to compare it with other tools; and so on. What would be utterly wrong would be to present WOCAT as THE truth and the only way of going about organising complex information sources."

"I really think that the best way to get WOCAT into the educational arena - which, by the way, is an excellent idea - is
(1) to make it readily available
(2) construct some simple exercises to use the WOCAT database: e.g. discuss the advantages and disadvantages of conservation approaches that might have applicability to xx climate and yy topographical conditions in zz continent.
(3) construct similarly some simple data-gathering exercises for primary fieldwork data collection by students in, say, 5 three-hour practical sessions. In other words, not the heavy approach of the real thing. But a short-cut way which would reveal the essence of the procedures, but without the tedium. "

"I think that working with students using WOCAT tools, data and the network of SWC specialists is a good investment and a good opportunity for the students to get exposure to field reality and to the know-how of resource persons with a wealth of experience. It also exposes them to the problem of data collection, data quality and difficulties in finding solutions for improved land and water use under a given natural and human environment. On the other hand, WOCAT also benefits from the analysis and data collection by students. So we should also reflect on how to best use their experiences for the improvement of the WOCAT programme."

Please send us your opinion and your experiences regarding use of WOCAT in education. Or, even better, send us any material you have developed/used for WOCAT in education, and we will provide it to other users on the website.