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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Agricultural Information Science and Education. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin, 1957. / Extension Repository Collection. Typescript (carbon copy). eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [166]-168).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1963. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 265-269).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 154-163). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 154-163). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin, 1965. / Extension Repository Collection. Typescript (carbon copy). Includes autobiographical sketch. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 94-97).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xii, 599 p.; also includes graphics (some col.). Includes bibliographical references (p. 383-408). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

A study was conducted to see if the level of use, expertise, and problem solving abilities using information technology among Mississippi State University Extension agents was positively correlated with the performance quality of the agent as measured in the Mississippi State University Extension Service agent evaluation system. A second purpose was to examine how well agents self-assess their technology skills. Lastly, the study attempted to determine if there was a set of factors (including information technology skills) that explained a substantial portion of the variation in performance evaluation scores. The results showed that the Mississippi State University Extension agent evaluation system does not consider information technology skills and usage of agents. It was also found that agents are fairly adept at self-assessment of their technology skills. Lastly, no set of factors were found that would substantially explain performance evaluation ratings.

Extension agents are tasked with disseminating educational content, announcing events, and promoting the outreach efforts of Extension. Social media can be a powerful resource for Extension agents (Skrabut, 2014). Integrating social media into outreach efforts can be an efficient way for agents to meet increasing work demands (Gharis & Hightower, 2017). Still, many Extension agents are not fully integrating social media as a means to communicate with their audiences (Garcia et al., 2018). To address this, Extension communication units are developing social media technical support efforts to increase the agents’ social media activity (Garcia et al., 2018, Newbury et al., 2014; Kinsey, 2010.) Social media competency influences a professional’s willingness to integrate social media as a function of their employment (Zhu et al., 2018). If communication units wish to provide Extension agents with technical support efforts, such as trainings and professional development opportunities, to assist them with integrating social media as one of their duties, we should assess the influence of these support efforts on their perceived social media competency. The purpose of this study is to describe Mississippi State University Extension agents’ perceived social media competency levels and explore the effect that a variety of technical support efforts have on their perceived social media competency.