Intervention for the collaborative use of Geographic Information Systems by private forest landowners: a meaning-centered perspective

Abstract

Private forest landowners support the stewardship objectives that can be achieved through ecosystems-based management. However, ecosystems-based management is a data intensive approach that focuses upon the broad forest landscape. Intervention by forestry agents or agencies could help neighboring landowners to collaborate with an ecosystems-based approach in pursuit of their stewardship objectives, using Geographic Information Systems as a tool. A typical means of intervention is the information-based approach, but this runs the risk of imposing a tyranny of the elite, where the information is presented as a means of technocratic or political control. Favoring empowerment over control as the preferred intent of intervention, we used a meaning-centered perspective to evaluate the impact of a workshop for private forest landowners featuring GIS collaboration in a role-playing simulation. Surveys and interviews assessed the ingredients for meaningful learning--conceptual background of the learner, motivation, and meaningful materials-and subsequent thinking, feeling, and acting by workshop participants. Meaning learning occurred as participants understood the conceptual principles used in the role-playing simulation, yet the relevancy of the simulation was in question because landowners did not envision a high likelihood of collaborating with neighboring landowners. Motivations of the learner had the most impact upon the subsequent thinking, feeling, and acting indicative of the empowerment to pursue their objectives. Forestry agents or agencies should ensure that private forest landowners are motivated to learn about GIS, and that a venue for collaboration is set, before assisting with an ecosystems-based management approach.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the 2000 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium

Citation

Sinclair, Kirk D.; Knuth, Barbara A. 2001. Intervention for the collaborative use of Geographic Information Systems by private forest landowners: a meaning-centered perspective. In: Kyle, Gerard, comp., ed. 2001. Proceedings of the 2000 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-276. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station. 187-192