Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 48(2): March 2022 effective knowledge exchange. For many of these tools, the usership can range from scientists to practi- tioners to first-time users. This has resulted in tools that are very data rich and highly complex, which can have implications on how knowledge is used for stewardship. In observing knowledge sharing in com- munity gardens, Silva (2017) observed in their learn- ing process that gardeners “seemed to experience an information overload, receiving much more codified explicit knowledge in the form of workshops and printed literature than they could readily apply, inter- nalize, and make tacit in their practices.” Silva con- cludes that study of more instrumental forms of learning in stewardship practice should be pursued in the future. Further studies evaluating usership and learning outcomes of e-tools from the perspective of the users could help advance understanding of the outcomes in the future. In comparison to more mainstream tool develop- ment (i.e., private sector) that is often generously funded and responds to shifting market and user demand, there is a danger that e-tools developed by government and nonprofit institutions may be devel- oped without a user or application in mind. Revisiting the information deficit model may explain the “if you build it, they will come” mentality of some of these tool developers who believe that presenting scientific data to the public will result in learning. Knowledge Interpretation Many of the e-tools found ways to overcome these high exploratory learning environments by presenting the complex data offered on the e-tool with in-person instruction or interpretation efforts. An emergent find- ing of the research was the success of place-based or in-person engagement practices in combination with digital knowledge-sharing strategies. These practices such as workshops, classroom curriculum, trainings, and place-based data collection were cited as success- ful strategies for effectively exchanging knowledge and eliciting participation. The NYC Street Tree map and the HTHC app use a citizen science approach to collect the data used in the tool, meaning some users receive in-person instruction as an introduction to the tool. In both cases, formal training was held to introduce users to the resource and train them on how to collect data. In the case of Visionmaker NYC, a classroom curricu- lum was developed to allow middle school students to create ecological visions. Other e-tools such as 133 ioby and STEW-MAP allow knowledge holders to connect to interested parties and create a situation for effective in-person instruction. In these cases, the main goal of the tool is not to learn through using the tool itself but to access a network of knowledge. Both of these e-tools are essentially creating space for “offline communities to engage online” (Stiver et al. 2015), leveraging technology to enable and strengthen exist- ing networks in communities. This kind of hybrid learning approach may be a way forward for e-tools to exchange knowledge for meaningful stewardship action. By combining an online tool with in-person instruction and engagement, hybrid approaches allow for complex SES data to live online but in a format that is both accessible and digestible by stewards. These approaches offer a pathway for knowledge sharing and participation in a society in which technology is rapidly changing the way we relate to our surroundings. Further studies that exam- ine tool users, learning outcomes, and place-based or hybrid approaches to e-learning are suggested. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many forms of social engagement to shift to become digital, making e-tools all the more relevant. This shift has shone a light on the rich world of learning and engagement that can happen entirely online. Some of the 6 cases investigated have developed new, virtual programming as a result of COVID-19, such as the HTHC app producing training videos in lieu of in-person programs and the STEW-MAP team interpreting a museum exhibition of their work to a virtual platform. Future research could explore the experiences and outcomes of tool users, rather than just the developers, as was the focus of this study. Studying user experi- ences as related to the three knowledge types we examined could help elucidate which types of knowl- edge are most sought after by users and which are most effectively exchanged using digital platforms. Further study of the composition of usership of the e-tools as well as the beliefs and learning outcomes of the users would answer these questions and help to further describe the care dimension of stewardship. Furthermore, because technology develops very rap- idly, this study is only able to represent a snapshot in time, and documenting the changing landscape of e-tools and digital learning environments will add context to this emerging field. Finally, the link between knowledge sharing and stewardship action needs to be further examined, particularly with an ©2022 International Society of Arboriculture
March 2022
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