1. Lectures and Classes.—More or less lecture work is offered in most of the institutions which do extension teachin?. Several forms of such work are employed, in some cases all are used in the same institution while in other cases one form may represent the entire work of the institution along extension lines. One form of lecture work is the lecture class—often these classes are held on Saturdays or late in the afternoon of other days for the benefit of students who are fully occupied during the hours of the regular college classes. Frequently the lectures are given by members of the fac ulty, also by men engaged especially for the work and by local experts in particular lines. One of the chief developments in the establish ment of local classes throughout the country has been in connection with engineering work. Classes have been formed in shops and fac tories, and short courses offered at a number of colleges and universities.
In California out of 300 classes held under the direction of the University of California in eight cities, more than 200 classes were in San Francisco alone, showing to what an extent extension service may contribute to the in tellectual, industrial, social and commercial life of a great modern city.
"The welfare work of university extension is based upon the theory that there is a large field of human interests, specifically social in their nature, which is not covered by any other public educational agency. Such interests are those of health, municipal affairs, a public forum, the music interests of a community and the promotion of the economic prosperity of the small town. Many other topics might be mentioned but these are typical and are the more easily organized and directed? Extension work in home economics seeks to conserve the home through reaching and training the individuals who compose it. In the South there are nearly 1,000 women who are devoting their entire attention to 15 South ern States. South Carolina has 45 county agents and 20 cotton mill villages organized for community improvement.
The extension work of normal schools in cludes all forms of educational activity carried on by the normal schools among people who are not enrolled as resident students in the regularly organized classes. The extension work of these schools differs principally from that of the universities in that it lays special emphasis upon the study group or local class method, not upon correspondence work 2. Study Clubs.— Some of the first steps in university extension were taken in the State of New York and it was the first, State in this country to make university extension a part of its educational system. A special feature of the work was the development of the library system in all its branches. Through the travel
ing libraries division of the University of the State of New York collections of books were sent out as early as 1894 to university extension centres for the use of the study clubs formed in connection with the lectures. From this be ginning has grown the present widespread use of the traveling libraries by hundreds of study clubs throughout the State.
3. Debating Societies.— The discussion of public questions of importance and interest has been encouraged and stimulated by the es tablishment of a service which supplies cur rent information and data on live topics of the day. Package libraries consisting of books, pamphlets, clippings and typewritten material on Important social, economic and political questions, on the principles of debating and on the organization and conduct of debating so cieties are supplied freely to schools, debating clubs and similar organizations. Local li braries co-operate by furnishing available ma terial and in some instances, notably in the case of the New York State Library, the work is carried on directly under the jurisdic tion of the library. This work has been very fully developed at the University of Wiscon sin. • 4. The Co-operative Plan.— The co-operative system has been defined as the co-ordination of theoretical and practical training in a progress ive educational program. One of the reasons why the night school has not been able to cope with the problem of the illiteracy of the adult worker with entire success is because it fre quently does not connect his education with his work. Co-operation between school and factory helps to solve this problem. This system, whereby manufacturers agree with the school authorities to carry on apprenticeship courses in practical trades while the school gives general ized and special instruction, has already met with practical success. In the co-operative plan the students frequently work in pairs; while one is at the office, shop or laboratory, the other is at school, the two changing places weekly. Courses are properly called "co-opera tive* because they enlist the active co-operation of the outside practical world in directing some of the educational policies of the school. At the present time there is a growing tendency on the part of manufacturers, department store managers and others to conduct, often during business hours, classes for their employees along the lines of their specific forms of busi ness or ongeneral elementary subjects of edu cation. Suite schools are described more fully elsewhere under the subject of Corporation Schools.