Designing Training Module for Training of Extension Personnel in the Use of ICTs for Agricultural Extension

摘要

Information and communication technologies have aided agricultural extension in overcoming the unending challenges of limited availability of technical manpower and resources, delayed feedback mechanism, empowering small and marginal farmers, achieving gender equity and transfer of technology in line with the principle of sustainability. The benefits emanating from use of ICTs in agriculture can be doubled, owing to the fact that the ICT-use competencies of the extension professionals can be worked upon. The present study is an attempt to outline the crucial aspects of training programme for extension personnel. Two hundred ninety one extension personnel and 30 extension supervisors serving in the public extension system of Uttarakhand state were selected as respondents of the study by proportionate stratified random sampling method. A total of 15 aspects were considered for seeking opinion from both extension personnel and supervisors for designing the training module. These aspects were related to the suitable training organization, duration, resource persons, venue, time, potential participants, number of participants, fees, other arrangements, theory-practical ratio, approach, methods, supporting material, follow-up activities and summative aswell as formative evaluation techniques. Appropriate training interventions, especially ICT-based training modules can be developed on the basis of the findings of the study, for honing the skill sets of the extension professionals of present age.