Course name: ICTs for Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services
Course code: EXTN 0506 (2-1-0)
ICTs For Agricultural Extension and Advisory
Teacher
Dr Ajay Kumar Prusty
Category
Core Courses
Course Attendees
Still no participant
Course Reviews
Still no reviews
Course Objectives
- To discuss different ICT initiatives, knowledge management process and application aspects.
- To orient students on advances in smart/ disruptive technologies and data analytics.
- Hands on experience in navigating ICTs.
Course Outcomes
| COs | Course Outcome | Mapping CO with PSOs |
| CO1 | Students can impart knowledge on agriculture through the use of ICT and disruptive technologies. | PSO1 (3) |
| CO2 | Students develop expertise in disruptive technologies in managing enterprises and finance. | PSO4 (2) |
PSO1: Impart knowledge and understanding of fundamental concepts and techniques of maintaining and enhancing soil fertility, crop production, crop management, crop improvement, biodiversity and sustainability of agriculture worldwide.
PSO4: Apply Agri-business management and finance knowledge to develop a profitable agricultural system.
Syllabus
Theory
Unit 1: ICTs- Concepts and Status
ICTs- meaning, concepts, basics of ICTs, global and national status, types and functions of ICTs, innovations, meaning of e-Governance, e-learning, m-Learning, advantages and limitations of ICTs.
Unit 2: ICTs in Knowledge Management
Knowledge management-meaning, approaches and tools. Role of ICTs in Agricultural Knowledge Management.
Unit 3: e-Extension initiatives in Agriculture and allied sectors
e-Extension, overview on Global and national e-extension initiatives, Inventory of e-Extension initiatives in Agriculture and allied sectors from Central and State governments, ICAR, SAUs, private sector and NGO initiatives in India.
Unit 4: ICT Applications
Knowledge centres (tele centers), digital kiosks, websites and web portals, community radio, farmers call centres, mobile phone based advisory services and mobile applications (m-Extension, m-Learning), Self-learning CDs on Package of practices, social media, digital videos, Market Intelligence and Information Systems- ICT enabled Supply-Chains and Value-Chains/ e-Marketing (e-NAM, AGMARKNET, etc.).
Unit 5: ICT Expert Systems
Expert System/ Decision Support System/ Management Information Systems, Farm Health Management & Intelligence System for Plant Health, Animal Health, Soil Health, Fishery, Water, Weather, etc.
Unit 6: ICT Networks
Global and regional knowledge networks, international information management systems, e-Learning platforms (MOOCS, Course CCRA, Edu-EX, etc.), e-Governance, Systems; digital networks among extension personnel, Farmer Producers, Organisations (FPOs)/ SHGs/ Farmers Groups.
Unit 7: Policies in Knowledge Management
Global policy/ Standards on e-Governance, National policy on e-governance, Open Data / Open Gov Standards and Open Source etc.; Language Technology Applications; National e-Agriculture policy/ Strategies/ guidelines.
Unit 8: Web Standards
Web standards, creating and writing for web-portals, development of mobile applications, developing digital videos- story board- video recording- video editing, types of blogs and writing guidelines.
Unit 9: Social Media Applications to engage audience
Video conference, live streaming and webinars, types and functions of social media applications, guidelines for preparing social media content, engaging audience and data-analytics.
Unit 10: Smart Technologies
Open technology computing facilities, System for data analytics/ mining/ modelling/ Development of Agricultural simulations; Remote Sensing, GIS, GPS, Information Utility (AIU); disruptive technologies- Analysis; Internet of Things (IoTs), Drones, Artificial intelligence (AI), block chain technology, social media and Big Data analytics for extension.
Unit 11: Human Computer Interactions
Human Centered Learning/Ergonomics/ Human Computer Interactions-Meaning; Theories of multimedia learning - Sweller’s cognitive load theory, Mayer’s cognitive theory of multimedia learning, Schnotz’s integrative model of text and picture comprehension, van Merriënboer’s four-component instructional design model for multimedia learning; Basic Principles of Multimedia Learning - Split-attention, Modality, Redundancy, Coherence, Signaling, segmenting, pre-training, personalization, voice embodiment; Advanced principles - Guided discovery, worked examples, Self-explanation, drawing, feedback, multiple representation, Learner control, animation, collaboration, prior knowledge, and working memory. Designing ICT gadgets based on human interaction principles - Interactive Design-Meaning, importance; Approaches of interactive design - user-centered design, activity- centered design, systems design, and genius design; Methods of interactive design- Usability testing methods.
Practical
Content and client engagement analysis, Designing extension content for ICTs, Creating and designing web portals, blogs, social media pages, Developing digital videos, Live streaming extension programmes and organising webinars, Working with Farmers call centres, Engaging with professional digital networks, Writing for digital media.
Reference materials:
- Andres D and Woodard J. 2013. Social media handbook for agricultural development practitioners. Publication by FHI360 of USAID. http://ictforag.org/toolkits/ social/ SocialMedia4 AgHandbook.pdf
- Bheenick K and Bionyi I. 2017. Effective Tools for Knowledge Management and Learning in Agriculture and Rural Development. CTA Working paper. https://publications.cta.int/media/publications/downloads/1986_PDF.pdf
- FAO 2011. E-learning methodologies a guide for designing and developing e-learning courses. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. http://www.fao.org/docrep/015/i2516e/i2516e.pdf
- Fafchamps M and Minten B. 2012. Impact of SMS based Agricultural Information on Indian Farmers. The World Bank Economic Review, Published by the OXford University Press on behalf of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
- Meera SN.2013. Extension, ICTs and Knowledge Management: The 10 difficult questions. Blog 15. Agricultural Extension in South Asia. http://www.aesanetwork.org/eXtension-icts-and-knowledge-management-the-10-difficult- questions/
- Meera SN. 2017. Disruptive Technologies – Big Data and Internet of Things in Strengthening Extension & Advisory Services. Blog 68. Agricultural Extension in South Asia. http://www.aesanetwork.org/disruptive-technologies-big-data-and-internet-of-things-in- strengthening-extension-advisory-services/
- Saravanan R, Sulaiman RV, Davis K and Suchiradipta B. 2015. Navigating ICTs for Extension and Advisory Services. Note 11. GFRAS Good Practice Notes for Extension and Advisory Services. GFRAS: Lindau, Switzerland. https://agrilinks.org/sites/default/files/resource/files/gfras-ggp-note11_navigating_icts_ for_ras_1.pdf
- Saravanan R and Suchiradipta B. 2015. mExtension – Mobile Phones for Agricultural Advisory Services. Note 17. GFRAS Good Practice Notes for EXtension and Advisory Services. GFRAS: Lindau, Switzerland. www.g-fras.org/en/download.html?download=349: ggp-note-17-meXtension-mobile-phones- for-agricultural-advisory-services
- Saravanan R and Suchiradipta B. 2016. Social media policy guidelines for agricultural extension and advisory services, GFRAS interest group on ICT4RAS, GFRAS: Lindau, Switzerland. www.g-fras.org/en/knowledge/gfras-publications.html?download =415: social-media-policy- guidelines-for-agricultural-eXtension-and-advisory-services
- SaravananR. 2010. (Ed.) ICTs for Agricultural Extension: Global Experiments, Innovations and Experiences, New India Publishing Agency (NIPA), New Delhi. http://www.saravananraj.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/32_India_ICTs-for-Agricultural- EXtension_Saravanan.pdf
- Saravanan R, Suchiradipta B, Chowdhury A, Hambly OH and Hall K. 2015. Social Media for Rural Advisory Services. Note 15. GFRAS Good Practice Notes for EXtension and Advisory Services. GFRAS: Lindau, Switzerland.www.g-fras.org/en/download.html?download=355: ggp-note-15-social-media-for-rural- advisory-services
- Saravanan R, Suchiradipta B, Meera SN, Kathiresan C and Anandaraja N. 2015. Web Portals for Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services. Note 16. GFRAS Good Practice Notes for EXtension and Advisory Services. GFRAS: Lindau, Switzerland. www.g-fras.org/en/download.html?download=356: gfras-ggp-note-16-web-portals-for- agricultural-eXtension-and-advisory-services
- Saravanan R.2014. (Ed.). Mobile Phones for Agricultural Extension: Worldwide mAgri Innovations and Promise for Future, New India Publishing Agency, New Delhi.
Session Plan
Session 1 & 2: ICTs-meaning, concepts, types and functions
Session 4: Knowledge management
Session 5 & 6: e-Extension
e-extension approaches by ICAR, SAUs, NGOs and private sectors
Sessions 7 & 8: Knowledge centres (tele centers), digital kiosks, website and web portals
knowledge centre, digital kiosk, website and web portals
Session 9: community radio, farmer call centres
Community radio & farmer call centres
Session 10: mobile phone based advisory services
Session 11: Social media & self-learning CDs
Session 12: Market Intelligence and Information Systems
Session 13: Expert System/ Decision Support System/ Management Information Systems
Session 14: Farm Health Management & Intelligence System for Plant Health, Animal Health, Soil Health, Fishery, Water, Weather, etc
Session 15: Global and regional knowledge networks
Session 17: digital networks among extension personnel
Session 18: Global policy/ Standards on e-Governance
Session 19: Open data/ Open govt. standards and open source
Session 20: Language Technology Applications
Session 21: Web standards & creating web portals
Session 22: developing digital videos- storyboard- video recording- video editing
developing digital videos- storyboard- video recording- video editing
Session 23: types of blogs and writing guidelines
Session 24: Video conference, live streaming and webinars
Video conference, live streaming and webinars
Session 25: social media applications
Session 26: Open technology computing facilities
Session 27: Remote Sensing, GIS, GPS, Information Utility (AIU)
Session 28: Disruptive technologies
Session 29: Human-Computer Interactions
Session 30: Principles of Multimedia Learning
Principles of Multimedia Learning
Principles of multimedia learning (Part-1)-Video
Session 31: Advanced principles of multimedia learning
Assignments:
- History of ICT in Agriculture
- Review on ICT applications in Agriculture
- e-extension approaches of Govt. of India
- e-extension approaches by private sectors
- e-extension approaches by SAUs
- Digital video and application in agriculture
- developing web pages
- Learning platforms on the web
- Social media application in agriculture
- Artificial Intelligence in agricultural extension
- Remote sensing in agricultural extension
- Blockchain technology in agricultural extension
Our Main Teachers
Dr Prusty, Ph. D. (Extension Education) from Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, presently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Extension and Communication, M.S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi, Gajapati, Odisha, India. He has presented more than ten research papers at national and international conferences. […]