GLIMPSES OF PRACTICAL IN EXTENSION EDUCATION

by K. Pradhan, Vara Prasad C, Avishek Saha, Subhrajyoti Panda, Victor Sarkar and Rema Das (2017)
New India Publishing Agency ,
ISBN 9789386546012
Pages: 250 Pages

Extension education is a discipline that mandates the need for much practically oriented method of study. It enhances the understanding of structure, function and current pitfalls in agrarian society. The book titled “Glimpses of practical in extension education” serves as a base to conduct practical for the different ongoing courses offered in Agricultural Extension, especially in bringing clarity among students and other extension professionals. It can also serve as a guide for the teachers to organize and modify the practical sessions of courses in Agricultural Extension. This book has 32 chapters that are congregated under 5 different topics and all information on how to conduct a practical and outline of questionnaires are provided after a short theoretical orientation. Finally, each chapter ends with a box containing the gist, which provides us a quick glance about the practical.

It includes visits and study of different organizations like panchayats, DRDA, NGO’s, Community radio and studio along with detailed explanation about stages and equipment used by them. Techniques and methodology for conducting PRA is well comprehended. Study of rural settlement patterns and stratification, SHG’s and on-going programmes are attached with a questionnaire. It enables us to draw conclusions on how to bring about various changes in a social system in the best possible way. This part of the book is of real significance to the learning community, especially emerging extension experts.

Under the topics Communication, Technology Transfer and Agricultural Journalism, exercises on identifying and reducing distortion of message are presented. Examples of studying about the university extension system that disseminates new technology at state level is also presented here. Sociogram technique and other techniques for identifying local leaders are explained, including examples and their limitations. For village improvement, exercise on preparation of village improvement plan is also added. Apart from these, script writing for radio and television are also provided. New techniques like Micro teaching exercise is exhaustively covered which needs special appreciation. Correct method of conducting discussions, workshops and demonstrations are itemized.

Planning and preparation of posters, charts, flash cards, folders, leaflets, pamphlets and news stories, power point presentations, handling of Over Head Projectors (OHP) which have been used since ages and currently use of LCD projectors and Public Address Systems are explained in depth. Technical writing and presentation have great significance in day to day life of an extension agent. Such areas are extensively covered. Exercises on technical writing and summarizing, listening, note taking, writing and oral presentations, indexing, footnote, bibliographic procedures are also provided. Maintenance of field and lab record can be of great use for both students as well as scientists. But what is lacking here is that they did not provide any exercises for assessing or improving writing or oral skills.

It is an established fact that these days, agriculture is more or less all about farm business. Along these lines authors of the book have also given few exercises on how to identify and prepare a project plan, identification of emerging enterprises and entrepreneurial traits. These are followed by a very well framed questionnaire, cost benefit analysis with respective formulae and procedure to be followed for preparation of a business plan.

To conclude, this book has been designed keeping in mind the new syllabus of the ICAR’s agricultural extension course curriculum for UG and PG students. It will fully serve as a handbook for agricultural extension faculty while conducting practical’s for both graduate and post graduate students.