E-Learning Needs Assessment in Agriculture Sector of Pakistan

Abstract

Compared to other business and management fields, e-learning in agriculture related fields is still in the early phases of adoption. Distance education and digital learning role in agriculture extension services is a viable mechanism for the upliftment of the standard of education and in the dissemination of advanced and adequate teaching. In this way CABI has conducted digital learning needs assessment survey in Pakistan. E-Learning is dramatically improving how agricultural education is done. It is allowing greater access to more students and farmers, more efficiently, with better information. The evaluation results of the first international e-learning projects in agriculture show that much good can be done toward ensuring food security in the world if developed countries assist developing countries to implement e-learning methods. Under each major component, specific and relevant training needs questions were asked to the respondents and the collected information was systematically incorporated into an interview. Respondents from all the provinces were asked these questions to get better and diversified information. This program is aimed at spreading the use of Digital Learning amongst the college/university level students in order to bring about a technology revolution and bridge the digital divide. Unfortunately, this approach is not very popular in Agriculture sector. The main reason is the majority of the farmers are illiterate and have limited access to ICT, they are familiar with messages and voice calls but the advance web-based education system is beyond their access right now. Simultaneously the Agri. Extension department, representative of more than 1000 generic, national & multinational input supply companies have extensive network at gross root level especially in rural areas where they are providing the timely and spot on solutions of their problems which is quite enough for farmers. However, the stakeholders in agriculture sector e.g. researchers, students, representative of the input supply companies, input suppliers and the officials from academia consciously needs to update their knowledge and skills to have better understanding of the crop health issues, innovative technologies in agriculture and to acquire skills needed to boost their career growth. In this way public and private sector institutions, Universities, trainings institutions, NGO’s are offering on and off campus training programme. These courses are advertised through electronic & print media, pamphlets and nominating agency of agriculture department. However, only few universities in Pakistan except the Digital Learning & Skills Enrichment Initiative (DLSEI) are offering digital learning courses on agriculture.