APRTC: A Distance Education Initiative for ARD

Transcription

1 APRTC: A Distance Education Initiative for ARD

2 Role of Agriculture in Asia Pacific Agriculture continues to play a strategic role as a producer of food, as a provider of employment and as a source of foreign exchange. In 1999, farm-gate agricultural production accounted for 27% of the GDP of South Asian developing countries, and 14% of the GDP of East Asian and Pacific developing countries (World Bank, 2001). Over the next years the share of the agricultural labor force in the total economically active population will remain above 47% South and East Asia (ILO, 2002).

3 Changes and Challenges Growing and more diverse consumer demand Commercialization Globalization Complex markets and market requirements Shrinking and deteriorating production resources Given that the per capita availability of land in Asia- Pacific Region is one-sixth of that in the rest of the world and nearly three-fifths of the future increase in world population will occur in this Region, the future increases in food and agricultural production will have to be realized from the ever-shrinking and generally deteriorating land, water and other production resources. This is indeed an uphill task. (Singh, 2002)

4 Response Better ARD efforts based on farmer needs and circumstances New productive and sustainable agricultural technologies More efficient and effective communication with users

5 Global and Local AKSs Globalized Knowledge System Nat. Producer Orgs. Corporations Farmers Localized Knowledge System NARIs Markets Local NGOs Input dealers Donors Information/ Knowledge Flow Farming Households CGIAR Extension Credit agency Global NGOs FAO Soc. Org Local govt. Ministries of Ag Universities

6 Increasing Importance of Knowledge Stakeholders: Policy makers Researchers Global and local support organizations Agro industry Farmers Technologies: New technological innovations are likely to be more knowledge-intensive, based on more efficient use of inputs with recommendations tailored to specific groups of farmers and narrowly defined production environments. (World Bank, 2003)

7 & Communication Research organisations, whose sole purpose is to develop new farming technologies and communicate them to farmers, relegate the communication part to the dustbin. Instead of creating wealth, research findings gather dust. (Mundy & Sultan, 2001) Without communication (this includes information and education as well), progress would be unimaginable. Without the exchange of information, no innovation would be able to spread. This may sound simple and straightforward. In reality, it is one of the hardest challenges that anyone involved in development processes has to face. (CTA, 2003)

8 Knowledge vs Information We are drowning in information and starving for knowledge. (Roger) Knowledge is something that can only be developed through an active process in which people construct new understandings of the world around them through active exploration, experimentation, discussion, and reflection (Resnick, 2003) Knowledge is not the same as information: knowledge includes information, understanding, insights, and other information that has been processed by individuals through learning and thought. (Winrock, 2003).

9 Internet The emergence and expansion of cost-effective ICT networks in Asia offer the potential to deliver information and the skills needed to apply it to agriculture via a medium that is itself information based.

10 elearning the most recent evolution of distance learning - a learning situation where instructors and learners are separated by distance, time or both. uses network technologies to create, foster, deliver, and facilitate learning, any time and anywhere. characterized by speed, technological transformation, and mediated human interactions gives students and researchers in developing nations an invaluable means of gaining a first world education tempered by third world experience

11 Global Internet Usage Statistics World Regions Growth ( ) % Pop. (penetration) % of Users Africa 78.8% 0.9% 1.2% Asia 84.5% 5.9% 30.9% Europe 93.5% 27.6% 29.2% Middle East 128.0% 4.6% 1.8% N. America 86.3% 62.2% 29.5% Lat. Am. 96.3% 6.6% 5.2% Oceania 98.0% 47.9% 2.2% World Total 89.1% 10.7% 100%

12 Internet Usage Statistics - Asia Country Growth ( ) % Pop. (penetration) % of Users Hong Kong 100.2% 67.0% 2.2% S. Korea 38.0% 56.1% 12.5% Singapore 92.4% 54.6% 1.2% Bangladesh 104.0% 0.1% 0.1% Cambodia 400.0% 0.2% 0.0% Laos 150% 0.3% 0.0% Pakistan 273.4% 0.3% 0.2% Asia Total 84.5% 5.9% 100%

13 Internet Usage Statistics - Asia Countries Growth ( ) % Population (penetration) More developed (Hong Kong, S. Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Macao) Less developed (25 other Asian countries) 77.74% % 47.39% 2.06%

14 Targets Farmers Unrealistic to expect much from this approach for farmer education in the near to medium future (accessibility, language, computer literacy, etc.). Agricultural professionals (policy makers, researchers, global and local support organizations) Users of Internet are mainly urban research and training centres, but it is also used by agronomic centres, farmers associations, local radio stations and newspapers (CTA, 2003).

15 Knowledge needs of professionals Crisis in agricultural education and training - isolated from the market place and from the rest of the education system leading to curricula irrelevance, falling teaching and learning standards (Gasperini, 2000) Agricultural extension services in Asia are faced with the challenge to educate the farmers in environment sustainability, natural resources management, and organic farming, something they are not used to. Qamar (2002) "Poor quality training of agricultural professionals, technicians and producers has been identified as part of the global food security problem (Lindley, 1998).

16 One Response - APRTC Asia-Pacific Regional Technology Centre Non-profit organization headquartered in Bangkok Thailand Focus on promotion of sustainable agriculture and natural resource management Works with multi-sectoral partners to target multisectoral clients Sees agricultural professionals as key players to strengthen and bridge AKSs. Uses ICT-based elearning to upgrade the skills and knowledge of agricultural professionals agle@rn

17 APRTC s Approach Globalized Knowledge System Pvt. Sec. CGIAR FAO Academia NARCs APRTC? Knowledge Intermediaries Government Extension Academics Researchers Local NGOs Development projects International federations Private sector initiatives Input retailers Vocational schools Farmers Localized Knowledge System Farming households Farmer groups Producers orgs.

18 APRTC s Achievements 7 online courses developed Established formal and informal partnerships with several regional agricultural universities and agricultural research and development institutions Graduated" first class in May 2001 Implemented 31 course offerings 900 learning opportunities taken advantage of Participants from 20 Asian and 17 African countries Alumni predominantly Asian - 86% Multisectoral alumni 40% academic, 20% GO, 24% pvt., 13% NGO

19 Courses Digital Literacy for Agricultural Professionals Introduction to Integrated Pest Management Responsible Pesticide Use Basics of Vegetable IPM Cotton IPM Rice IPM Integrated Soil Fertility Management Others?

20 Partners CropLife WorldView International Foundation IFDC - International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development Tamil Nadu Agricultural University University of Agricultural Sciences - Bangalore G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology Asia Pacific Advanced Network (APAN) ITC s e-choupal Initiative New initiative with Rockefeller Foundation targeting agricultural professionals in the GMS

21 Other collaborators University of the Philippines Los Banos Kasetsart University, Thailand Punjab Agricultural University, India Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Information Network (MAFFIN)

22 Alumni Impact Survey Over 90 percent indicated that they gained very much or much knowledge 83 % using agle@rn course materials in their own teaching and training activities Typical alumnus shared agle@rn knowledge with an average of 74 other people (earlier participants shared with an average of 122 other individuals) Most appreciated characteristic of agle@rn courses is that they provide an opportunity to interact with and learn from peers and experts around the world.

23 How it works

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