Classification of Extension Teaching Methods

The classification further explained in detail as follows Extension Teaching Methods may be defined as the devices used to create situations in which communication can take place between the instructor and the learner.Extension Teaching Methods are classified in U.S.A as According to Use and According to Form.

I. Classification According to use: They are classified as

1. Individual contacts Farm and home visits Office calls Telephone calls Personal letters Result demonstrations

2. Group contacts Method demonstration meetings Leader training meetings Lecture meetings Conferences and discussion meetings Meetings at result demonstration

Indirect

Classification of Extension Teaching Methods

According to Use

Individual

contacts

Group contacts

Mass contacts

According to Form

Written

Spoken

Visual or

Objective

Spoken &

Visual

Tours Influence Schools Miscellaneous meetings

3. Mass contacts Bulletins Leaflets News stories Circular letters Radio Television Exhibits Posters

II. ACCORDING TO FORM: Extension-teaching methods are also classified according to their forms, such as written, spoken & audio-visual.

According to Form1. Written

Bulletins Leaflets News articles personal letters circular letters

2. Spoken General and special meetings of all kinds Farm and home visits Office calls Telephone calls Radio3. (c)Visual or objective Indirect Result demonstrations Exhibits Influence Posters Motion pictures Charts, slides and other visual aids4. Spoken and visual Method demonstration meetings Meetings at result demonstrations Meetings involving motion pictures Charts and other visual aids Television

All these methods listed above have indirect influence on the learners. In addition to the conscious dissemination of information through the various

methods listed above, the indirect (or natural) spread of information, resulting from specific activities and from the total teaching effort is very substantial. This is known as INDIRECT INFLUENCE.

Individual method

In this method, the extension agent communicates with the people individually, maintaining separate identity of each person.

Method applicabilityThis method is followed when the numbers of people to be contacted are few, conveniently located close to the communicator and sufficient time is available for communication.

Examples: Farm and home visit, farmer’s call etc.

Advantages

Help the extension agent in building rapport Facilitates gaining firsthand knowledge of farm and home Helps in selecting demonstrators and local leaders Helps in changing attitude of the people Helps in teaching complex practices Facilitates transfer of technology Enhances effectiveness of group and mass methods Facilitates getting feedback information

Limitations

This method is time consuming and relatively expensive Has low coverage of audience Extension agent may develop favoritism or bias towards some persons

Group method

Definition of group: A group may be defined as an aggregate of small number of people in reciprocal communication and interaction around some common interest.

In this method, the extension agent communicates with the people in groups and not as individual persons.

Method applicabilityThis method is adopted when it is necessary to communicate with a number of people simultaneously, who are located not far off from the communicator.

Examples: Method demonstration, group meeting, small group training. Field day or farmer’s day and study tour.

Advantages:

Enables the extension agent to have face- to-face contact with a number of people at a time

Can reach a select part of the target group Facilitates sharing of knowledge and experience and thereby

strengthen learning of the group members Reach fewer people, but offer more opportunities for interaction and

feedback Satisfies the basic urge of people for social contacts Motivate people to accept change due to group influence More effective than mass method in stimulating action Less expensive than individual method due to more coverage

Limitations:

Wide diversity in the interest of group members may create a difficult learning situation

Holding the meeting may be regarded as an objective in itself Vested interests, caste groups and village factions may hinder free

interaction and decision making by the group members

Mass method

In this method, the extension agent communicates with a vast and heterogeneous mass of people, without taking into consideration of their individual or group identity.

Method applicabilityThis method is adopted where a large and widely dispersed audience is to be communicated within a short time.Examples: Campaign, Exhibition, Newspaper, Radio and Television

Advantages: Suitable for creating general awareness amongst the people Helps in transferring knowledge and forming and changing opinions Large number of people may be communicated within a short time Facilitates quick communication in times of emergency Reinforces previous learning Less expensive due to more coverage

Limitations:

Less intensive method Little scope for personal contact with the audience Little opportunity for interaction with and amongst the audience Generalized recommendations hinder application by individuals Little control over the response of the audience Difficulty in getting feedback information and evaluation of results

1. Farm and Home Visit Farm and Home Visit is a direct, face –to – face contact by the extension agent with the farmer or homemaker at their farm or home for extension work

Objectives Farm and Home Visit To get acquainted with and gain confidence of farmers and

homemakers To obtain and or give firsthand information on matters relating to

farm and home To advise and assist in solving specific problems, and teach skills To sustain interestPrinciples or Procedure to be followed:1. Decide upon the place of the farm and home visit in the teaching

plan outlined to advance a particular phase of the extension programme

a. Consider alternative methods which might be employed

b. Decide whether the visits are primarily for direct teaching or are needed to increase the effectiveness of group methods and mass media

2. Clarify the purpose of the visit – which are the purposes mentioned above are expected to be achieved by the visit

3. Plan the visit:

a. Review previous contacts with members of familyb. Check subject matter information likely to be needed- leaflets

or bulletins etc.c. Workout schedule of visits in the community to save timed. Remote and unfrequented homes should always be kept in

viewe. Consider best approach in view of individual family situationf. Be accurate in your statementsg. Do not prolong argumentsh. Leave clear impression as to object of visiti. If possible, hand over a folder or bulletin etc. pertaining to

the topic discussedj. Leave the farm or home as a friend

4. Make the visit:a. Punctuality and consideration for the time of the farm women

should always be borne in mind. Contact the farm women preferable when she is on the job

b. Be friendly, sympathetic and complimentaryc. Gain and deserve interviewee’s confidenced. Let the farm women do most of the talkinge. Speak only when she is willing to hearf. Talk in term of her interestg. Use natural and easy language, speak slowly and cheerfully

5. Record the visit:a. Date, purpose of visit, what was accomplished and follow up

commitments madeb. Make sure through appropriate office device that follow-up at

appropriate time is not overlooked6. Follow up the visit:

a. Send applicable literature or other things by post or other-wiseb. Extend invitation to attend a meeting, if any on the concerned

topicc. Make subsequent visits if and when required

Advantages Farm and Home Visit:

Provides extension worker with first-hand knowledge of farm and home conditions, and the view points of farm people

If made on request, the farmer or home –maker is likely to be ready to learn

The ratio of ‘’takes (acceptance) to ‘’exposures’’ (efforts) is high Builds confidence between the extension worker and the farmer May increase greatly the effectiveness of group methods and

mass media Contributes to selection of better local leaders, and mass media Contributes to selection of better local leaders, demonstrators

and co-operators Develops good public relations Useful in contacting those who do not participate in extension

activities and who are not reached by mass media

Limitations Farm and Home Visit Only limited number of contacts may be made Time consuming and costly method Attention may be concentrated on a few big and progressive

persons; neglecting the large number of small, marginal, tribal farmers; landless labour and backward people which may prejudice them

2. Farmer’s call / Office call Farmer’s call is a call made by a farmer or homemaker at the working place of the extension agent for obtaining information and assistance.

Objectives Farmer’s call / Office call

To get quick solution of problems relating to farm and home

To enable the farmer and homemaker to bring specimens for proper identification of the problem

To ensure timely supply of inputs and services To act as a reminder to the extension agent

Principles to be followed: Office should be located conveniently so as to facilitate large volume

of calls Space and furniture should be arranged to permit orderly routing of

callers It should be possible for caller to confer privately with the extension

worker

Office room should be kept attractive with bulletin boards, leaflets etc.

Office should be open during usual hours Extension worker should regularly attend office, while at

headquarters Arrangements should be made to provide information to the callers in

the absence of the extension worker Cordial, sincere interest shown in visitor’s problem Applicable reference material, including record of previous contacts

readily accessible Caller made to feel welcome to call again

Follow –up: See that unfinished business connected with the call is completed as

promised

Advantages: Farmer’s call / Office call Visitor likely to be highly receptive to learning Economical use of extension worker’s time Good indication of farmer’s confidence in

extension

Limitations: Farmer’s call / Office call

Being away from the situation, it may be difficult for the extension agent to understand the problem in its proper perspective

Extension agent may not be available all the time Callers in his absence may not be satisfied with the

information or guidance obtained Visitors likely to be limited to those participating in other

extension activities

3. Personal letter

Personal letter is written by the extension agent to particular farmer or homemaker in connection with extension work. This should not be regarded as a substitute for personal contact.

Objectives To answer to queries relating to problems of farm and home To send information or seek cooperation on important extension

activities

Principles to be followed:1. Promptness: A letter asking information should be

answered promptly, because the person writing the letter has more than passing interest in the matter and will be likely to use information which provides a satisfactory solution to his problem. Remember that information delayed in information denied.

2. Put yourself in the other fellow’s shoes- Have a genuine concern for the other fellow’s interest, view point, limitations and desires

3. The letter should be:

a. Complete – Give all necessary information to accomplish its purpose

b. Concise – Say what you have to say in the fewest words consistent with clearness, completeness and courtesy

c. Clear – So that it not only can be understood but cannot be misunderstood

d. Correct – Containing no miss-statement of facts, or grammatical mistakes etc

e. Courteous – Tone appropriate for the desired response. How something is said as important as what is said

f. Neat – Free from over-writings, striking etc.g. Readable – Short sentences, short words and human

interest make for easy reading

Adaptive or Minikit Trail

Adaptive or minikit trail is a method of determining the suitability or otherwise of a new practice in farmer’s situation

Objectives or purposes: To test a new and promising practice under the resources, constraints

and abilities of the farmer To find out the benefits of the new practice in comparison to the

existing one To build up confidence of the extension agents, research workers and

farmers To act as a precaution against insignificant, faulty or hasty

recommendations

Principles or Procedure to be followed: Determine the need for arranging the observation plot i.e. whether

there is a need for undertaking the trial, taking local conditions into consideration

Be clear about the specific purpose of the trial Select about six representative centers in your jurisdiction for

conducting the trial In these centers, select the co-operators in consultation with the

local farmers It is desirable to select as co-operators for this purpose, such as

farmers who have confidence in extension and who also can afford to take the risk of possible failures

Select in the co-operator’s holding an average field, representative of the tract and also easily accessible

Make it clear to the co-operator and to the other farmers that is a trial or a rough and ready experiment only and not a demonstration plot

It is important that all operations are done under the personal supervision of the extension worker

Restrict the size of the ‘control’ and ‘treated’ strips to the minimum possible, so as to have a large number of replications

Visit the plot as frequently as possible and record on the spot, your observations regarding the relative performance of ‘control’ and ‘treatment’ .

Accurate records should be maintained, showing the dates of important operations and other relevant observations.

The average performance if the new practice should be observed for at least three seasons consecutively, before you think of recommending it for large scale adoption

Advantages: Avoids the pitfalls of hasty recommendation or adoption of new

practices Constitute the first step towards the spread of a new practice after

through testing Obviates the technicalities, difficulties and delays involved in laying

out regular trial plots, and analyzing the results statistically Builds confidence of the extension and research workers on the

one hand and of the farmers on the other, in the utility and feasibility of a new practice.

Limitations

Being scattered, the trails may suffer from lack of adequate supervision of the extension agent

Satisfactory results depend on the clarity of objective and careful selection of the practice and the farmers

Difficult to serve suitable co-operators sometimes

Risk of failure of a new practice resulting in financial loss to the co-operating farmer

Conclusions may not always be unassailable because of the lack of statistical analysis of the data.

Demonstration Among the communicational and educational techniques, ‘demonstrations’ are the oldest, best, and simplest tools for transmitting sophisticated technology in a simple and understandable form.

Objectives of the demonstrations1) It provides the advantages of improved practices.2) It brings the research to the doors of users.3) It shows the worth, value and potentialities of techniques.4) It dramatizes by arousing interest, creating desire motivating one to

action, and finally to satisfaction.5) It fires the imagination and provides convincing results.6) It builds confidence in; i) scientific facts ii) extension workers and iii)

cooperating farmers7) It persuades neighbourers to adopt recommended practices by

demonstrating proofs.8) It is used as a vital media for communication, dissemination and

diffusion of information.9) It upholds the principles of ‘seeing is believing’ and ‘learning by

doing’.10) It develops local leadership.11) It provides scientists with a ‘field laboratory’ and problem

solving platform.12) It accelerates and provides subject matter for training in the

forms and use of extension methods.

In summary the demonstration is said to be successful if it changes the knowledge, skill, understanding and attitude of the clientele and can bring desirable changes in their total behaviour pertaining to the use of new practices or adoption of technology.Demonstration may be; (A) i) method demonstration ii) result demonstration (B) i) Simple and ii) composite demonstration

Result demonstration

Result demonstration is a method of motivating the people for adoption of a new practice by showing its distinctly superior result. OrA result demonstration is a method of teaching designed to show by example the practical application of an established fact, or group of related facts.

It is a way of showing people the value or worth of an improved practice whose success has already been established on the research station, followed by district trails or observation plots.In this method the new practice is compared with the old one so that the villagers may see and judge the results for themselves. Such demonstration requires a substantial period of time and records need to be maintained.

The result demonstration may Deal with a single practice It may be concerned with a series of related practices In some instances it may include the entire farm

Common principles underlying result demonstration What a farmer himself does or sees, he will believe What is good for one person will have general application to

others(under similar conditions)

Objectives or Purpose: To show the advantages and applicability of a newly recommended

practice in farmer’s own situation To motivate groups of people in a community to adopt a new practice

by showing its result To build up confidence of the farmers and extension agents To develop innovation leadership

Procedure or technique: 1. Analyze situation and determine need:

a. Is it necessary to establish further confidence in local application of research findings and results of observation plots?

b. What has been the experience of the extension worker in guiding the carrying out of the practice under similar conditions?

c. Is it possible to locate good illustration of the practice locally, obviating the necessity of expensive result demonstrations?

d. Is the need for result demonstration felt by the farmers?

2. Decide upon specific purpose:1. Which particular audience should have the learning

experience?2. What specifically do you want them to learn?3. Is it to give confidence to the extension worker and

provide him with teaching material?

4. Is it to develop confidence in extension on the part of a community or of a minority group with whom extension worker is not known well and favorably?

3. Plan the Result Demonstration:

a. Consult subject matter specialistb. Make as simple and clear – cut possiblec. Decide upon evidence needed and how local proof will be

establishedd. Determine number of demonstrations needed to accomplish

purposee. Locate sources of materialf. Reduce plans to writing

4. Select demonstrators:a. Consult with local leaders and select a demonstrator who

commands the confidence and respect of his neighbours, and who is interests in improving his practices

b. Visit the prospective demonstrator to make that all conditions for success of demonstration are favourable

c. The demonstrator should be conscious of his responsibility for the successful completion of the demonstration and its effect upon the community

d. The demonstrator should be willing for the demonstrator and leave written instructions preferable.

5. Select the plot:a. The plot should be representative b. The plot should be located preferably in a roadside field for easy

accessibility and publicity

6. Start the demonstration:a. Give wide publicity before starting the demonstrationb. Get all the materials readyc. Start the demonstration in the presence of the villagersd. Assist in getting the demonstration under way to make certain that

the omission of some key point will not make later work fruitlesse. Arrange for a method demonstration meeting where a skill may be

involved in the beginning stage of demonstration or laterf. Mark the demonstration plots with large signs, so that all can see

7. Supervise the demonstration:a. Visit the demonstration plot with sufficient frequency to maintain

demonstrators interest, check on progress and see that succeeding steps are performed as outlined

b. Maintain records and assist he demonstrator also in keeping proper records

c. Give publicity to the demonstration and the farmer at suitable stagesd. Conduct tours to successful demonstrations at proper timese. Let the demonstrator himself explain to visitors, as far as possible

Mention in news stories, circular letters, radio talks etc. at critical stages

8. Complete the demonstration:a. See that final steps to complete the demonstration are takenb. Take photographsc. Summarize records. Analyze and interpret data

9. Fallow-up:

a. Give wide publicity to results of demonstrationb. Encourage demonstrator to report at meetingsc. Prepare visual aids based on the results of demonstrationd. Get other farmers to agree to demonstrate during the next season

Points for consideration in result demonstration: 1) The students should demonstrate on specific problems of the area-

drilling wheat against broadcast, raising paddy by transplanting against seeded, hybrid maize against local variety.

2) It should be carried out correctly, in detail and must be in sequence.3) Better to conduct more than one demonstration in the same village,

on the same object.4) Never try to discover new truths, but rather try to improve the

adaptability to local situations of those discoveries already made by research specialists in the area.

5) Emphasis on the quality of demonstrations rather than increasing the number and having a poor quality.

6) Do not repeat demonstration repeatedly.7) The demonstration should be located by a well-traveled roadside or

path.8) Demonstrate as soon as results are evident.9) Present definite and detailed costs of practices and item of the

practices and compare it with the traditional methods or control.10) Hold meetings at demonstrations sites to study progress and

results and to disseminate the information so that other farmers get convinced, and adopt the practices.

11) Use audio-visual aids to support the results of demonstrations Advantages:

Gives the extension worker extra assurance that recommendation is practical and furnishes local proof of its advantages

Increases confidence of farmers in extension worker and his recommendations

Useful in introducing a new practice Contributes to discovery of local leaders Provides teaching material for further use by extension worker.

Limitations Need more time, energy and funds for extension work Unsuccessful demonstrations may cause some setback to extension

work Difficult to find good demonstrators who will keep records Teaching value frequently destroyed by unfavorable weather and

other factors Few people see the demonstration at the stage when it is most

convincing Unsuccessful demonstrations may undermine the prestige of

Extension and entails loss of confidence