Agri Elearn

Distance education and eLearning for sustainable agriculture: lessons learned Robert T. Raab and Buenafe R. Abdon

There is no doubt that the agricultural sector, no less than any other, is facing a range of old and new challenges as a result of today’s economic and environmental pressures. Key among these are population growth, increased market complexity, continuing economic inequality, and the need to raise productivity without adversely endangering the natural resource base (McCalla 2001). A growing global population means that agriculture will need to produce enough food to feed an expected two billion additional people by 2025 and this additional production must be achieved with less natural resources. Compounding these problems is the changing economic nature of agriculture, with increased commercialization, sophistication, and globalization. There is a growing consensus that learning will be a major factor to help agriculture and agricultural producers successfully deal with these challenges. “Knowledge—and related information, skills, technologies, and attitudes—will play a key role in the sustainable intensification of agriculture and success of rural development investments,” stated Alex et al (2002). Getting the essential knowledge to those who need it most remains difficult and expensive, but much optimism has been generated as a result of the increased growth and sophistication of new electronic information services—even in remote rural areas. Information and communication technologies (ICTs), and such specialized ICT applications as eLearning, are offering new options to deliver knowledge and information to farmers directly and indirectly through knowledge intermediaries. eLearning is one form of distance learning, a type of educational situation in which the instructor and students are separated by time, location, or both. eLearning typically involves the use of the Internet to access learning materials; interact with the content, instructor, and other learners; and obtain support during the learning process in order to acquire knowledge, construct personal meaning, and grow from the learning experience. Proponents make several convincing arguments about the power and potential of eLearning. eLearning provides learning opportunities in subjects not offered locally or where local offerings lack quality. It is ideally suited for individuals who lack time for classroom courses. Perhaps most importantly, participating in an online class gives students the skills required for lifelong learning. Although eLearning is still in its infancy, particularly in developing countries, some experience has been gained. Below, we will look briefly at where and how eLearning is being

574

Rice is life: scientific perspectives for the 21st century

applied in agriculture and continue on to examine some of the lessons learned.

Applications of digital technologies to agricultural learning eLearning and digital technologies are increasingly influencing and enriching all forms of agricultural education. This is most apparent in informal and formal education, but with tentative pilot applications in nonformal education as well. Traditional means of informal education and learning in agriculture, based on knowledge and skills being passed between generations and between community members, are becoming much less effective. This is a result of several factors, such as fewer experts in rural areas, agricultural innovations are increasingly coming from outside the community, fewer traditional courses are being offered, and much information is time-sensitive and/or needed quickly (Agriculture and AgriFood Canada 2003). Comprehensive and growing repositories of online agricultural information provide a powerful means of overcoming these constraints and allow the independent learner to delve deeply into a myriad of subjects with the click of a mouse. Formal education has long been limited by geography, high cost, and lack of access by particular groups; as a result, eLearning and associated technologies are increasingly being used to overcome these obstacles. This trend is most prominent in higher education in developed countries and recent figures show that 80% of the top U.S. and European universities will offer global courses in 2004, with many of these offerings related to agriculture. While informal and formal education are certainly important for the future of agriculture, nonformal education is arguably the most critical. There is now almost too much information available online for informal learning and taking full advantage of these resources requires special skills to locate and evaluate. Agricultural knowledge acquired through formal education is soon outdated and obsolete. Properly conceived and developed, nonformal eLearning can substantially complement formal and informal efforts and provide up-todate and relevant agricultural knowledge.

Lessons Although schools and other providers of education first began experimenting with online education only just over a decade ago, much has already been learned. Below, some key lessons are listed and discussed.

eLearning works Recent studies have shown that some 50% of North American farmers take advantage of the informal educational opportunities available through the Internet through such services as email (85%), searching information on agricultural products and services (78%), and news on agriculture (77%). Although these opportunities are not yet as prevalent in developing countries, evidence is clear that developing-country farmers and agricultural professionals are equally eager to learn in this way. The success of www.agriwatch.com and the ITC company’s eChoupal project (www.digitaldividend.org/case/ case_echoupal.htm) provides convincing evidence of this. The best eLearning courses are characterized by incorporating substantial interaction, are student-centered and constructivist, provide learner support, and use an integrated technology environment. Several studies have shown that learning outcomes associated with formal and nonformal eLearning are equal to the outcomes of traditional training courses given similar content and good instructional design. Experience also shows that, even in developing countries, properly designed and delivered online courses are effective and in demand. For example, over a period of three years, the agLe@rn program of the Asia Pacific Regional Technology Centre (APRTC) provided some 900 learning opportunities for agricultural professionals in 20 Asian and 17 African countries. A survey showed that alumni appreciated the knowledge they gained, were excited about their new abilities to network with peers around the world, and were better prepared to take advantage of digital learning resources. Perhaps most importantly, they were actively sharing their newly gained knowledge with students, colleagues, and farmers (Raab and Abdon 2003). Rate of application and adoption of eLearning approaches The majority of eLearning-related initiatives to date in both developed and developing countries have been in the area of online publishing of information as resources for informal learning. Almost all research and development organizations now routinely publish their findings and studies in electronic form and make these documents available through the Internet. Although aggregated data are not available on formal agriculture-related courses, it is clear that more and more universities and schools in developed countries are offering online learning opportunities. For example, the number of students taking online courses in the United States grew at more than 25% from 1999 to 2002 and some sectors of higher education expect an annual growth rate exceeding 25% in online learners over the next few years (Allen and Seaman 2003). Developing countries lag seriously behind in this area as a result of high initial costs and lack of access to information, training, infrastructure, and resources (UNDP 2001). Nonformal educational opportunities for agriculturalists are virtually nonexistent in developing countries and, although some are available, they are not widely taken advantage of in developed countries. In developed countries, the main factors

behind this slow adoption have been identified as a lack of opinion leaders who can provide expert, trusted advice about online learning and perceptions that O eLearning has uncertain or unproven benefits O Internet and computer access are not sufficient O Online interactions are insecure and not confidential O Advanced computer skills are required O The cost is high in relation to benefits (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 2003) These concerns are no doubt shared by farmers and agricultural professionals in developing countries, who also have to deal with more serious cost, computer literacy, and connectivity limitations, in addition to language and literacy constraints. The most appropriate targets for eLearning in support of agriculture While no one questions that the priority target for knowledge development efforts must ultimately be agricultural producers, reaching this group remains problematic because of a range of cultural and technological constraints. It appears, however, that these constraints are much less serious among rural knowledge intermediaries, the many individuals employed by government extension systems, nongovernment organizations, academia, and the private sector, who have the responsibility to provide information and educational opportunities for farmers. It is also apparent that these individuals are effective in knowledge transfer and are at least as much in need of new knowledge and information as the clients they serve. Sustainability of eLearning efforts is a major problem Experience is showing that only a limited number of eLearningrelated initiatives are economically sustainable, with the exception of some informal learning resources. Farmers, in developed and developing countries, with sufficient financial resources are willing to pay for various kinds of market information if they feel it can be used to improve profits. Students (or their parents) will pay for online learning leading to a formal degree or certification if convinced it will result in better employment opportunities or a bigger paycheck. It is much more difficult to convince a learner to pay for a nonformal course for which the personal financial benefits are not clear or for which the major beneficiaries may well be others. Progress will depend on long-term, public-sector, and/or donor support The majority of eLearning initiatives, in both developed and developing countries, are now supported through government grants or research and development money and are generally not independently sustainable once the funding runs out. Given the current situation and the newness of this approach, it is probably not realistic to expect most initiatives to survive without continued public funding except in a very few informal learning niche markets.

Session 20: Improving rice productivity through IT

575

However, the continued involvement of the public sector may well be in society’s best interest. If learning is available only to the elite few who can afford it, there is considerable danger that the divide between the rich and poor will not only remain but grow. Winrock (2003) cautions that while, in general, reliance on the private sector is good, “information and access to it closely resemble a public good threatened with undersupply by market failures.” In cash-strapped developing countries, donor support as well will be critical.

References Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 2003. An overview of e-Learning in Canadian agriculture and Agri-business. www.agr.gc.ca/ ren/serv/elearn_e.cfm. Alex G, Zijp W, Byerlee D, et al. 2002. Rural extension and advisory services: new directions. Rural Development Strategy Background Paper #9. Washington, D.C. (USA): Agriculture and Rural Development Department, World Bank. www.worldbank.org/wbi/sdruralpoverty/ag_extension1/Materials/additional/Rural_extension.pdf. Allen IE, Seaman J. 2003. Sizing the opportunity: the quality and extent of online education in the United States, 2002 and 2003. Sloan-C, The Sloan Consortium. www.sloan-c.org/resources/ sizing_opportunity.pdf.

McCalla AF. 2001. Challenges to world agriculture in the 21st century. Agricultural and Resource Economics Update. University of California, Davis. www.agecon.ucdavis.edu/outreach/ areupdatepdfs/UpdateV4N3/spring2001.pdf. Raab R, Abdon BR. 2003. Assessment and use of agLe@rn Knowledge and course materials. Bangkok (Thailand): APRTC. www.aprtc.org/for_alumni/multiplier.htm. UNDP (United Nations Development Programme). 2001. Human development report 2001: making new technologies work for human development. Published by Oxford University Press, Inc., New York City. Retrieved 1 October 2001 from www.undp.org/hdr2001/. Winrock. 2003. Future directions in agriculture and information and communication technologies (ICTs) at USAID. Prepared for USAID/Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade/Agriculture and Food Security. Retrieved 30 August 2003 from www.dot-com-alliance.org/documents/AG_ICT_USAID.pdf.

Notes Authors’ address: Sustainable Development eLearning Network, email: [email protected].

The Rice Knowledge Bank Mark Bell and David Shires

The fast and effective transfer of research findings to farmers has always been one of the biggest challenges facing those in agricultural development. All too often, new knowledge is successfully developed and validated, only to fail in reaching those who need it most—the farmers. Into this gap between research and impact has stepped the International Rice Research Institute’s (IRRI) Rice Knowledge Bank (RKB). Not only is it one of the world’s first digital extension services for those who provide information and support for farmers, it is also the first comprehensive, digital rice-production library containing a wealth of information for rice-related training and extension. More importantly, it provides this service using a format that sets a new standard for knowledge access within the agricultural development community. Containing the most up-to-date and validated knowledge, the RKB is providing government extension services, nongovernment organizations (NGOs), and universities with unprecedented access to training and support knowledge. First and foremost, IRRI is a rice science research institute. However, IRRI’s founders knew that, to get research findings out of the laboratory and into farmers’ fields, there had to be an education component. Over the past 40 years, IRRI has used a variety of instructional methodologies and technologies to satisfy its education mandate. Printed materials, photo576

Rice is life: scientific perspectives for the 21st century

graphic slide–audio tape modules, instructional video, early attempts at computer-aided instruction, video-conferencing, and information presented on CD-ROM have all supported face-to-face classroom instruction both at IRRI headquarters and in country training programs. Now, IRRI is developing and adding another set of tools to better serve its education mandate: those that are collectively known as information and communication technologies (ICT), which include distancelearning methodologies and use of the Internet. IRRI has moved to harness the power of ICT by carefully matching the new media’s capabilities to the needs of rice-related training to bring relevant knowledge, in the most useful form, to field officers when and where they need that knowledge. The RKB has received critical acclaim (for example, BBC Earth Report, September 2004—the “Further readings” section provides more reviews of the RKB) as a tool to distill, store, and provide access to the vast array of IRRI’s training and support knowledge for rice science and extension.

Rationale for the RKB Ask any farmers what they perceive as their major needs and you will probably be told three things: access to credit, a good