Extension is basically non-formal education that targets rural peoples outside the formal school with the aim of helping them to improve the quality of their lives by disseminating the useful knowledge and skills. Agricultural extension improves the agricultural know how and skills to farmers for increasing farm production which result in enhanced income for farmers, leading to improvement in their lives.
Modernization and reforms are needed in the existing national systems as a result of many global forces that are changing socio-economic and political conditions in the world, creating new challenges and learning needs for farmers in developing countries to make the national extension system demand-driven, gender sensitive, participatory, bottom-up and relatively lean organization, which could efficiently respond to farmers` extension and training needs. Agricultural extension continues to be transition worldwide. The movement is currently on for reforming the traditional and, by and large, obsolete agricultural and rural extension systems.
An extension person at the beginning of his or her job career will be left in a confused state of mind that the theory studied in academics is remote from field situation or rather he may fail to draw relation between both these fronts which might arise due to lack of conceptual clarity over the subject he has learnt as a student or remoteness of student from actual field situation caused due to inadequacies in teaching failing to link up the theory with rural conditions. To overcome this problem, some important concepts are given.
EXTENSION:
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The word `Extension` is derived from the Latin roots, where `tensio` means stretching and `ex` means out. Thus, it is type of education which is `stretched out` into the villages and fields beyond the limits of the school and colleges through which the formal type of education is normally confined.
EDUCATION: The bringing about of desirable change in knowledge (things known), attitudes (things felt) and skills (things done), either in all or one or more of them. Education is a process in which human behaviour is modified so as to be in closer agreement with some model or ideal determined by the values of society.
EXTENSION EDUCATION:
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Extension Education is a science which deals with creation, transmission and application of knowledge designed to bring about planned change in the behaviour complex of people with a view to help them live better by learning the ways of improving their vocations, enterprises and institutions.
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION:
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It is a bridge that fills the gap between agricultural research station on one hand and farmers field on the other by establishing a suitable teaching organization at various level of administration.
It can also be understood as…. The process of extension education is when confined only to the subject matter of agriculture and farmers as the clientele it becomes agricultural extension education.
EXTENSION WORK:
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It means the whole structure of Extension work. It includes the process of Extension Education i.e. the process of teaching and learning. Besides the process, in extension work are included organizations, administration, supervision, finances as well as the programs for the overall development.
EXTENSION SERVICE:
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It means an organization and/or a programme for the welfare and development, which employs the extension educational process for the implementation of programme. It is thus same as that of extension work expect that in extension service there has been greater emphasis on service.
EXTENSION JOB:
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The job of extension in agriculture and home science is to assist people engaged in farming and home-making to utilize their own resources more effectively and those that are available to them, the changing economic and social conditions.
EXTENSION EDUCATIONAL PROCESS:
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The extension process is working with the people with their immediate needs and interests which can make available additional occupation make improvement in the socio-economic status, better home management and expedite welfare of the rural people.
PROGRAMME:
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It is a systematic statement of situation, objective, problem and solution.
PLANNING: It is a process of preparing systematic statement of line of action for achieving certain overall and specific objectives in relation to need and resources.
PROGRAMME PLANNING:
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It is a procedure of working with the people in an effort to recognize unsatisfactory situation or problem, and to determine possible solutions, or objectives and goals.
PLAN OF WORK:
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An outline of objectives so arranged as to enable effective execution of entire programme.
PROBLEM:
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It is a specific situation in which one requires some action to overcome.
PROJECT:
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It is an outline of procedure which pertains to some phase of extension work.
CALENDAR OF WORK:
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A plan of work arranged chronologically according to the time when each step of work is to be done.
GOAL:
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A distance in any given direction proposed to be covered in a given period of time.
AIM:
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A broad objective.
OBJECTIVE:
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A direction of movement.
EVALUATION:
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A study the degree of success we get in term of our original objectives.
COMMUNICATION:
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The world communication originates from the word `Communize`, which means common. So, communication is a process by which two or more people exchange ideas, facts, feelings or impressions in ways that each gains a common understanding of the message. In essence it is the act of getting a sender and a receiver tuned together for a particular message or series or messages.
COMMUNICATOR:
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Communicator is a person who starts the process of communication in operation.
MESSAGE:
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A message is the information, a communicator wishes his audience to receive, understand, accept and act upon.
CHANNELS:
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A channel is transmission line used for carrying messages to their destination.
NOISE:
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It is obstruction or barrier or hindrance can enter while using channels.
TREATMENT OF MESSAGE
It is the process of communication where the message implemented in a specific way by the communicator to communicate his message effectively so that message is understood and accepted by targeted audience.
AUDIENCE:
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The audience is a receiver of massage.
COMMUNICATION SKILL:
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Abilities to communicate a message to intender users.
FEEDBACK:
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It is a mental or physical reaction, response, reply or behavioral changes taken place in audience as a result of communication process.
EXTENSION-TEACHING METHOD:
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The tools and techniques used to create situations in which communication can take place between the rural people and the extension workers.
FARM AND HOME VISIT:
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It is a face-to-face type of individual contact by the extension worker with the farmer and/or the members of his family on the latter`s farm or at his home for one or more specific purpose connected with extension.
RESULT DEMONSTRATION:
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A result demonstration is a method of teaching designed to show by example the practical application of an established fact, or group of related facts.
GROUP CONTACT METHODS:
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An aggregate of small number of people in reciprocal communication and interaction around some common interest.
METHOD DEMONSTRATION:
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It is a relatively short-time demonstration given before a group to show how to carry out an entirely new practice or an old practice in a better way.
FIELD TRIPS:
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It is a method in which a group of interested farmers accompanied and guided by an extension worker, goes on tour to see and gain first-hand knowledge of improved practices in their natural setting.
GROUP DISCUSSION:
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It is that form of discourse which occurs when two or more persons, recognizing a common problem exchange and evaluate information and ideas.
LECTURE:
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The lecture method is extensively used to present authoritative or technical information to develop back-ground and appreciation and to integrate ideas.
SYMPOSIUM:
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It refers or presentation of talks, speeches and lectures by different recourse persons on various phases of single subject.
PANEL:
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It is discussion before a group of people by 3 to 6 selected resource persons under the control of moderator.
DEBATE:
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It is a pattern of formal discussion where one team representing the affirmative, and another negative side of the topic.
FORUM:
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It is a place or stages where people are exchange their views, opinion or an idea on an issue.
BUZZ GROUP/SESSIONS:
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It is one of the small groups of people that a large group can be divided into in order to discuss and give their opinions about on particular subject.
WORKSHOP:
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A planed meeting organized for discussion and practical work on specific subject in which a group of people share their knowledge and experiences.
BRAIN STORMING:
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A discussion organized within group and suggests and produces as many as possible solutions within stipulated time on a given problem.
SEMINAR:
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It is a deliberation organized on specific topic where different people put their views based on their knowledge and experience.
CONFERENCE:
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An official meeting, usually organized for a day or days, where people with the same work or interest come together to discuss on their views.
CAMPAIGN:
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It is an intensive educational activity for motivating and mobilizing a community with an action to solve the problem.
EXHIBITION:
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An exhibition is a systematic display of models, specimens, charts, photographs, pictures, posters, information etc. in a sequence around a theme to create awareness and interest in the community.
RADIO:
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It is an electronic audio-medium for broadcasting programmes to the audience.
TELEVISION:
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It is an electronic audio-visual medium which provides pictures with synchronized sound.
INTERNET:
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It is an international computer network connecting other networks and computers from companies, universities, etc.
CYBER CAFE:
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An internet cafe or cyber cafe is referred as a place where one can use a computer with internet facility to access latest agricultural information by paying.
VIDEO AND TELE CONFERENCING:
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A videoconference is a set of interaction in which it allows two or more locations to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously. It has also been called `visual collaboration`.
KISAN CALL CENTER:
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A Kisan Call Center consists of a complex of telecommunication infrastructure, computer support and human resources organized to manage effectively and efficiently the queries raised by farmers instantly in the local language.
AGRICULTURAL JOURNALISM:
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Agricultural journalism is journalism as applied to agriculture. Agriculture news is the news about agriculture and agriculturists.
JOURNALIST:
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A professional journalist is a person who works regularly for the scores of news papers, magazines, journals and house organs and those who write copy for All India Radio or features for Television.
NEWS:
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Any news idea, event, situation or development of interest to a large number of people is commonly considered as news.
AGRICULTURAL NEWS:
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Agricultural news is news about agriculture, allied fields and agriculturists.
ADOPTION:
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Adoption is a decision to continue full use of an innovation.
ADOPTION PROCESS:
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Adoption process is the mental process through which an individual passes from first hearing about an innovation to its final adoption.
ADOPTER:
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is a person who has continued full use of an innovation.
INNOVATION:
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An innovation is an idea, object or practice perceived as new by the individual.
DIFFUSION:
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Diffusion is the process by which an innovation spreads.
DIFFUSION PROCESS:
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Diffusion process is the spread of a new idea from its source of invention to its ultimate users.
OVERTIME:
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It is the time required to adopt from its origin. There is always a time log between the introduction of an innovation and its adoption by individuals and communities.
REJECTION:
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A decision not to adopt an innovation. Involve a decision on the part of the farmer not to adopt an innovation.
DISCONTINUANCE:
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A decision about an innovation may be rejected at any stage in the adoption process. A decision to stop using practice previously adopted is called discontinue. Involve a decision to cease the use of an innovation after previously adoption it.
INNOVATIVENESS:
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The degree of which an individual is relatively earlier in adopting new ideas than the other member of his social system.
DECISION MAKING:
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The process by which an evaluation of the meaning and consequences of alternative lines of conduct is made.
CHANGE AGENT:
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A professional person who attempts to influence adoption decisions in a direction that he feels is desirable.
PERCEPTION:
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It is the way in which an individual responds to any sense or impression which he detects.
CAPACITY BUILDING:
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Capacity building is an action plan to give compulsory training and skill to all extension workers and farmers to upgrade them. If also includes effective system to rewards and incentives for the extension functionaries.
TRAINING:
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It is a system for changing behaviour in order to produce an increase in quantity or an improvement in quality of individuals towards the goal of an organization.
