1 m-Learning

Transcript

Brief Abstract

Hello friends, I am sure you must have enjoyed the last couple of weeks, wherein we made an attempt to understand the basics of information-communication technology. And how the journey of information-communication technology started specially from the point of view of providing agricultural extension services. In this week we will be looking into the concepts for better understanding and making e-Extension practical, and the efforts that were made in this direction.

So in this week we will be covering about the concepts like m-Learning, e-Learning, the difference between websites and web portals. Then the Expert System and Artificial Intelligence, applications that are being used in agriculture. So let us begin with the first topic. That is m-Learning.

Introduction

As you are already aware that mobile has become a part and parcel of our life. And the introduction of mobile as well as the other information-communication technologies have revolutionized the entire process of communication, which was traditionally dominated by one to one interpersonal communication. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, so there are more than 1192 million wireless subscribers as on January, 2019. That comes to around 120 crore mobile subscribers are there in India, which seems to be very high number. Means every Indian citizen is having an access to the mobile connectivity.

Now the issue is how can make use of this mobile and availability of the mobile, and the connectivity that we are going to establish through this mobile, for the purpose of education and for the purpose of extension services. So that’s what is the content that we will be discussing in today’s lecture. And increasing ubiquity of mobile phone leads to us to making use this particular instrument for the purpose of learning.

“Mobile learning is a type of personal learning that has infinite possibilities. Because here we are ensuring some issues like the connectivity, number one and anytime anywhere you can have an access to these things. And you can set your own pace of learning. So this is what is the meaning of infinite possibilities are there in case of mobile learning. It allows more and more people to gather knowledge and realize their dreams of a better future.”

If we look at the formal education. So there are number of limitations like this many number of students are only eligible for getting admission. But in case of the alternatives that are available to the formal education, the number of opportunities are umpteen; mobile is one such instrument, that we can make use it for the purpose of providing education as well as extension services.

Definition

Coming to the definition of m-Learning. Any sort of learning that happens when the learner is not at a fixed, predetermined location or learning that happens when the learner takes advantage of the learning opportunities offered by the mobile technologies. So this is what is the basic deviation that we find from the formal education or even non-formal education that we can say. So wherein you have free time, so then only you can have access to this. So there is no determined points of access or determined points of collection. So that learner has all sorts of freedom, and that is what is we are trying to conceptualize as the mobile learning.

The ways of content delivery through mobile include, the

• Short messaging services
• mms
• voice call
• podcasting
• online chatting
• and video conferencing

So now let us have a look into all these ways of content delivery.

SMS (Text Messaging-1984)

Let us begin with the SMS which was started way back in 1984. Is the simplest technology which is interactive in nature. And the learning activities can be devised with the very basic equipment, that is your basic mobile telephone. So wherein we can send the shortest possible messages, so that you keep on learning and you can keep on updating your information base at regular interval. And the connectivity that is assured in case of mobile; that makes you more empowered. All mobile phones that are available have this feature and we can make use of this feature in a very competent manner.

Then coming to the multi-media messaging services. So which is an improvement over the sms that we can say. Wherein we can send the images, audio clips and video clips as well as text to other phones and as well as email addresses, wherein we need certain advanced instruments for this. So which we call it as the Personal Digital Assistants with some camera and some additional features, which is the improvement over the sms that we can say.

Voice Call

Then coming to the voice call methodology. So it allows the learners to clarify their doubts on an online learning mechanism using interactive voice response and voice data services. So this is establishing the inter-personal communication. But the space is not the matter. To achieve this inter-personal communication we need to have the face to face situation in a traditional way. But the similar kind of situation that we can create using this voice call methodology, so that the learner can clarify his doubts at any point of time.

Podcasting

Then the concept of podcasting. Listening to an audio recording of lectures. And that can be used to review live lectures also, and to provide opportunities for a student to rehearse oral presentations. Wherein the development messages or the extension services can be pre-recorded, and they can be circulated to the learners with the help of this podcasting methodology; we can make them to learn about the content, the developments, the technologies as well as various other development messages with the help of this podcasting methodology

Areas of Application

Then where we can apply the mobile learning methodologies. So this can has a wider application in case of education sector. And as on date education sector is using it in a wider way by providing the contents, alerts over mobile telephone etc etc. In case of healthcare also it is being used for providing the health related informations.

Agriculture:

Then coming to the application of m-Learning in agricultural sector. It has a wider application, as we are already aware that huge number of people in case of Indian context are involved in production process, in the processing process as well as in the marketing of agricultural commodities. So the number is very huge. So how to reach all these things and how to provide appropriate information is the biggest challenge that the agricultural research and extension system is facing in which mobile is one of the potential instrument, which is helping us. So in case of agriculture for taking up any sort of decision. Maybe it is a primary producer, maybe it is a processor or maybe it is a marketing agency or maybe it is an extension agency. Mobile is helping them to take appropriate decision, because we are able to get updated information with the help of this mobile.

Need for m-Learning in Agriculture

Looking into the need for the mobile learning in case of agriculture. Agricultural extension is an extensive and a continuous activity. Without which we cannot think of increasing the production, productivity and their living standards etc. Because all these things are interlinked, provided we give them the appropriate information, when they are in need of. That makes a lot of difference in the lives of the primary producers.

Timely, precise and location specific advice to the farmers is one of the key issues. And that is what is the challenge before extension professionals, wherein mobile can help us in meeting this particular gap.

Then the field extension functionaries have limitation of time and resources to reach the ultimate client. Because the inter-personal communication has lot of implications specially in adoption of technologies, but how far a particular extension professional can reach the farmer. But he can create such an effect, that he is interacting with the ultimate end-user of this particular technology with the help of mobile. And this is how it has lot of implications in case of agricultural extension services also.

Then this can cater to the timely and location specific advisory to the ultimate client on agricultural practices. When you need. Where exactly you need. All these things can be taken care of through this mobile learning.

Examples of m-Learning

Then coming to some of the examples of mobile learning which include the Bharti Airtel, which is a private mobile service provider and the IFFCO (Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative). Cooperative organized by the farmers which is supported by the Govt of India. So it has the IKSL-Agri Helpline in case of Indian context, which is providing the extension services.

How it is providing? Farmers who purchase the Bharti Airtel “green SIM”. It means this SIM is specially for the farmers, have an access to value added services, which include daily agri-voice messages on the Agri-Helpline. So once you purchase the SIM with the help of this Bharti Airtel. So it has a collaboration with the IFFCO. They are providing you the voice messages on daily basis, so that farmer can update his knowledge base.

This m-Kisan is a program launched by the Govt of India in 2003.

So, so far they have sent about 239 crores of messages to the farmers who have subscribed to this mKisan concept.

And the number of farmers who are registered are more than 5.14 crore farmers have already been registered under this particular concept.

This itself shows the ubiquitousness of the concept of mobile learning, and the inquisitiveness of the farmers also in learning the innovations as well as latest developments in Agriculture and Allied sciences.

RML Agritech Pvt Ltd. Formerly Reuters Market Light (RML) (1/10/2007)

This is another example of mobile learning. The Reuters Market Light is one of the organizations under the private control, which was launched on 1st October, 2007

• It provides the customized, means satisfying your needs. What you want. So that’s what is the services that you are getting. The localized and the personalized weather forecast, local crop practices, agricultural news and crop advisory with the help of mobile.

So under such circumstances. So what is suitable for my soil and what is suitable for my village. What is going to be the climate in the coming 3 to 4 days or in the next week or the next month. So I am getting all these advisories with the help of this organization. So that farmer can take appropriate decision, whether to go for spray of pesticides or insecticides or whether not to go for application of fertilizers. Number of such decisions that the farmer can take.

• It helps the farmers to plan irrigation, application of fertilizers, harvest etc etc, so that he can take appropriate decision for minimizing the cost of production and maximization of his profits.
• So as on date there are about 3.4 million Indian farmers from about 60,000+ villages have subscribed this Reuters Market Light program.

So now it is being called as the RML Agritech Pvt Ltd. It covers about 450 crops and 1300 markets. So this what is the vastness of the coverage of the thing that you can think of. You can now sell your products in not one market or few markets, but you have an access to one thousand three hundred markets. And the developments what are happening in those one thousand three hundred markets are on your mobile.

• Then through sharing the millions of farmers are getting the benefits of this because every farmer who subscribes this. He shares the information with fellow farmers. That is how they are also getting the beneficiaries.
• So now the service is available in 18 States of the country. So it has the largest network as far as the private sector organization is considered, that you can say.

Push SMS

The services are of two types. One is the push sms, wherein once you subscribe through any of these channels. You will be getting the messages as per the updates or as per the developments.

• So you can register through web registration as the URL is given here
• You can register also through Kissan call center by calling the toll free number of 1800-180-1551, which is common number for the entire country. You can register through this also.
• Or you can send an sms to 51969 or the mobile number that is mentioned here.
• Or you can register yourself through Common Service Centers, which we find throughout the country in every places.
• Or you can also register yourself with the help of the State or District or Block agricultural offices.

You will be eligible for getting the push messages that are being sent by RML.There is another concept known as the pull messaging services. You can make use of either of these numbers. So that you will be getting the messages that you desire

You have a specific query so that you can send the message. You can send your queries and accordingly you will be getting the reply in your language or the regional language. The query you can ask is in English. But you will get the reply in the regional language. But the pull services are being charged as per the market rates or these service providers, what they charge for the messages are applicable to these pull Sms’s also.

Advantages of m-Learning

Then coming to some of the advantages of m-Learning.

• It enables the information when it is needed. So because to take an appropriate decision, I need appropriate information at that point of time, when I need it. So that is what is the strength of this.
• Then it allows use of rich media, when appropriate you can have access to all formats that are available. Audio, video, text, audio-visual, number of things.
• And it provides access to the experts also. Anytime you can make a call and get clarification
• And it provides location specific information.

Because there are number of service providers. We have discussed only about 3 or 4 examples here. But there are number of other service providers also, this is what we discussed in case of pluralism in extension also. So number of service providers that the farmer can have an access.

• And the information is available anytime, anywhere, when you require.

Challenges

Then coming to some of the challenges. The technical challenges include.

• The connectivity and battery life of the mobile. Because in Indian context the number of service providers are more and some service providers have better connectivity. Some service providers are not having better connectivity. It is the major issue.
• Then screen size as well as the key size is another issue for weaving the picture messages or the video messages.
• Then the number of files and asset formats supported by a specific device. So that depends on the capacity of the device. So its compatibility with various formats that are available, maybe the audio file, or video file or text file; whatever it is.
• Then the content security or the copyright issues is another challenging factor, while making use of this mobile connectivity for the purpose of education and extension services.
• Then reworking the existing e-Learning materials for the mobile platforms, because if you are putting the same content on the web site or a web portal, its formats are comparatively different. But when we want to customize it for the purpose of mobile. So then it needs additional designing for that. So that is another challenge for the service providers.

Social and Educational Challenges

Then the social and educational challenges include.

• Accessibility and cost barriers especially for the end-users. But over a period of time the cost barriers are also being simplified. But still it is an issue.
• Then the digital literacy as well as computer literacy or digital literacy plays the role. Digital natives are having an edge over the digital immigrants as far as the digital divide is considered.
• And how to support learning across many contexts. Because every farmer is having a different set of needs, and different set of crops and different set of problems that he is facing. But how to customize the services suiting to each and every farmer is another issue.
• Then the content security or the pirating is another issue. So wherein it can be taken to one to many.
• Then no restriction on the learning timetable is another issue. Because this makes the addiction of the learner over the mobile.
• Then there is no demographic boundary. Because of that the boundaries are being reduced, but the social issues start emerging.
• Then disruption of student’s personal as well as academic lives because of his addiction to the mobiles.

So these are some of the social concerns as well as the educational concerns of mobile applications in extension services.

Conclusion

Then to conclude we can say that

• If the learner wishes to learn, there are many options that are available. One such beautiful option that is available is the mobile learning also.
• An option provides an opportunity; anytime, anywhere learning is your instrument known as the mobile.
• Then development of the content suitable for the learner is a challenge for the professionals. And many such experiments have already been done and many such are on the way, in the pipeline shortly. The society is going to be beneficial of the concepts related to mobile learning.

So with this we will be concluding this particular discussion. And in the next interaction we will be discussing about the e-Learning.

Thank You.