Development and Assessment of a Need Based and Interactive ICT Based Self Learning Tool for Livestock Owners

In recent years educational technology, empowered by multimedia and internet has opened a new vista for technology transfer. Multimedia enabled interactive educational systems have been able to cross the barriers of poor educational and socio-economic status for providing locale specific necessary information in various aspects. The present paper provides a detailed account of a new need based and interactive ICT based self learning tool for the livestock owners in India, the “Pashudhan avum kukkut rog suchna pranali” (PAKRSP). For development of this learning tool, information needs of livestock owners of India was assessed by analyzing the secondary data of Kisan Call Centre situated at the Indian Veterinary research Institute (one of the nodes of a national facility for providing toll free tele consultancies to livestock owners). Based on the need assessment and prioritization an ICT based self learning tool was designed using multimedia tools for the livestock owners of the country in Hindi language (Official language of India). The tool is fully equipped to cater to even the illiterate audience as it is backed with visuals, animations and voice backup. It is fully interactive and the learners have freedom to explore any part of the information provided, in any order. The field assessment of PAKRSP has also revealed that livestock owners have rated this learning tool very effective and interesting to enhance their knowledge and maintain interest.Further the study revealed that the livestock owners are ready to pay a sum of INR 50 to INR 2000 for purchasing the learning tool.