M-learning: An Educational Approach for Change in Hills of Uttarakhand

Timely, precise and location-specific advisory to the farmers on crop management is the key for effective extension. Extension agent to farmer ratio in India is estimated to be at 1:2,000. Hence, there arises a need for such an advisory system which will be quick, easy to access and free from geographical barriers. Mobile learning or m-learning is such an information and communication technology (ICT) tool. The increasing penetration of mobile phones and mobile-enabled information services in rural India has made it possible to disseminate information related to crop and variety selection, fertiliser and irrigation management, disease and pest management, weather forecasting, market price of the product and ongoing government programmes at the palm of the farmers. A study was conducted in the foothills of Himalaya with the objective to ascertain the gain in knowledge of cabbage and wheat growers in the Nainital and the Almora districts of Uttarakhand. Two blocks, four villages and 140 farmers possessing mobile phones formed the sample of the study. The results indicate that there is significant gain in issues associated with seed and sowing, fertiliser management, plant protection and marketing of the produce. The correlation studies indicate a significant association between education, extension agency contact and innovativeness of the farmers. There was a significant increase under all information package subheads, which clearly indicate the relevance and positive effect of m-learning intervention under high category. A decreasing trend was observed in medium and low category of respondents, in which movement of farmers from low to medium and medium to high categories was observed.