ARD 5112: Communication and Information Technology

Prof. Dr. Md. Kamrul Hasan

2025-08-17

Introduction to communication

Communication brings common understanding

Source: ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub

Introduction to communication

Information is asset, and communication skill is wealth.
Communication and human relations skills are currencies in professional and personal life.
Human is a social being because they communicate with each other not because only they live in a society.
Communication controls human’s existence and development.
By communication one mind affects another.
Communication is imperative (it controls action).
Your communication abilities shape your personality.

Concept of Communication

Communication = transfer of meassage from source to receiver
Communication is a process by which message is transferred from source to receiver for common understanding.
It is not linear — it’s reciprocal and iterative.
It involves feed-forward (message sent) and feed-backward (message received).

Concept of Communication

Leagans (1961): 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 meaning, intent and use of message.
Communication is a process of sending and receiving messages through channels, which establishes common meanings between a source and a receiver.

Flow of Communication

Sender initiates a message.
Receiver responds with a feedback.
Shared understanding is the goal.

Communication is completed only when mutual understanding is achieved.

Communication Cycle Example

Sender: "Hello" (Feed-forward)
Receiver: "Hi!" (Feedback = feed-backward)

Feedback makes the process interactive and meaningful.
If someone slaps a boy (Feed-forward), and the boy cries (Feedback), is it communication?

Yes, this is non-verbal communication. Even in negative or chaotic situations, messages are exchanged and feedback occurs.

Chaotic or Silent Communication

Conflict, violence, or silence can also be forms of communication.

Even no feedback is a form of feedback.

Example: A phone rings but no one answers — we assume they are unavailable.
Calling someone who doesn’t respond — we interpret that as absence or disinterest.

A dead person cannot provide feedback — this ends the communication loop.

Types of Communication

Verbal (~30% by seeing and hearing)
- Written
- Spoken
- Interactive (e.g. using device)
Non-verbal (~70% by touching, tasting, seeing, smelling)
- Posture and gesture
- Proximity, closeness
- Eye contact and facial expressions
- Voice tone (alas! hurrah! yeaaaa!)

Importance of Communication

About 70% of our time is spent for communication.
Present age is called information age.
Adoption of innovation by farmers
Identification and solution of problems of farmers
Create conducive situation for professional development
Bring desired behavioural changes among farmers
Social development (relations, values, norms, culture)
Effective communication improves trust, cooperation, conflict resolution, teamwork and collaboration

Communication and human behavior

Functions of communication:

Communication builds human relationships through:

Persuasion
Negotiation
Diplomacy
Dispute resolution

Elements of Communication

Five elements of communication:

Source/communicator/sender
Message
Channel
Receiver/audience/respondent
Feedback

Elements - Source

Communicator/source/sender

Communicator acts as an originator of the message
They start the communication process
Task of a communicator ⇒ message selection and treatment
Homophilous source and receiver enjoy comfort in communication
Homophilous means similar in beliefs, values, education, social status, etc.

Qualities of a Good Communicator

Knowledge level: Must know the message, objectives, needs, audience aspiration
Faith of the receiver: More credible source leads to greater acceptance
Interest: Adequate efforts and devotion to communicate the message
Communication skill: Efficient message selection and treatment
Language and culture: Compatible language helps proper treatment and interpretation

Qualities (Continued)

Attitude and presentation:
- Positive attitude towards message and receiver. Inattention, vocabulary differences, poor pronunciation, poor articulation, plural meanings, improper association should be avoided.
Message treatment:
- Handle message to make it clear, understandable and realistic
- logically arranged message gets better reception
- Understand the audience for proper treatment
- Message treated for the audience, not for the communicator
- Rational/reward appeals for literate farmers; fear appeal for illiterate farmers

Elements - Message

Important information communicated by the source
Good message makes individual feel a need that can be satisfied by action
Should be valid, unambiguous, comprehensive and of utility
Valid message comes from credible source and conforms with intentions

Criteria of a Good Message

Communicableness - easy to communicate
Less social and economic risk
Aligned with beliefs, values and economic capabilities
Simple - easy to understand and practice
Divisibility - permits small scale trial before full adoption
Relative advantage - higher benefits than existing
Accuracy - relevancy and suitability well-tested under local conditions

Elements - Channel

Medium or vehicle which carries the message
Physical bridge between source and receiver
Extension teaching methods are communication channels
Person, conversation, face-to-face, word of mouth, mobile phone, newspaper, radio are examples
Must be used in right way, right time, for right actions with right audience
Can be local or cosmopolitan, and interpersonal, group or mass
Early adopters use mass communication; late majority uses interpersonal channels

Channel forms, nature of personnel and nature of contact

Reference: Ray (2003)

Forms: Written (newspaper), spoken (radio talk)
Nature of personnel: Localite, cosmopolite
- Personal localite (neighbour, friends), personal cosmopolite (extension agents), impersonal cosmopolite (no personal face-to-face contact, newspaper)
Nature of contact: Individual (extension agent at home visit), group (trainer in a group meeting), mass (newspaper)

Criteria for Selecting Channel

Availability - Locally available, common and familiar
Cost - Simple, cheap and easy to obtain and handle
Preference of communicator - Must be skilled in using selected channels
Suitable content and receiver - Receiver should understand message and use channels
Frequency of use - Repetition enhances acceptability; multiple channels in parallel works better
Effectiveness - Should effectively bring together sender and receiver

Nearly extinct local media - e.g. folk music, theatres can be used

Elements - Audience

Receiver of the message (men, women, village leaders, farmers, etc.)
Factors affecting desirable response:
- Needs - Should be studied before initiating communication
- Knowledge level - Deliver message considering receiver’s knowledge
- Attitude - Form favorable attitude; message decoding depends on attitude

Audience (Continued)

Available resources - Message actions need resources; align with available resources
Socio-cultural systems - Message should be compatible with social systems
Experience - New learning built upon previous experience; satisfactory experience leads to fast learning

Elements - Feedback

Reaction given by receivers in response to message
Return process where receiver acts as a source
Communication process ⇒ feed forward and feed backward
Self-communication: message encoded is fed back into the system by decoding
Action - Reaction interdependence is feedback
Both sender and receiver can encode and decode simultaneously

Elements - Feedback (cont’d)

Provides information to the sender about the success of communication
Controls encoding of next messages
Feedback can be:
- Intentional (e.g., nodding to show understanding)
  - A student raising hand = intentional
- Unintentional (e.g., yawning from boredom)
  - Looking distracted = unintentional

Importance of Feedback

Clarify message - Feedback helps adjust or clarify the message
Removes barriers - source can learn adoption barriers
Facilitates proper action - to make message understandable
Rectifies transmission errors - identifies channel noise to minimize
Increases accuracy - reduces message distortion, improves adoption

Importance of Feedback (cont’d)

Enhances confidence - improves rapport between source and receiver
Improves learning - both active and passive feedback enhances knowledge
Improves communication - rewarding feedback results in continued adoption

Problems in Getting Feedback

Limitation of the channel
Shyness of the receiver
Discouraging by the communicator
Message delivered in wrong time
Cultural barriers
Socio-economic barriers
Language barriers

Analysis of communication models

Definition of Communication Model

Model: Miniature (drawings, charts, diagrams) of complex process to show relationships, flows, and structures of a complex process
Helps simplify complex ideas for teaching and evaluation
Offers organised way of looking at complex process
Should show all important elements with minimal text
Models: Berlo (1960), Shannon-Weaver (1949), Leagans (1963), Rogers and Shoemaker (1971)

Types of Communication Models

Linear/ one-way/ action Model – One-way transmission (e.g., TV broadcast, Shannon-Weaver’s model, Berlo’s model)
Interactive/ two-way Model – Sender ↔︎ Receiver with feedback (e.g. News blog, Rogers and Shoemaker’s model, Leagan’s model)
Transactional or interpersonal Model – Both parties simultaneously sender and receiver (e.g. Interview, Barlund’s Model, mindful model)

Modern communication favors transactional, real-time exchange — especially in interpersonal and professional settings.

Berlo’s Model of Communication

Source: ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub

Shannon-Weaver’s Model of Communication

Leagan’s Model of Communication

Rogers and Shoemaker’s Model

Mindful (transactional) communication model

Source: ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub

Mindless communication: distraction, e.g. scrolling smartphone while listening.

Typical Communication Model (M. K. Hasan)

Noise/Disruption in Communication

Communication cycle disrupted by noise due to:

Internal causes

Physiological: Hunger, fatigue, discomfort
Psychological: Good or bad emotion or feelings
Semantic: Meanings of words or symbols not matching

External causes: Noisy room, temperature extremes, broken devices, distractions

Notes:

Encode ⇒ organization of information as message
Message ⇒ encoded information
Decode ⇒ interpretation of message

Causes of Noise in Communication

Failure of channel to reach intended audience - not all attend meetings or access mass media
Failure to handle channels skillfully - not everyone may hear message in meeting
Failure to select appropriate channels - wrong method for objectives
Failure to use channels according to audience abilities - written materials for illiterate
Failure to avoid physical distraction - moving people, noise, heat, lighting, crowdedness

Causes of Noise (Continued)

Failure of audience to listen/look carefully - undivided attention needed
Failure to use enough channels in parallel - 5-6 channels may be needed for impact
Use of too many channels in series - More channels in series increases distortion risk

Reference: Ray (2003)

Good communicator should identify and eliminate sources of communication noise

How to Minimize Channel Noise

Use channels based on:

Specific objectives of message
Nature of message - direct vs abstract, difficulty, scope, timing
Audience - size, need, interest, knowledge
Availability of channels and logistic support
Combination of channels - parallel vs series
Relative cost of channels
Time available of audience and communicator
Nature of channels - seeing, hearing, or doing
Extent of cumulative effects of message
Skills of communicator

Source Credibility

Concepts of source credibility

Acceptance depends partly on “who said it”
Set of perceptions about sources held by receivers
Includes competence and trustworthiness
May include: age, education, sex, language, ideology, socioeconomic status, etc.

Dimensions of source credibility

Safety: Trustworthiness, kind, friendly, honest, just, dependable
Qualifications: Expertness, experience, knowledge, skilled, communicability
Dynamisms: Active, energetic, emphatic, fast, frank, bold
Sociability: Gentle, accommodative, approachable, hospitable, attractive, pleasant

Importance of Source Credibility

In persuasive communication, vital role in message acceptance

Impacts:

Participation in meeting - better/poor
Attention of audience - sufficient/inadequate
Message acceptance - low/high
Implementation of message - desired/undesired
Feedback of audience - affects understanding

Personal cosmopolite sources perceived as more credible than mass media

Message Management

Characteristics of a Message

The message is the orderly organized and encoded for information, instructions, recommendations or contents for persuasion that affect socioecnomic life. The should be:

Simply stated and clearly understandable
Relevant to objective, specific, accurate and scientifically valid
Timely in relation to practice
Appropriate to channel used
Appealing and attractive
Applicable to user system: Socially and economically significant
Adequate and complete
Manageable by source and receiver: Aligned with mental, social, economic, physical capabilities
Persuasive - affects affective domain for changes

Treatment of a Message

Message treatment means encoding the message to make it understandable for desired feedback
Necessary to carry intended meaning
Organized message produces more comprehension and retention
Disorganized message may foil communication functions

For effective persuasion (Hovland et al., 1953), message treatment involves:

Pattern of organization
Ordering of arguments
Nature of arguments
Message style
Message appeals

A. Pattern of Organization

Spatial order - space or geographical pattern (e.g. AEZ, soil tracts)
Chronological order - time pattern, historical perspective (e.g. Agricultural development)
Deductive order - general to specific (e.g. role of communication -> technology adoption)
Inductive order - specific to general (e.g. impact of compost use -> role of compost in soil fertility)
Psychological order - based on attitude, need, satisfaction, visualization, action
Problem-solving order - focuses on breking down the problem (e.g. cultivation process)
Climax order - key points at the end
Anticlimax order - key points at the beginning
Pyramidal order - key points at middle

B. Ordering of Arguments

Agreeable vs disagreeable parts

Agreeable parts at beginning draw attention (pleasant materials help persuasion)
Disagreeable parts at beginning can deter audience, causing avoidance

C. Nature of Arguments

One-sided vs two-sided message

Limiting disfavourable parts suitable for illiterate audience. Example: Family planning helps welfare (favourable) but may contradict social tradition (disfavourable)
Two-sided message more effective with higher education receivers

D. Message Style

Message repetition - Increases awareness but continued repetition may cause boredom
Message clarity - Receivers must understand to accept; correlated with agreement/retention
Message contents - Communicator is evaluated based on message contents affecting credibility

E. Message Appeals

Psychological features that invoke feelings and create motivation.

1. Fear appeal

Creates threats affecting affective/cognitive domains to motivate behavior change
Example: Get vaccinated because cholera epidemic causing 90% death
Principle: Uncomfortable drive state motivates action to minimize/remove it
Moderate fear effective; higher level causes anxiety and confusion

Message Appeals (Continued)

2. Reward appeal

Message organized with possible benefits from innovation
Blended with relative merits/advantages
Example: Binashail has taller plants than Nazirshail, 20% higher yield, earlier maturity, better recovery, rainfed cultivation, high demand

Conclusion drawing: Explicit conclusions by source are more effective than implicit by receivers.

Message Appeals (Continued)

3. Emotional appeal

‘Pathos’ appeals creating appropriate feeling using values/emotions
Argue for belief by pointing out rewards from holding belief and affection (religious, family, loving ones, communinity, country, environment, welfare, and so on)
This is something like finding one’s weak (extreme affinity) points and directing the message encompassing that side.
Example: Clean homestead for safe environment for kids/parents

Message Appeals (Continued)

4. Rational appeal

‘Logos’ appeals presenting empirical/logical evidence
Result demonstration is rational appeal (seeing is believing)
Emotional and rational appeals are often complementary
Emotional for less educated; rational for elite/educated voters
Association with known facts, visual elements, non-verbal cues works well

Message Reception - ‘Selective’/‘Partial’

Process of exposure/attention, perception and retention
Learning in terms of change in behaviour depends on attention and perception
Audience reaction explained by selective exposure, perception, retention
People attend to (selective exposure), understand (selective perception), remember (selective retention) parts supportive of existing knowledge/attitude/beliefs
Knowledge-gap hypothesis: Farmers with better knowledge have better attention/perception/retention. Thus, they aquire more knowledge, increasing the gap with the farmers with less knowledge.

Variables for evaluating a message

Listenibility/readability - Economy of words; short active sentences (8-10 words); short words
Human interest - Related to receivers
Vocabulary diversity - Avoid repetition in formal/informal communication
Realism - Empirical message more accepted than abstract
Verifiability - Property of being scientifically tested

Level and Pattern of Communication

Three Types of Communication

Interpersonal: Communicator meets individual audience (face-to-face, meeting, visit, letter, phone, video call)
Group: Communicator reaches a group with known identities (group discussion, method demonstration)
Mass: Communicator reaches large number with unknown identities (mass gathering, radio, TV, newspaper)

Intrapersonal communication: Communicating with onself

Interpersonal Communication

Non-verbal cues vital in interpersonal, classroom, group, mass communication
Non-verbal communication can be stronger than verbal one.
Strong skills needed in personal/professional life
In business: speak clearly/confidently to build rapport and convince
Conflicts are common in interpersonal communication
Some inherently expert; others need to learn skills and guidelines

Skills needed for Interpersonal Communication

Source: ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub

Listening skill: mindful listening, careful and thoughtful attention
People skill: sympathy and empathy, see the context from others’ perspectives
Emotional intelligence: knowing own emotion, showing careful emotions and reactions

Stick to the ethical values while communicating. Respect culture, dressing, language, norms and locality of the audience.

Guidelines for Verbal Communication

Think before speaking (check your gear before hitting the acceleration pedal)
Be an active listener (receiving, understanding, remembering, evaluating, responding)
Be clear and concise; make simple considering audience
Speak with confidence using proper voice, body language, eye contact
Vary vocal tone; use inflection for emphasis, pitch for emotion
Be aware of non-verbal cues; read audience body language

Guidelines for Non-verbal Communication

Facial expression - Relax muscles, smile, avoid frown, conform with emotion
Eye contact - Binds speaker/audience, conveys honesty/respect; roam/change gaze, don’t stare
Tone, pitch, speed - Speak slowly/clearly with modulation
Appearance - Proper dress, make-up and hairstyle for context; formal outlook for seriousness
Gesture - Using body parts (head, hands, thumbs, legs, whole body)

Non-verbal Guidelines (Continued)

Body postures - Appropriate sitting/walking/standing
- Introvert: Folded hands, crossed legs
- Tired/lack confidence: Dropping shoulder
- Hiding mentality: Hands behind
- Standing on one foot: Personality issues
Touch - Hug, handshake, light tap
Space - Closeness/distance shows affection/domination/respect.
Getting rid of distracting mannerism - Vocal impediments, finger tapping, lip biting/licking, toying with objects, frowning, throwing hands, shaking legs, adjusting dress/hair, head wagging

Improving Non-verbal Communication

Difficult to improve because faults arise unconsciously
Video record self-presentation and review with colleague/friend
If audience notice mannerism, they focus on it rather than message
Gestures should be graceful and unobtrusive

Sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste are sensory channels (Dubey & Bishnoi, 2008)

Conflicts in interpersonal communication

Conflicts are common and normal
Conflicts can be both constructive and destructive
Difference in attitude, values, expectations, power and status cause conflicts
Well resolved conflict brings stronger relationship and better problem solving
Poorly managed conflict brings stress and damages relationships

Conflict resolution

Use professional communication skill
Solve conflict mindfully and thoughtfully
Find points of both the parties’ actions
Identify common parts of the both parties
Use empathy: see from others’ perspective
Understand your own perspective
Point towards to area of common agreement
Recommend mutually beneficial ways by compromise and collaboration

Functions of group communication

Problem indenfication
Problem solving
Information sharing
Decision making
Collaboration and cooperation
Motivation
Conflict management

Mass Communication

Communication methods, channels and aids

Methods (TV broadcast):
- how to transfer the message
- nature of interaction
Channels (TV):
- through what the message is transferred
- medium or essential tools of interaction
Aids (loud speaker):
- how the transfer can be made more effective
- helping tools of interaction

Communication types linked to methods, channels and aids (Ray, 2003). Note: These are sometimes overlapping and the distiction is fuzzy and blurred. Consider their position and way of use.

Individual

AKIS Diagram

Group

AKIS Diagram

Mass

AKIS Diagram

Public speaking

Art of public speaking (Khan, 2002):

Take it easy: Anything for the first time seems difficult. Take time for preparation.
Practice makes perfect: Rehearse the contents by speaking loudly in front of a mirror, friends or colleagues.
The chemical adrenalin: Control your adrenalin (emergency defense system activator hormone), don’t be controlled by it. You need this hormone to overcome dull, uninteresting and monotonous speech. Uncontrolled adrenalin can ruin your speech. Take opportunities whenever you get chances.
Communicate message: Keep information in your pocket to deliver. This will automatically eliminate your nervousness.

Principles of public speaking (Khan, 2002)

Consider public speaking as a conversation.
Use audio-visual aids, if available.
Spend more time in preparing than delivering talk.
Rehearse loudly using your posture and gesture.
Keep contact with audience. Don’t show your back to the audience.
Use modular expression - rising or lowering voice.
Emphasize points by changing voice.
Speak loud enough.
Follow the ABC of speaking - Accuracy, Brevity, Clarity.
Speak from your mind rather than reading.

Communication Strategy

Communication strategy

A communication strategy is a detail plan that includes:

what a communicator will say,
to whom, why, how, and
when to achieve specific objectives of communication, such as transferring a technology or improving farmers’ skill.

Communication stragy = setting goals ⟹ identifying target audiences ⟹ treatment of messages ⟹ selecting appropriate channels ⟹ measuring effectiveness

Key components of communication strategy

Goals: Clear, measurable objectives for the communication effort.
Audience: The specific people or groups the communication is intended for, whether internal (SAAO) or external (farmers).
Messages: The core ideas and information that need to be communicated, organized for the target audience.
Channels: The platforms or methods used to deliver the message, such as social media, bulletin, or face-to-face meetings.
Metrics: Ways to measure the success and effectiveness of the communication strategy.

Example of a communication strategy

A strategy to inform 200 potential farmers about a technology could involve: poster/leaflet/farmers meeting, and campaign, using consistent parallel messaging about the benefits to motivate them to adopt the technology.

Q. How will you evaluate the success of this communication strategy? Communication success = Fidelity + Effectiveness

Communication fidelity

Communication fidelity indicates the accuracy of message transfer. This is about Clarity.
This means the degree to which the receiver perceives the intended meaning of the message
High fidelity: Receiver clearly understands the message. e.g., A UAO suggests a farmer to apply a pesticide at 7 days interval always in the afternoon during relatively low wind flow. If the farmer can explain the same, this indicates high communication fidelity.
Low fidelity: Receiver misunderstands the message. e.g., If the farmer in the above example understands partially the message, this will have low communication fidelity.

Communication effectiveness

Communication effectiveness refers to the degree to which the communication goal can be achieved i.e. the desired effects can be realised. This is about Impact
High effectiveness: Receiver follows the instruction. e.g., A UAO suggests a farmer to apply a pesticide at 7 days interval always in the afternoon during relatively low wind flow. If the farmer does the same, this indicates high communication effectiveness.
Low effectiveness: Receiver follows the message. e.g., If the farmer in the above example does not follow the instruction, this will have low communication effectiveness.

Effective communication is a function of:

Source credibility – Trustworthiness, expertise, knowledge, attitude, delivery skill
Audience characteristics – Age, education, values, needs, attitude, intention, social status
Channel availability – Face-to-face, phone, email
Feedback mechanism – Immediate or delayed, verbal or non-verbal
Message treatment – Tailoring the message aligned with clear objectives, channel and audience improves effectiveness.

Factors affecting communication effectiveness

Socio-demographic and economic characteristics, including education, experience, income level, social interaction intensity
Media choice
Language barriers
Audience attitude
Audience need
Role of extension agents, input dealers and farmer groups
Focus of the communication: targeted vs general

References: Awili et al. (2016), Age et al. (2012) and Oktarina et al. (2008)

How to measure communication effectiveness?

Reading assignment: Time 2 hours

Source:

Persuasive Communication

Persuasive communication: Art to convince using skills in negotiation, bagaining, diplomatic situation, arbitration and conflict resolution.

Considerations:

Empathy: Put yourself in others’ shoes
Clarity: Use clear, precise language
Relevance: Match audience interest
Respect: Be polite and culturally sensitive

Objectivity and Subjectivity

Objective: Facts, data, neutrality (as it is description)
Subjective: Emotions, experience, opinion (mixed with prejudice)
Important vs Urgent: Don’t miss the important ones becuase of many other urgent issues.

Good communication blends all thoughtfully.

Usual things don’t make headlines — unusual does!

Avoid Biases in Communication

Avoid prejudices and bias.
Don’t rely only on past experience.
Incorporate latest and accurate information.

System Approach

Knowledge and Information

Knowledge and information are often used interchangeably.
Knowledge means processed and perceived information that can be retrieved when needed.

%%{init: {'theme': 'default'}}%%
graph LR
    A[Environment] --> B[Data]
    B --> C[Information]
    C --> D[Knowledge]
    E[Systematised knowledge] --> F[Science]
    F --> G[Innovation or Technology]

    %% Apply a large font size safely to all nodes
    classDef largeFont font-size:24px;
    class A,B,C,D,E,F,G largeFont;

All are projected towards reducing uncertainty for a decision maker.

Concept of a System

System implies-
- wholeness in structure and objective
- presence of parts in relationship
- the whole is different from the elements
- dropping any elements can collapse the system
System has-
- boundary for filtration and protection
- balanced state
- internal and external factors (dynamics/change)
- feedback mechanism
- subsystem with sub-component
- supra-system

Characteristics of a system

Wholeness
Objective
Components
Structure
System level
Subsystem

Interrelationship
Interaction
Interdependence
Joint effect
Coordination
Process

AKIS

AKIS - Agricultural Knowledge and Information Systems
It is a concept to explain the exchange of information, knowledge and services among research, extension and farmers.
AKIS is, nowadays, also known as Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System
It is an analytical construct for illustrating actors and networks of agricultural knowledge and information flow.

Reference: Germundsson (2021)

Typology of AKIS

Strong AKIS: Influential actors or organisations at national level, high public investment
Weak AKIS: Small private initiatives, not well supported by policies
Integrated AKIS: Coordinated structure, cooperative, supported by national policies
Fragmented AKIS: Independent agents, may be competing, rarely cooperate, not well coordinated

AKIS in Europe

Simple AKIS/AKS

AKIS Diagram

Agricultural Innovation System

References

Agricultural Innovation System

Agricultural Innovation Dynamics

Innovation dynamics

Importance of AKIS

According to Dubey & Bishnoi (2008), AKIS is important to analise for:

Identification of problems at farm levels
Development of innovations
Dissemination of technologies
Measuring utilisation effectiveness

Insights of AKIS in Bangladesh

Farmers generate a lot of knowledge.
Information channels may not be agricultural.
Farmers mostly get information from farmers.
Formal channels are often top-down.
Little linkage exists among elements.
Need and access to information varies with farmer categories.
AIS, mass media, extension agents, agricultural research organizations, input dealers, and farmers are major part of AKIS in Bangladesh.

Questions for Analysing AKIS

The AKIS can be analysed using the following questions (Blaettler et al., 2020):

Who are the main actors of the AKIS? Are there key actors missing?
How do various AKIS actors interact?
Who are the main recipients/clients of knowledge and information?
What are the main methods used for knowledge and information transfer?
What are the main assets and gaps of the existing system?
How can the AKIS be improved?

Information Technology

Assignment and presentation: Chapter 9

Role of telecommunication in agricultural technology transfer
Communication infrastructure for agricultural development in Bangladesh
Use of ICT and GIS in agricultural development in Bangladesh

Instructions:

16 October 2025: Written assignment (~3 pages, Times New Roman, 12 font size, 1.15 spacing)
16 October 2025: Presentation (15 minutes, 10 ppt slides)
Class test 1: Chapter 1
Class Test 2: Chapter 2 to 4
Final: Chapter 5 to 8

References (Online resources + the followings)

Age, A. I., Obinne, C. P. O., & Demenongu, T. S. (2012). Communication for sustainable rural and agricultural development in benue state, nigeria. Sustainable Agriculture Research, 1, 118–129. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:53595165

Awili, M. A., White, & Kimotho, S. G. (2016). Factors that influence effective communication of agricultural information among farmers – the case of farmers in south west kisumu ward, kisumu county. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:133467930

Blaettler, D., Deisadze, S., Fehle, P., Gelashvili, S., Kochlamazashvili, R., Lehmann, R., & Mamardashvili, P. (2020). Analysis of the agricultural knowledge and information system (AKIS) in georgia. Final report. UNDP. https://iset-pi.ge/storage/media/other/2022-03-25/e3e75540-ac49-11ec-9b98-7310e1da4f4e.pdf

Dubey, V. K., & Bishnoi, I. (2008). Extension education and communication. New Age International.

Germundsson, L. B. (2021). What is AKIS? LTV faculty factsheet. https://pub.epsilon.slu.se/26228/1/germundsson_l_211129.pdf

Hovland, C. I., Janis, I. L., & Kelley, H. H. (1953). Communication and persuasion: Psychological studies of opinion change. Yale University Press.

Khan, P. M. (2002). Textbook of extension education. Himangshu Publications.

Oktarina, S., Sumardjo, & Rustiadi, E. (2008). Keefektivan komunikasi dalam pengembangan peran-peran kelembagaan agropolitan. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:129751144

Ray, G. L. (2003). Extension communication and management. Kalyani Publishers.