27 Scope of Communication Technologies in Rural Development
T. Radha
Introduction
Electronic media have revolutionized communication media, resulting in the emergence of new communication devices, such as television, satellite communication, video cassette recorder, teletext ,videotext, supercomputers, mini computers, fax machines and word processors, besides improving the functioning of old technologies, such as radio broadcasting, printing press, tele-phone, telegraphs etc.
Many such devices are already playing an important role in communicating agricultural technology to farmers, while others have a good potential in this regard. Since most of the communication media emerged to provide entertainment for the urban population, media communicators are facing several problems while enlarging their role for providing education and information to the rural population to accelerate the process of development. It is therefore important to codify a definite policy, lay down guidelines and set up centers capable of planning and producing good need-based programmes for the rural population.
Audio and Video Cassettes
With the local of audio-cassette-recorders, these have come within the reach of middle-class people. Earlier they were available only to the elite; now they are owned by a large population, both in urban and rural areas. Prerecorded cassettes with music, song, religious talks, religious philosophy etc. Have become very popular. A similar revolution has been ushered in the case of video –cassette-recorders.
Realizing the potential, several agricultural universities, communication centers etc. and private organizations have begun to produce and supply prerecorded audio and video cassettes, which are becoming quite popular with farmers.
Videotex and Teletex
Videotex: videotex refers to an information system with which text and graphic information is transmitted and then received either by a videotex television or on an ordinary television set with an adapter unit. The concept has been developed to provide a method of low-cost information delivery in offices and homes. A videotex coupled with a microcomputer permits editing as well as retrieval of information on a videotext page
Teletex: there are basically two types of videotex. The videotex transmission based on broadcast signals is known as teletex .Thus teletex is a system that links a computer to a television, by which text and graphic information can be transmitted on a one-way basis to home viewers. Indian television joined the advanced nations when 1985 it started the teletex, known as the index service, to telecast the latest news and information on the stock exchange, airlines, railway timings, weather information etc.
In this system, a fixed number of pages are broadcast sequentially but continuously. Each page consists of a television screen display of text and graphic shapes.
Interactive videotext: the videotex which is transmitted via telephone, cables, data lines, or private network is called interactive videotex. According to Brown (1983), it is a fully interactive system and can even print a hard copy of any page that appears. Its two-way nature helps users access to thousands of pages stored in a number of computers that may be geographically dispersed but are in communication with each other.
Using the normal telephone network, the user dials the required number or the videotex device automatically dials the local videotex computer. The TV set displays the videotext page and asks the user to use the available index or to key-in the required page number.
Satellite Communication
Satellite communication has become a part of our communication system. It plays an important role in reaching millions of people spread throughout the corners of the country, in achieving more accuracy in weather forecasting and transmission of various educational programmes for schools and colleges and of development programmes for rural listeners.
Interactive Videodisc and Computer-Assisted Instruction
The interactive videodisc system consists of a videodisc player, microcomputer and monitor. According to vijayaraghavan et al, (1988),the monitor accepts signal from both the computer and the disc player. This enables simultaneous presentation of video images, texts and computer-graphics on the screen.
This system has a great potential for training students, farmers and extension workers, Leassons can be prepared for different levels of comprehension and for location –specific training.
Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) is a natural outgrowth of the application of the principal of programmed learning. The computer can store a massive amount of organized information, which can be made available for individualized instruction to meet the needs of the particular learner(s).
Computers
The computer is one of the powerful devices for storing and processing information. Widespread use of computers has helped to develop several computers –based devices and techniques. Word processors and lazer printers are increasingly being used in communication centers, printing houses, for printing agricultural extension publications,reports,newsletters etc. with the help of minicomputers it is possible to have graphic illustrations prepared which facilitate comprehension of extension publications.
Computers via satellites can take pictures of clouds to accurately forecast weather conditions and with remote sensing techniques can accurately work out land use, area under forests and the like. With the help of fax-machines, message, including illustrations, can be transmitted from one place to another easily.Thus, all such devices and others in the pipeline, have a great potential in agricultural communication.
Trends in Communication Technologies
Information is an important resource in agriculture, animal husbandry and development of industries in rural areas. The main function of extension is the transfer of information. Inadequacy of the trained staff and enormity of target audience rely on mass media to enhance, the reach of the latest technologies.
Print Media. About 9.937 newspapers are being published with the circulation of 52 millions. Though circulation of newspapers in india is low i.e., about 2copies/100 persons, readership per copy is higher than the developed countries (Bhagat Rekha,1992).print media often serves as the only in-hand memory aid available to the rural population. The major constraints are poor purchasing power, illiteracy and inadequate coverage.
Radio. Radio is the oldest and widely used communication device for transfer of agricultural information in villages. It is the device with which the whole mass can be contacted at a time efficiently and economically. Rural Radio forums are the most widely adopted approach for transmitting information in rural areas
Television
Television was introduced in India in 1959 primarily to impart education and to promote rural development. At present with its vast network throughout the country, it is covering about 58 per cent of the population spread over 36 per cent of the geographic area and has emerged as a very powerful medium of communication. However, it is mostly viewed as a medium for entertainment. Although its audience is mostly in urban areas, television is fast reaching rural areas as well. And there is much scope to increase the transmission hours, for agriculture and rural development programmes and to justify the basic objectives of its introduction in India.
In order to use television effectively for communicating improved agricultural technology to its rural viewers, it is essential to understand its educational implications. Television has the quality of direct address: in other words, every viewer feels as if he is being talked to personally. The television camera can project a television personaliy, through close-ups etc., into something larger than life. As, such television confers prestige over media personalities. Its visual magnification and sound amplification characteristics makes this medium unique as viewers can have a full view of even tiny objects, can hear and feel the heartbeat of even a mouse, and see the things happening in a process as in real life.
In the developing country like India, diversities in culture, agriculture, agro-climatic variations, language and demographic –cum-ecological imbalance exist. Hence the major thrust is to provide fastest communication system. As such in India’s space programme, the primary aim is the application of space science and technology to national development objectives through mass communication and education via satellites. The TV network in India has launched 13 satellite channels. Several new technologies have made their entry over the last decade. The important among them are Digital Video Compression (DVC), High Definition Television (HDTV) And Enhanced Definition Television (EDTV).
Other Electric Gadgets
Like audio and video cassette record players and video cameras can be used by extension agents for agricultural information transfer. They are useful in diffusing improved technologies and in organizing quality training programmes for farmers. In addition to being versatile, mobile, adaptable and relatively low cost, their content can be reproduced. (Chandrakandan et al., 1996)
Tele- text
It is a system somewhat like view data in which printed information is telecast through television rather than transmitted through a telephone line. It has no interactive capacity and it has a very much smaller database .
Micro computer
Through a microcomputer on the farm , the farmer can process accounts and data from their production. May extension agents in industrialized countries now have micro computers and can make similar calculations for farmers .
Net Work System
Network system in which view data is connected with the micro computers of the farmers or extension agents. This makes it possible to use data or computer programmes from view data in the microcomputer or to process data from the farm in the view data mainframe computer, which can accommodate more complicated models than a microcomputer.
Optical communication technology
Use of light waves for communication purpose gave rise to the modern technology of optical communication. in this new method, optical fibers that are very thin, long stands of ultra purity glass are being used to link the transmitter and the receiver. Human voice, TV pictures and computer data can be transmitted and received with great ease and convenience using optical fiber communication techniques.
Cellular mobile
It is popularly known as car telephone, and this service allows two-way communication between a mobile or fixed telephone and another mobile or fixed telephone. The mobile phones need not be fixed to an ear but if the set is portable, one can carry it wherever he moves.
Electronic data interchange (EDI)
It enables two organizations usually a customer and supplier or exchange routine documents such as purchase orders and invoices using standard electronic forms and their own computers linked through a service provider.
Significance of Information Technology in Rural Development
Economic poverty requires strengthening infrastructures for harnessing physical resources and cultivating intellectual and creative resources like those that build human capital . (William ZIJP,1994). The inadequate information affects the rural development sector.
Government agencies lack the information needed for sufficient distribution of agriculture products, for ensuring food security , for providing protection against natural calamities like drought , flood and famine and for natural resource management . Information can be ranked as an important production factor in a category with land, labour, capital and energy .
Economic development is about information and knowledge , how to organize society for the promotion of productive activities in the community and to create an environment friendly investment. Timely access to information is a crucial ingredient for the success of any development effort. Thus development has to be a knowledge based process
The national informatics center (NIC), ministry of information technology and government of India have introduced information technology (IT) to facilitate planning, monitoring and exchange of information among different agencies of rural development administration. Effective coordination of these activities requires a network oriented strategy in the context of participatory development being contemplated by the government organizations, people’s action groups
ADVANCED COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
Multimedia
Multimedia have influenced the quality of extension work. It encompasses all the traditional forms of communication like video, stills, graphics, audio, animation and text is an excellent tool for extension communication. The computer integrates all these media into a single platform and provides interactivity to the system. It encourages feedback from extension workers to research and help to develop technologies of relevance to farmers.
INTERACTIVE COMPUTER VIDEO TECHNOLOGY (ICVT)
One of the most popular multimedia technology that has been used is the ICTV. It links the computer to audio-video replay in such a way as to provide the trainee with individualized truly interactive instruction. ICVT can contribute to problems of relevant farm information and improve the quality of extension services. The only constraints are inaccessibility to computers and illiteracy of farmers. Their most beneficial and practical use appears to be in training of agricultural extension staff to upgrade the quality of their services and to improve relevance of technical information to farmers.
Interactive Video Disc
IVD is one of the popular multimedia technology. There is a video disc player which access the video images stored on a two-channel audio disc. This is specially valuable in the Indian context,because it becomes a bilingual package, other media of information are text, graphics, animation and digitized audio which supplements the audio on the video disc.
Video Text
Video text refers to an information system with which text and graphic information is transmitted and then received either by a videotext television or on an ordinary television set with an adapter unit. This concept has been developed to provide a method of low cost information delivery in offices and homes. A video coupled with a micro computer permits editing as well as retrieval of information on a videotext page. Video text links TV set through a telephone line to mainframe computer which may have lot of information. It is fully interactive system in that you can communicate with the computer.
Interactive Video Text
The video text which is transmitted via telephone, cables, data line or private network is called interactive videotext. It is fully an interactive system and can even print a hardcopy of any page that appears. Its two way nature helps users access to thousands of pages stored in a number of computers that may be geographically dispersed, but are in communication with each other. Using the normal telephone network, the user dials the required number or the videotext device automatically dials the local video text computer. The television set displays the videotext page and asks the user to use the available index or to key in the required page number. Its attributes makes it a potential teaching medium. It can be effectively used in training and in distance education.
Teletext
Teletext is a generic word for text based information systems available on a public or network basis. Anyone who installs a video presentation system may require one of the teletext variants. The best known is broadcast teletext. This is relatively a limited information library containing up to the minute public information including news, weather reports, current events, travel information and stock market prices. The information reaches the viewer via a hidden part of the normal broadcast television program and is even used to produce subtitles for the program. Teletext can send “digital pages” of information using scanned lines of the television picture not viable without an encoder. The information potential for teletext is almost limitless
Teleconferencing
“Teleconferencing is so rational, it will never succeed” says futurist Naisbitt in his bestselling book ‘Megatrends’. In a state with 114 countries covering over 69,000 square miles, its often too costly in terms of time and money foe extension personnel to travel for face to face meetings. On the other hand audio-teleconferencing permits rapid communication with less travel. The new integrated digital communication system is being used. This technique will add new dimensions of control, timing and flexibility to communication. Instead of traveling mile for a meeting, conference rooms will be wired and cameras will be used to carry images and visuals. The time and cost for traditional day to day communication will thus be reduced.
Video Conferencing
A telephone or radio network may be used to provide audio communication among groups at two or more locations. This is called audio teleconferencing. A video channel added to an audio link between groups by means of satellite transmission, microwave transmission or a two way cable television system is video teleconferencing. Video teleconferencing is also known as video conferencing. Experts sitting in the studios listen to the questions and answer live on television. The system reduces the need for travel and is of much help to the groups in remote areas.
INTERNET
Internet is a worldwide network of computer networks. It is an open inter connection of networks that enables connected computers to communicate with each other. These networks are scattered over the globe, yet are inter connected making it possible to communicate with each other in a few seconds. Internet is not owned by any individual organization or the country; it is a free for all open service facility. It is governed by INTERNIC (Internet Network Information Center).
The Internet: Rural and Agricultural Development
Internet service is fast becoming a tool for development communication. However, most rural communities are not yet able to take advantage of this new mechanism/tool.FAO recommends an integrated approach to facilitating internet services and applications that will benefit rural communities and agricultural organizations . This approach is base cultured on FAO’s experience with communication for development methodology begins with the needs of rural people and grassroots agriculture organizations and works to establish vertical and horizontal channels of communication. Successful rural and agricultural internet communication and information systems have some common element
Some of the elements include preliminary participatory assessment of communication and information needs with intended users. Awareness building, sensitizing decision makers: commitment to manage and sustain these services. Provision for technical training
Terms used with Internet
World Wide Web (WWW)
World Wide Web is a wide, hypermedia information retrieval initiative aiming to give universal access to a large universe of documents. hypermedia is a natural extension of hypertext, in that the contents of each document not only include text but also, images, sounds and video.WWW provides a consistent means to access a variety of information in a simplified manner to the users on computer networks.
Web Browser
Web Browser is a software programme, which facilities to access the information and presents it on the screen and helps in navigation on the internet. The browser provide with powerful, and easy to use features that allow to take full advantage of web contents. The browser presents the formatted text, images, sound or other objects such as links in the forum of web page on the computer screen. The web browsers also called as “Client” programmes, which takes commands from user and sends request to “web server” to get information from it and presents it on the browser window
Web Page
A Web Page is a single unit of information called a hypertext document. A web page may consist of multimedia content such as text, image, sound and videos. A group of web pages created by one person or a company or organization is referred as web site. A hyper link can be used to link other documents, sounds, images, databases, e-mail addresses etc. the links contained in web pages can print to areas within the same page, to other pages residing on the same web server, or to pages sitting on a computer on the other side of the world. Hyperlinks are usually underlined and are referred as URL.
Integrated Information System
Both traditional extension methods (like folk media: demonstrations method, puppetry etc., and recent information technologies ( computer aided extension, space applications ) should be blended in a suitable manner to disseminate the innovation in the rural areas. We live in the age of information explosion. An appropriate blended of information methods should be done based on the needs of the villages. Besides these, mass media should be linked wit interpersonal media as in the case of radio rural forums to increase the effectiveness of communication.
Advances in telecommunication and global communication networks enable us to access, collect, process and deliver information from one location to almost anywhere in the world. A computer and a telephone make it possible to have access to any kind of information stored in computers anywhere in the world. The capability of exchange of information on a global basis has been made possible through a powerful communication tool the satellite which haveshrunk the world into global telecommunication networks enable us to access, collect, process and deliver information from one location to almost anywhere in the world.
Conclusion
Access to information and improved communication is a crucial requirement for sustainable rural development. Modern communication technologies when applied to conditions in rural areas can help to improve communication, increase participation, disseminate information and share knowledge and skills. It is being said that Cyber Extension would be the major form of technology dissemination rural and in the near future .
Improved communication technologies are generating possibilities to solve problems of rural poverty , inequality and giving an opportunity to bridge the gap between information- rich and information poor and support sustainable development in rural and agricultural communities. However remote rural communities still lack basic communication infrastructure. The challenge is not to improve the accessibility of communication technology to the rural population but also to improve the relevance of information to local development .
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References and Web links
- Dimple Kshatriya, 2005. ICT for empowering women. Dominant Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi: 75- 81.
- Sadanandah Nair. K and White A Shirley. 1993. Perspectives in development communication. Sage publications, New Delhi: 207- 219.
- www.ifaj.org>professional-features>sorting>roleofcommunication
- https://www.cliffsnotes.com>study-guides-the-communication