Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Reimagining Agricultural Education: The Rise of Digital Learning Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Gyan Shukla, Prashish Singh, Sudhanand Prasad Lal

Abstract


Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, education faced unprecedented upheaval, driving a significant shift to digital learning tools. Analysis of e-conference platforms in 2020-21 revealed that-Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, Spontania, Jio Meet, and eRegNow.com-revealed clear preferences among users. Zoom and Google Meet emerged as dominant choices, with 34.62% and 26.92% usage, respectively. Notably, Google Forms dominated e-conferences for application submissions, capturing 92.31% usage, surpassing alternatives like SurveyMonkey (3.85%) and Microsoft Forms (3.85%). Comparative assessments highlighted varied platform features, from participant limits to attention tracking capabilities. Concerns regarding attendee attention and privacy surfaced, with Cisco Webex offering attention-tracking features while others lacked this capability. Moreover, extended use of video conferencing led to body dysmorphic disorders, an unforeseen consequence affecting users due to prolonged virtual interactions. These findings underscore the transformative impact of digital tools on agricultural education, shedding light on opportunities, challenges, and unforeseen implications reshaping educational paradigms amidst the pandemic


Keywords


Agriculture, COVID – 19, Digital Solutions, Education, Extension, Google Meet, Zoom.

Full Text:

Untitled Untitled PDF

References


Akat, M., & Karatas, K (2020). Psychological effects of COVID-19 pandemic on society and its reflections on education. https://earsiv.kmu.edu.tr/xmlui/handle/11492/5318

Bandhavya, M., Singh, A. K., Lal, S. P., & Shukla, G (2022). Performance of e-NAM and its determinants in the largest market of Andhra Pradesh. Indian Journal of Extension Education, 58(1), 1-7. https://www.indianjournals.com/ijor.aspx?target=ijor:ijee3&volume=58&issue=1&article=001&type=pdf

Beck, B (2020). Head-to-Head Review: Google Forms vs. SurveyMonkey vs. Typeform. ClearVoice. https://www.clearvoice.com/blog/head-to-head-review-Google-forms-vs-surveymonkey-vs-typeform/

Belitski, M., Guenther, C., Kritikos, A. S., & Thurik, R (2022). Economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on entrepreneurship and small businesses. Small Business Economics, 1-17. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11187-021-00544-y

Cisco Webex Help Center (2018). Track Participant Attention in Cisco Webex Training. Milpitas, California, United States. Stable URL: https://help.webex.com/en-us/st7tr1/Track-Participant-Attention-in-Cisco-Webex-Training

Clair, R., Gordon, M., Kroon, M., & Reilly, C (2021). The effects of social isolation on well-being and life satisfaction during pandemic. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 8(1). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-021-00710-3

Cullen, W., Gulati, G., & Kelly, B. D (2020). Mental health in the COVID-19 pandemic. QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, 113(5), 311-312. https://academic.oup.com/qjmed/article/113/5/311/5813733

Farboodi, M., Jarosch, G., & Shimer, R (2021). Internal and external effects of social distancing in a pandemic. Journal of Economic Theory, 196, 105293. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022053121001101

Gogoi, N (2019). Microsoft Forms vs Google Forms: Which Is Better for Surveys and Polls. Guiding Tech. https://www.guidingtech.com/microsoft-forms-vs-Google-forms-better-surveys-polls/https://apps.Google.com/meet/

India Today Web Desk (2020). How to change video background in JioMeet: Step-by-step guide. Retrieved from: https://www.indiatoday.in/information/story/how-to-change-video-background-in-jiomeet-1701648-2020-07-17

Kalogiannidis, S., Chatzitheodoridis, F., & Kontsas, S (2020). ?n Eclectic Discussion of the Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on the World Economy During the First Stage of the Spread. International Journal of Financial Research, 11(6), 137-153.

Kohlscheen, E., Mojon, B., & Rees, D (2020). The macroeconomic spillover effects of the pandemic on the global economy. BIS bulletin, (4). https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3569554

Lal, S.P., Borah, A., & Das, D (2023). Priorities and Precautions apropos Chat GPT in Academia with especial reference to Agricultural Education. International Journal of Theoretical & Applied Sciences, 15(1): 54-59. URL: https://www.researchtrend.net/ijtas/pdf/Priorities-and-Precautions-apropos-Chat-GPT-in-Academia-with-especial-reference-to-Agricultural-Education-Sudhanand-Prasad-Lal-10.pdf

Rice, S. M., Graber, E., & Kourosh, A. S (2020). A pandemic of dysmorphia: "Zooming" into the perception of our appearance. Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine, 22(6), 401-402. Stable URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1414653/

Shukla, G., Ansari, M. N., Lal, S. P., & Bandhavya, M (2022). Information seeking behaviour of farmers through mobile: An innovative ICT tool. In Biological Forum-An International Journal (Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 586-590).

Singh, P., Jirli, B., & Maji, S (2022). Perception of KVK Professionals towards Principles of Extension Education and Different Components. Indian Research Journal of Extension Education, 22(5), 142-145.

Singh, P., Jirli, B., Ghadei, K., Roy, P., & Kumari, J (2023). Objectives of extension education: An analysis of perception of KVK professionals. Indian Journal of Extension Education, 59(2), 74-78.

Singh, S., Singh, P., Roy, P., Shukla, G., & Kumari, A (2023). Exploring E-Learning Resource Utilization among Students in Banaras Hindu University: A Usage Pattern Analysis. Biological Forum - An International Journal. 15(9): 511-515.

Szaszi, B., Hajdu, N., Szecsi, P., Tipton, E., & Aczel, B (2022). A machine learning analysis of the relationship of demographics and social gathering attendance from 41 countries during pandemic. Scientific reports, 12(1), 724. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-04305-5

The Economic Times News (2020). Covid-19 pandemic created largest disruption of education in history, affecting 1.6 billion students. (2020, August 04) : UN. Retrieved September 26, 2020, from Economic times. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/covid-19-pandemic-created-largest-disruption-of-educat ion-in-history-affecting-1-6-billion-students-un-sg-guterres/articleshow/77344094.cms.

Tyagi, N (2020). JioMeet: Introduction, Advantages, and Difference with Zoom. Business Analytic step. https://www.analyticssteps.com/blogs/jiomeet-introduction-advantages-and-difference-zoom

UNESCO (2020). Education: From COVID-19 school closures to recovery. Retrieved on 10-10-2023, from UNESCO: https://www.unesco.org/en/covid-19/education-response

Ward, B., Ward, M., Fried, O., & Paskhover, B (2018). Nasal distortion in short-distance photographs: the selfie effect. JAMA facial plastic surgery, 20(4), 333-335. Stable URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5876805/

Zapier (2020). Google forms Guide. https://zapier.com/learn/Google-sheets/how-to-use-Google-forms/

Zoom Help Centre (2020). Attendee attention tracking. Retrieved from: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115000538083-Attendee-attention-tracking


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Informatics Studies:  ISSN: 2583-8994 (Online), 2320-530X (Print)