Distance Education through Television for Farmers in Developing Countries: The Case of Turkey

Due to lack of infrastructure, staff and finance, rural people in developing countries generally have limited formal education and especially limited access to rural education services. However, agricultural innovations are constantly changing and rural people should be informed of these developments Thus, distance education can be one of the ideal solutions to reach rural areas. This paper discusses the importance and limitations of distance education through television in developing countries and presents the Turkish experience. The experiences of rural distance education projects in developing countries revealed that use of multiple agricultural extension methods together such as television programs, printed materials, group discussions and field demonstrations is more effective in changing rural people's attitudes towards agricultural innovations. Motivational factors such as prizes and giving certificates are also effective. After the projects, further agricultural television programs and manuals can also be used to support the project.