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    Start Over Publication Year 2017 Subject Term Sri Lanka (Southern Asia) Subject Term stakeholders

    1. An innovative mobile learning framework for the field of agriculture extension Sri Lanka

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    Collection:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
    Contributers:
    Jayasinghe, J.A.S.S. (author), Hewagamage, K.P. (author), and Department of Information Technology, CINEC Campus, IT Park, Malabe, Sri Lanka University of Colombo School of Computing, 35, Reid Avenue, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka
    Format:
    Conference paper
    Publication Date:
    2017
    Published:
    Sri Lanka: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
    Location:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 162 Document Number: D08141
    Notes:
    article number 7829901, pp. 72-79, 16th International Conference on Advances in ICT for Emerging Regions, ICTer 2016; Jetwing BlueNegombo; Sri Lanka; 1 September 2016 through 3 September 2016; Category numberCFP1686L-ART; Code 126111

    2. Converging free and open source software tools for knowledge sharing in smallholder agricultural communities in Sri Lanka

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    Collection:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
    Contributers:
    Jayathailake, Chandana (author), Jayasinghe-Mudalige, Udith (author), Perera, Rohana (author), Gow, Gordon (author), and Waidyanatha, Nuwan (author)
    Format:
    Online journal article
    Publication Date:
    2017
    Published:
    Italy: Italian Agency for Development Cooperation
    Location:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 12 Document Number: D10351
    Journal Title:
    Journal of Agriculture and Environment for International Development
    Journal Title Details:
    111(2) : 351-359
    Notes:
    9 pages., Via online journal., In a world where the notion of ‘sharing of knowledge’ has been gained much prominence in the recent past, the importance of information and communications technologies (ICTs) to promote sustainable agriculture, especially when combined with mobile and open source software technologies is discussed critically. On this rationale, this study was carried out to explore the applicability of the concept of converging ‘Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)’ to promote sustainable knowledge sharing amongst the agricultural communities in Sri Lanka. A multi-stage community consultative process with a set of designated officials (“Sponsors”) and a series of semi-structured questionnaire survey with a cross section of smallholder agriculture farmers (n=246), were carried out in the Batticaloa, Kurunegala and Puttalam districts to gather the baseline data. This was followed by a number of field experiments (“Campaigns”) with the farmers (n=340) from same geographical areas. The two FOSS, namely: (1) “FrontlineSMS” for ‘Text Messaging’ and (2) “FreedomFone” for ‘Interactive Voice Responses’, were applied to evaluate the effectiveness of knowledge sharing within the farming communities. It was found that FOSS intervention increases the ‘Text messaging’ and ‘Voice Call’ usage in day-to-day agricultural communication by 26 and 8 percent, respectively. The demographic factors like age and income level of the farmers has positively influence on the knowledge sharing process. And also the ‘Mobile Telephony’ was the most extensive mode of communication within the communities. The outcome of analysis, as a whole, implies that, with a fitting mechanism in place, this approach can be promoted as a “drive for positive changes” in agriculture-based rural communities in developing countries like Sri Lanka, and those in South and East Asia with similar socio-economic and cultural perspectives.