Basics of Vegetable IPM

Evaluation Report

 

Number of Respondents 8
How did you most commonly access this course ?

Company (office) LAN = 5
Internet Cafe = 1
Home (dialup) = 1
Home (high speed) = 1
Hours you required per week to complete all lessons range = 4 - 20 (min-max)

average = 6.86

Minimum time per week participants should expect to spend on this course range = 3 - 14 (min-max)

average = 6.21

   
Course Content - Quality and Usefulness
 

The most vital information required in order to make improvements in this course include your assessments of the Quality of the content of the various lessons as well as the Usefulness of the information they contain.  Quality is judged based primarily on the accuracy and completeness of the information.  Usefulness is judged based on the relevance and importance of the information to you in your work. 

   
 

Quality

  

Usefulness
 Lessons
 		  
Module 1. Introductions 3 4   1   2 5   1

Local Pest and Disease Problems

4 2 2 4 2 1 1

Introducing our VegIPM Discussion Board and Discussion Series

 3 3 1 1 4 3 1
Module 2. An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure 4 3 1 5 3

Grow Varieties that are Suitable to Local Conditions

 7 1 6 2

Grow Varieties Resistant to Common Pests and Diseases

 4 3 1 2 5 1

Select Seed Material Carefully

4 4 2 5 1

Plant Disease Free Seed

 5 3 3 5

Ensure that Plants are Given Optimal Nutrition and Water and Competing Weeds Destroyed

 4 3 1 3 5

Avoid Soil-borne Problems (Practice Crop Rotation)

 5 1 2 4 2 2

Destroy Sources of Infection

 4 3 1 3 4 1

Farmers' Friends

 6 1 1 5 3  

Importance of Identification

 4 2 1 1 3 5  

Composting and Mulching

 4 4 3 5  

Isolation

 4 2 2 4 2 2  
Module 3. Look Before You Leap 2 5 1 2 5 1

Problem Diagnostic Guide

 3 5 2 6

Falling Tomato Yield

 4 3 1 4 3 1

Scouting

 4 3 1 4 4
 
Module 4. She Who Hesitates is Lost 2 5 1 1 6 1

Physical Removal of Pests

2 4 2 1 7

Botanical Pesticides

 4 3 1 3 5

Synthetic Pesticides

 3 3 1 1 3 4 1

Advice on Choosing an Intervention

3 5 3 5

Reasons for Control Failure when Using Interventions

 5 3 5 3
 
Module 5. Promoting Vegetable IPM Among Farmers 5 2 1 5 2 1

The Value of Farmer Experimentation

 4 3 1 4 3 1

Encouraging Farmers to Experiment

 4 4 3 4 1

Extension Methods

 2 5 1 3 3 2
   

Are there any additional topics you feel we should add to this course?

  • 1) Various innovations at farmers' field level. 2) Identification of various biocontrol agents associated with the vegetables.

  • may be included topic on soil constraints and suitability to different crops

  • More information should be given on chemical control as it is key so success of natural control. If we conserve the natural enemies properly, in which insecticides play important role, the need of artificial biological control nay not arise.

  • Overall all the modules are done with great care and it covers the whole IPM of vegetable. more case studies should give the additional informations

  • Quality control of chemical pesticides
    Ill effects of chemicals
    Low cost traditional methods of plant protection
    Efficient ways to manage sucking pests
    Potential solutions for Bhendi vein clearing mosaic virus

  • yes,like 1.phenology of different crops,as you know that melon farmers always coplaint that though there were somany flowers but fruiting is less,it is because of male,female flower identification2.ETL levels of insects, 3.fertilizer requerements of vegetables & what is the current situation amongst farmers,important life cycles of insects

Any specific comments or recommendations on how to improve Module 1?

  • no comment

  • Module one was looking like dead.It would be better to give time to discussion from each participants& there should be assinments regarding local pests and diseases which will be sent from participants first than by facilitators to the person who arose any topic

Any specific comments or recommendations on how to improve Module 2?

  • could be simplified the course content

  • For this course we should be highly specific to vegetables and should incorporate as much case studies as much possible.

  • Excellent

Any specific comments or recommendations on how to improve Module 3?

  • No comments

  • For this course we should be highly specific to vegetables and should incorporate as much case studies as much possible.

  • This is also Excellent.But ETL levels should be included in this module

Any specific comments or recommendations on how to improve Module 4?

  • No comments

  • For this course we should be highly specific to vegetables and should incorporate as much case studies as much possible.

  • Excellent

Any specific comments or recommendations on how to improve Module 5?

  • No comments

  • For this course we should be highly specific to vegetables and should incorporate as much case studies as much possible.

  • Excellent
   

Interactions - Quality and Usefulness

 

We firmly believe that it is through interactions that real learning takes place.  This course uses a number of mechanisms to encourage interactions.  Interactions between participants and the content, interactions among participants and interactions between the facilitators and the participants.  We are, therefore very interested in hearing your assessments of both the quality and usefulness of the various forms of interaction. 

   
 

Quality

  

Usefulness

Interaction Mechanism

 

  
Discussion Forums 5 2 1 2 4 1 1
Send Email Function 4 2 2 5 2 1
Assignments 4 4       4 4    
   

Facilitators

 

We believe that the key to success of any educational activity is the skill and commitment of the facilitators.  Your assessment of their qualities can provide valuable feedback on how to do the job better.  Below we have listed several important factors that define a good and effective facilitator. 

   
 

 Qualities
 
Knowledge of subject area 4 3 1  
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively 5 2 1  
Uses personal and professional examples to stimulate discussion 3 4 1  
Interacts on a regular, timely basis 3 4 1  
Skill in keeping the class motivated 4 2 2  
Works with lurkers 2 5 1  
Responds to student questions in a timely and consistent manner 5 1 2  
Monitors student learning groups and encourages collaboration 2 5 1  
Overall rating of the facilitators 5 3  
         
   
Additional comments regarding the course facilitators.
  • Course facilitators must be well experienced and must convey all the relevant information.
  • Pakistani fecillitators should be added
  • Facilitators have co-operated well,immediately responded and given valuable comments.
  • All the facilitators have done their job in excellent way.
  • need to encourage theaprticipant especially new to the course in the discussion board. And even the many queries put in the discussion board has no feed back. you can see almost 0 for most of them.

    Atleast one of the facilitator should try to answer them or direct them to someone or to the course material or to the specific web site.

    otherwise, the course looks like our regular studies, learning , submitting the assignments etc. looks exactly like college courses.

  • Course facilitators were alert till the end of the course and I was amazed by their quick interaction and kind gesture in encouraging assignments. In fact I didnt find time to thank for their encoragement and support. Hence I take this opportunity to thank all the facilitators who made this programme so lively and lovely.

  • All the facilitators are master piece in all subjects.They know the art of encouragements to the participants even to average participants.Mr ubaid khan& karuppuchamy palaniappa gounder were very quick in responding to all.Over all work done by all is excellent.

  • continue your encouragement to every participants
   
Course Functionality
   
 

 
Features
 
Ease of use for submitting assignments 5 3
Ease of use for posting messages to discussion boards 7 1
Ease of use for sending emails 6 1 1
Ease of navigation 6 2
Ability to facilitate group work 3 4
Appearance (user interface) 5 3
Compatibility with your computer and networking setup 6 2
Reliability (i.e. bug free) 7 1
         
   

General

In addition to content and facilitation there are several other factors that contribute to the overall quality of an online course.  Below we have listed some of the most important. 

   
 

 
Additional factors
 
Course structure 3 4 1  
Ease of access under your circumstances 3 4 1  
Duration of the course 2 4 2  
Time required to complete all exercises 2 4 2  
Difficulty of exercises 2 5  
Reading level of lessons 3 3 2  
Amount of fun 2 5 1  
Overall rating of the course 3 4 1  
         
   
Do you feel that there is a need and/or demand for training on Basics of Vegetable IPM among your colleagues? YES = 7     NO = 1
Do you think online learning is an appropriate way to provide this training for your colleagues? YES = 8     NO = 0
Would you be interested in participating in another online APRTC course? YES = 8     NO = 0
Do you think US$225 is a reasonable amount to charge for this course? YES = 4     NO = 4
 
What do you like best in this course?
  • partcipation from all in discussions should be increased
  • I really enjoyed to read the other participant's comments
  • $100
  • Co-ordination, simplicity and attractive course packages.
  • Module 3
  • i thoruoghly enjoyed the course each & every module. Though I have little time to go in to others assignments ihave put my effort to complete all the assignments in a best way possible (informative if not directly to farmers those who have direct link with them)

    ofcourse, feed back and encouragemants from the facilitator

  • topics were explained very easily and clearly and for referrence reading for topics extra web site information.Thouh still I have not seen all of them but planing to visit.

What do you like least in this course?

  • Insufficient information on sucking pests and their management and also not much on diseases.
  • Nothing
  • No comments
  • Module 1
  • nothing as such. I feel sad for not many seen in the discussion board
  • Discussion board.

Please give us any specific comments or recommendations on how this course could be improved?

  • I feel that the best assignments submitted by different participants would be compiled and sent a copy to all for future reference. The farmers experiment and experiences should be included in the course content.
  • Send Email site which is very useful is not working. Technical problems should be solved.
    More details are required.
    It is better to develop working modules on the basis of information collected in this course and discuss in detail tomake it more amd more effective.
    More information is required on identification of natural enemies. A separate module containing photographs of natural enemies should be developed.
    More information should be added on pesticides as they are key to success of natural control.
  • every module make participation in the dis, board is mandatory, (like Intro course. that would encourage every participant to express their feelings/ideas)

    likewise, no ideas should be left un attempt- especially by facilitator (even they are wrong it is the faciltator duty to correct them)

  • Add few more topics, get more images and live chats, include excerpts form experts all over the world. Include latest protection techniques and include if possible a glossary for technical terms
  • I think the over all course is good this is because of my first online course so I fell no extra points to include.But after reviewing if I found any suggestion I will send to you.