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Anganwadi Supervisor Paper-2: Child Development, Extension and Social Work · Chapter 7

Extension: Principles, Methods, AV Aids and Programme Planning

What to remember

  • Extension education is informal, out-of-school education that helps people help themselves. It starts from their felt needs and uses learning by doing.
  • Methods are grouped by contact: individual, group and mass. Individual methods are most effective but cost the most per person; mass methods reach the most people but change behaviour least.
  • Programme planning is a cycle: study the situation, find needs, set objectives, plan action, act, evaluate, and then re-plan with the people taking part.

Meaning and objectives of extension

The word "extension" comes from the idea of extending knowledge from research centres and institutions to people in their homes, fields and villages. Extension education is an educational process. It is informal because it has no fixed syllabus, no fixed classroom and no examination. It is voluntary, and the learner is an adult or a young person in the community.

Its main aims are to change knowledge, attitude, skill and practice, and to improve the quality of family and community life. Its chief goal is to develop people, not just to give them things. In the Anganwadi setting, an extension worker teaches mothers about nutrition, hygiene, immunisation and early stimulation.

The extension worker is a link between the source of new ideas (research, departments, schemes) and the community. She also carries the problems of people back to those sources. This is called two-way communication or feedback.

Principles of extension

  • Felt needs: Start with what people feel they need, then lead them to deeper needs.
  • Participation: People plan and carry out the work. A programme done for people fails; a programme done with people lasts.
  • Learning by doing: People learn best by seeing and practising.
  • Cultural difference: Respect local customs, beliefs and habits. Work within them.
  • Grass roots: Start from the local situation and local leaders.
  • Local leadership: Find and train village leaders, because people accept ideas from their own leaders.
  • Family as a unit: Work with the whole family, not only one member.
  • Cooperation and democratic spirit: Work with other agencies and share decisions.
  • Adaptability and flexibility: Methods must fit the place, the people and the season.
  • Satisfaction: Learners must get a sense of success. This encourages them to continue.
  • Evaluation: Judge results regularly to improve the work.
  • Use of varied methods: One method is rarely enough. Use a mix.

Extension in India: milestones

Year (c.)EventNote
1948Etawah Pilot ProjectEarly rural development experiment in Uttar Pradesh
1952Community Development ProgrammeLaunched on 2 October; the first large national effort
1953National Extension ServiceBlock-level extension machinery
1957Balwant Rai Mehta CommitteeRecommended democratic decentralisation (Panchayati Raj)

A Community Development Block was the unit of work. The Village Level Worker was the first contact person with villagers.

Teaching-learning and adoption

Steps of the learning process are often remembered as attention, interest, desire, action and satisfaction.

Stages of the adoption process (as commonly taught): awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, adoption. A person first learns about an idea, becomes curious, weighs it, tries it on a small scale, and then adopts it fully.

Adopter categories (diffusion of innovations):

CategoryApproximate share
Innovators2.5%
Early adopters13.5%
Early majority34%
Late majority34%
Laggards16%

Early adopters are often opinion leaders. Extension workers should win them first.

Communication needs a source (sender), a message, a channel and a receiver, with feedback. Noise is any barrier that distorts the message, such as a difficult language or distractions. Simple words, local language and examples from daily life reduce noise.

Extension teaching methods

Methods are classified by how many people are reached.

TypeExamplesStrengthLimit
Individual contactHome visit, farm or house visit, personal talk, office call, letter, telephonePersonal, builds trust, direct feedbackSlow, reaches few, costly
Group contactGroup discussion, method demonstration, result demonstration, meeting, workshop, seminar, symposium, panel, field trip, training campShared learning, peer pressure helps adoptionNeeds planning and a suitable group
Mass contactRadio, television, newspaper, poster, leaflet, exhibition, campaign, folk media, films, social mediaReaches many quickly, low cost per personLittle personal feedback; weak in changing practice

Method demonstration shows how to do something step by step, for example preparing a nutritious weaning food. Result demonstration shows the final outcome of a practice over time, for example the effect of a kitchen garden on a family's diet. Method demonstration teaches a skill; result demonstration builds belief.

Home visit is the key individual method for Anganwadi workers. It gives a chance to see the real home situation. Folk media (street plays, songs, puppet shows, storytelling) are strong tools in villages because people trust them and understand them. Campaigns are short, intense, mass efforts around one theme, such as a pulse polio round or a nutrition week.

Audio-visual aids

Audio-visual aids support the message. They do not replace the teacher. They make learning clear, interesting and lasting. A well-known idea called the cone of experience says that direct, purposeful experience is at the base and abstract symbols such as words are at the top. Learners remember more when more senses are used.

ClassExamples
Audio aidsRadio, audio recordings, public address system
Visual aids (non-projected)Chalkboard, poster, chart, flash card, flip chart, flannelgraph, models, specimens, real objects, puppets, bulletin board
Visual aids (projected)Slides, filmstrip, overhead projector, LCD projection
Audio-visual aidsFilms, television, videos

Points to remember on selection and use:

  • Choose an aid to match the objective, the audience and the time available.
  • Keep the message simple and the lettering large and clear.
  • Test the aid before use and keep it out of sight until needed.
  • Use local colours and symbols. Do not crowd a poster.
  • Use a flannelgraph for step-by-step stories, a flash card for quick recall, a poster for a single message and a model for a three-dimensional idea.

Programme planning

A programme is a plan of work with objectives, actions and resources. Planning is a continuous, shared process.

Typical steps:

  • 1. Collect facts and study the situation of the people and the area.
  • 2. Analyse the facts and identify problems and needs.
  • 3. Set clear objectives. They should be specific and achievable.
  • 4. Decide the solutions and the order of work.
  • 5. Prepare a plan of work: who, what, when, where, how, with what resources.
  • 6. Carry out the plan.
  • 7. Evaluate results and review the plan.

Qualities of a good programme: it is based on facts, meets real needs, includes people's participation, has clear objectives, is flexible, uses local resources, has a time frame, and is regularly reviewed. Evaluation can look at inputs, process (monitoring) and results (impact). Records and reports of the extension worker are the base for evaluation.

Extension leadership and evaluation

Leaders may be formal (elected or appointed, such as the Sarpanch) or informal (respected persons who have no office). Informal leaders are often the most effective for spreading new ideas because people trust their advice. A good extension worker identifies leaders, trains them, shares information with them and lets them speak for the programme. She should not depend on one leader alone, because this can create groups that feel left out.

Evaluation checks whether the objectives were met. It looks at three things: the input (resources used), the process (how the work was done) and the output or effect (what changed in people's knowledge, attitude and practice). Simple tools are records, observation, interviews, group discussions and tests of knowledge before and after a lesson. Results are used to correct the plan, and the people are told the results so that they feel ownership.

Exam traps

  • Method demonstration vs result demonstration: the first shows how, the second shows what happened over time.
  • Individual vs group vs mass: a home visit is individual; a mothers' meeting is group; a radio talk is mass.
  • Poster vs chart: a poster carries one message to attract attention; a chart shows organised information or a process.
  • Flash card vs flip chart: flash cards are shown one at a time for quick recall; a flip chart is a bound series of sheets for a talk.
  • Adoption stages vs learning steps: adoption goes awareness to adoption; learning goes attention to satisfaction.
  • Innovators vs early adopters: innovators are the first 2.5%; early adopters are the opinion leaders.
  • Extension vs formal education: extension has no fixed syllabus, no exam and no age limit.
  • Participation vs mere presence: real participation means joining in planning, not just attending.

One-liners

  • 1. Extension education is informal and voluntary.
  • 2. The Community Development Programme began on 2 October 1952.
  • 3. Mass methods reach the most people at the lowest cost per person.
  • 4. Individual methods are the most effective for changing practice.
  • 5. The village level worker was the first contact in a development block.
  • 6. Early adopters are usually opinion leaders.
  • 7. Laggards are the last 16% to adopt.
  • 8. A flannelgraph uses a cloth-covered board and cut-outs.
  • 9. A result demonstration builds faith in a practice.
  • 10. Programme planning starts with situation analysis.
  • 11. Feedback makes communication two-way.
  • 12. Folk media are strong tools in rural areas.

Practice questions

  1. Extension education is best described as which type of education?

    1. Compulsory school education
    2. Formal and examination-based
    3. University research training
    4. Informal and out-of-school
    Answer

    D. Informal and out-of-school

    It has no fixed syllabus, classroom or exam and is voluntary.

  2. In extension work, which principle says the programme should begin with what people themselves feel they need?

    1. Felt needs
    2. Cultural difference
    3. Evaluation
    4. Adaptability
    Answer

    A. Felt needs

    Programmes start with felt needs and then lead people to deeper needs.

  3. The Community Development Programme in India was launched on

    1. 26 January 1950
    2. 2 October 1975
    3. 15 August 1947
    4. 2 October 1952
    Answer

    D. 2 October 1952

    CDP began on Gandhi Jayanti in 1952.

  4. Which committee recommended the three-tier Panchayati Raj system in 1957?

    1. Singhvi Committee
    2. Ashok Mehta Committee
    3. Balwant Rai Mehta Committee
    4. Sarkaria Commission
    Answer

    C. Balwant Rai Mehta Committee

    It recommended democratic decentralisation with three tiers.

  5. Which extension method belongs to the mass contact group?

    1. Group discussion
    2. Radio talk
    3. Method demonstration
    4. Home visit
    Answer

    B. Radio talk

    Radio reaches many people at once, so it is a mass method.

  6. A home visit by an Anganwadi worker is an example of which type of method?

    1. Individual contact method
    2. Group contact method
    3. Indirect method
    4. Mass contact method
    Answer

    A. Individual contact method

    A home visit reaches one family at a time.

  7. Which of these is a non-projected visual aid?

    1. Filmstrip
    2. Flannelgraph
    3. Slide projector
    4. Overhead projector
    Answer

    B. Flannelgraph

    A flannelgraph is a cloth board with cut-outs; it needs no projection.

  8. What share of adopters, in the usual classification, are innovators?

    1. 16 per cent
    2. 13.5 per cent
    3. 2.5 per cent
    4. 34 per cent
    Answer

    C. 2.5 per cent

    Innovators 2.5, early adopters 13.5, early majority 34, late majority 34, laggards 16.

  9. Which stage comes immediately after 'interest' in the adoption process?

    1. Awareness
    2. Trial
    3. Adoption
    4. Evaluation
    Answer

    D. Evaluation

    Order: awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, adoption.

  10. The five steps of the learning process end with

    1. Satisfaction
    2. Awareness
    3. Evaluation
    4. Trial
    Answer

    A. Satisfaction

    Attention, interest, desire, action, satisfaction.

  11. Which method shows the final outcome of a practice over a period of time?

    1. Result demonstration
    2. Panel discussion
    3. Method demonstration
    4. Home visit
    Answer

    A. Result demonstration

    Result demonstration builds belief by showing what the practice achieved.

  12. Which method teaches how to do a task step by step, such as preparing a weaning food?

    1. Exhibition
    2. Poster display
    3. Result demonstration
    4. Method demonstration
    Answer

    D. Method demonstration

    Method demonstration shows the skill and the steps.

  13. In the communication process, anything that distorts the message is called

    1. Feedback
    2. Noise
    3. Channel
    4. Code
    Answer

    B. Noise

    Noise includes hard language, distractions and other barriers.

  14. Which aid is used for showing quick, one-at-a-time points for recall in a talk?

    1. Films
    2. Radio
    3. Flash cards
    4. Models
    Answer

    C. Flash cards

    Flash cards are shown one by one for quick recall.

  15. Who was the first contact person of the people in a Community Development Block?

    1. Village Level Worker
    2. Block Development Officer
    3. District Collector
    4. Zilla Parishad chairperson
    Answer

    A. Village Level Worker

    The VLW worked directly with villagers.

  16. Which pilot project of 1948 in Uttar Pradesh was an early rural development experiment?

    1. Nilgiri Project
    2. Sevagram Project
    3. Etawah Pilot Project
    4. Marthandam Project
    Answer

    C. Etawah Pilot Project

    Etawah was an important forerunner of community development.

  17. The first step in programme planning is usually

    1. Evaluating the results
    2. Collecting facts about the situation
    3. Printing the posters
    4. Fixing the budget alone
    Answer

    B. Collecting facts about the situation

    Planning starts with situation analysis.

  18. Folk media such as street plays and puppet shows are especially effective in villages because they

    1. Need expensive equipment
    2. Are familiar and trusted by local people
    3. Replace all other methods
    4. Work only for literate people
    Answer

    B. Are familiar and trusted by local people

    People understand and trust their own cultural forms.

  19. A person who is respected by villagers but holds no official post is called a

    1. Official delegate
    2. Block officer
    3. Formal leader
    4. Informal leader
    Answer

    D. Informal leader

    Informal leaders influence opinion without an office.

  20. An extension worker wants to explain a series of steps through a story with cut-out figures that stick on a board. The best aid is

    1. Flannelgraph
    2. Radio
    3. Exhibition
    4. Newspaper
    Answer

    A. Flannelgraph

    A flannelgraph suits stepwise stories with movable pieces.

  21. A campaign such as a nutrition week is best classified as

    1. A research method
    2. An individual method
    3. A mass method
    4. A closed group method
    Answer

    C. A mass method

    Campaigns reach large numbers around one theme.

  22. A new idea reaches a village. Who should the extension worker win first, because others follow them?

    1. Late majority
    2. Non-participants
    3. Laggards
    4. Early adopters who are opinion leaders
    Answer

    D. Early adopters who are opinion leaders

    Opinion leaders speed up the spread of the idea.

  23. An Anganwadi worker uses a poster with one clear message and a large picture. This follows which guideline for aids?

    1. Use as many words as possible
    2. Keep the message simple
    3. Crowd many topics on one sheet
    4. Show it all day to everyone
    Answer

    B. Keep the message simple

    A good poster carries one simple message.

  24. A worker tests knowledge of mothers before and after a nutrition lesson. This activity is mainly

    1. Situation analysis
    2. Budgeting
    3. Recruitment
    4. Evaluation
    Answer

    D. Evaluation

    Pre- and post-tests measure change and are part of evaluation.

  25. In the cone of experience idea, which type of learning is placed at the base?

    1. Direct, purposeful experience
    2. Printed words
    3. Verbal symbols
    4. Radio talks
    Answer

    A. Direct, purposeful experience

    Direct experience is the richest; words are at the top.

  26. The principle of 'learning by doing' mainly implies that

    1. Lectures are the most effective
    2. People remember best what they practise themselves
    3. Written tests are essential
    4. Only experts should demonstrate
    Answer

    B. People remember best what they practise themselves

    Active practice strengthens learning.

  27. Consider the statements about extension methods. 1. Mass methods are the most effective for changing individual practice. 2. Individual methods give the best chance of direct feedback. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Mass methods reach many but change practice least; individual contact gives personal feedback.

  28. Consider the statements. 1. Extension education is formal and follows a fixed syllabus. 2. Extension education works on felt needs and participation. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Extension is informal; statement 2 is correct.

  29. Consider the statements about adoption categories. 1. Laggards form about 16 per cent of adopters. 2. Early adopters form about 34 per cent of adopters. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Early adopters are about 13.5 per cent; the early majority is about 34 per cent.

  30. Consider the statements about demonstrations. 1. A method demonstration shows how to do a task. 2. A result demonstration shows the effect of a practice over time. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both describe the two demonstration types correctly.

  31. Consider the statements about audio-visual aids. 1. They replace the need for a teacher. 2. They should be chosen to suit the objective and the audience. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Aids support the teacher; they do not replace her.

  32. Consider the statements about programme planning. 1. A good programme is based on facts and people's needs. 2. Planning ends once the plan is written and never needs review. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Planning is continuous and reviewed through evaluation.

  33. Consider the statements. 1. Communication in extension is a one-way process. 2. Feedback makes communication two-way. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Feedback from the receiver completes the cycle.

  34. Consider the statements about leaders. 1. Informal leaders can be very effective in spreading new ideas. 2. An extension worker should rely on only one leader. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Relying on one leader can alienate others.

  35. Consider the statements. 1. The Community Development Programme started in 1952. 2. The Balwant Rai Mehta Committee was set up to study community development and extension work. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct; the committee reported in 1957.

  36. Consider the statements about the Etawah project and community development. 1. The Community Development Block became the main unit of work. 2. The Village Level Worker worked at block headquarters only. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    The VLW worked in villages, so statement 2 is wrong.

  37. Match the method with its type. P. Home visit Q. Method demonstration R. Television 1. Group method 2. Mass method 3. Individual method

    1. P-1, Q-3, R-2
    2. P-2, Q-1, R-3
    3. P-3, Q-2, R-1
    4. P-3, Q-1, R-2
    Answer

    D. P-3, Q-1, R-2

    Home visit is individual, demonstration is group, television is mass.

  38. Match the aid with its class. P. Radio Q. Chart R. Film 1. Audio 2. Visual 3. Audio-visual

    1. P-2, Q-1, R-3
    2. P-3, Q-2, R-1
    3. P-1, Q-3, R-2
    4. P-1, Q-2, R-3
    Answer

    D. P-1, Q-2, R-3

    Radio is audio, chart is visual, film combines both.

  39. Match the adopter category with its share. P. Innovators Q. Early majority R. Laggards 1. 34 per cent 2. 2.5 per cent 3. 16 per cent

    1. P-1, Q-2, R-3
    2. P-3, Q-1, R-2
    3. P-2, Q-1, R-3
    4. P-2, Q-3, R-1
    Answer

    C. P-2, Q-1, R-3

    Innovators 2.5, early majority 34, laggards 16.

  40. Arrange the adoption stages in the correct order. 1. Trial 2. Awareness 3. Evaluation 4. Interest 5. Adoption

    1. 4, 2, 3, 1, 5
    2. 2, 4, 1, 3, 5
    3. 2, 3, 4, 1, 5
    4. 2, 4, 3, 1, 5
    Answer

    D. 2, 4, 3, 1, 5

    Awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, adoption.

  41. Which of these is a projected visual aid?

    1. Flip chart
    2. Flash card
    3. Overhead projector transparency
    4. Bulletin board
    Answer

    C. Overhead projector transparency

    Transparencies are projected on a screen.

  42. Which of these is a group contact method?

    1. Newspaper article
    2. Letter to a parent
    3. Workshop
    4. Poster in a market
    Answer

    C. Workshop

    A workshop brings a group together for shared learning.

  43. An extension worker finds that mothers know about immunisation but do not act. She arranges a visit to a clinic. Which method is she using?

    1. Letter writing
    2. Radio talk
    3. Exhibition
    4. Field trip
    Answer

    D. Field trip

    A field trip gives direct experience and builds action.

  44. Why are group methods useful for changing practices?

    1. They are always cheaper than mass media
    2. They avoid discussion
    3. Peer influence and shared learning help adoption
    4. They need no planning
    Answer

    C. Peer influence and shared learning help adoption

    Group members encourage each other to adopt.

  45. Which of these gives the best chance to see the real home situation of a family?

    1. Radio talk
    2. Exhibition
    3. Public meeting
    4. Home visit
    Answer

    D. Home visit

    A home visit shows the actual setting of the family.

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