INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY 3(2+1)

Lesson 9 : Group Methods

Important tips for conducting a good demonstration

1. Know your audience well. Whom do you wish to reach? What is their level of knowledge and literacy? What is their sphere of influence?
2. What are your resources? Do not have ambitious plans and don’t plan more what can be done well.
3. Remember that changing people’s practices is more delicate than surgery. A poor demonstration may be worse than none at all. Do check whether there is sufficient staff, equipment, transport , inputs , etc., before carrying out the demonstration.
4. Ask yourself if you can freely provide knowledge inputs as and when needed? Because once you change the knowledge it will demand heavy food for thought.
5. Don’t try to show too much. One or two variables are usually all that can be demonstrated at one time. Keep watch and demonstrate the interaction of variables.
6. Maintain proper checks to illustrate efficiency of the practice.
7. Plan an information campaign to endure contact with the target audience.
8. Choose your cooperators carefully. Be sure the cooperator cooperates with you. Get him involved and keep him informed.
9. Consider location and accessibility both for lay farmers and VIPs.
10. Involve the agencies, individuals and others in all the operations. This lends credibility to the demonstration.
11. Organize field days, trips and visits of people who may be potential users of the demonstration and its results.
12. Keep records, prepare talks, charts, photos, slides, news stories, technical bulletins and other aids. Frequently use them.
13. Evaluate the demonstration programme and note the points of failure or key to success etc.