Distance Education Diploma Programme in Value Added Products from Fruits and Vegetables: An Evaluation Study

Abstract

The Diploma Programme in Value Added Products from
Fruits and Vegetables (DVAPFV), launched by the School of Agriculture
(SOA), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), is aimed at
skilling human resources in the field of post-harvest management of
fruits and vegetables. Based on the primary and secondary sources,
this study attempts to evaluate the different components of the DVAPFV
programme. The feedback from learners and academic counsellors
was obtained using two separate structured questionnaires. The study
revealed that the learners found the course materials to be of a high
quality. The study reported that television and mobile phone were the
‘most easily available technology’ for the learners. The study found the
Programme Study Centres (PSCs) well equipped with the useful and
requisite infrastructure. However, the long distance of PSC from home
was a major reason for a majority of learners’ lack of interest in
attending the counselling and practical sessions. The study also
makes recommendations for improvement of course materials and
learner support services for the DVAPFV programme, which could be
adopted, in the revision of the programme so that an increasingly
skilled workforce is made ready for employment in the food processing
industry.