지식정보사회에 있어서 ICT 활용을 위한 농촌지도사의 역할에 관한 연구

A study on the role of Extension Educator for using Information & Communication Technology in knowledge and knowledge-based society

The purposes of the study were to explore the basic concepts and characteristics of the knowledge-based society, end determine its relationship with knowledge-based agriculture and agricultural extension, and identify desirable role of extension educators to utilize ICT in agricultural extension. The methodology adopted was basically literature review and personal interviews with specialists related to extension in addition. According to major findings through previous study and literature review, the followings were concluded. First, it was revealed that knowledge-based society change so quickly with huge amount of information making paradigm shift and no exception with agriculture. Second, the knowledge-based society results in change the structure of agriculture to fit it into new paradigm and agricultural extension has strong relationship with the current change due to ICT. Third, the major type of ICT use in extension were agricultural information creation, distance education and consulting system, homepage, e-commerce, data base management, and application programs. Last, extension educators should change not one-way communicators but coordinators, facilitators, peers, and prescribers considering ICT use in agricultural extension. Especially, field situation should be reflected when making media related to ICT and implementing extension programs based on need analysis.