Analyzing Online Training Effectiveness: Kirkpatrick’s Model-Inspired Approach for up-scaling mushroom enterprise for Sustainable rural development

Bihar is leading in mushroom production at the national level with a total production of 33500 ton.
This off-farm agro-enterprise is gaining popularity owing to its wider acceptability amongst
growers and consumers as well. Since times, training for farmers has been accepted as a crucial
component of capacity building. To improve the effectiveness of online training programme has
become a greater challenge for us.This article uses the Kirkpatrick evaluation model to measure the
effectiveness of online training programs received by heterogeneous farmer respondents for
mushroom farming. The study is based on four levels —Reaction, learning, behaviour and result.
The reasons for receiving training and barriers to receiving training are being highlighted and
computed with responses directly received from the trainees. Based on the original findings, a
result-oriented modified training evaluation model “FUNNEL Model” has been designed for
enhancing the training efficiency at the farmer level. The proposed model is based on specific
determinants. Application of such a model while designing online training programmes will
definitely improve the performance of trainers and trainees as well and innovation in digital
agriculture catalyzing growth in agriculture and allied sectors can be realized.