Non-Verbal Communication for Extension and Development Training

Learning Outcomes

• Apply non-verbal communication techniques to support verbal messages in extension and development settings.
• Analyze non-verbal cues from clients and communities to interpret underlying messages and adjust communication strategies.
• Evaluate the impact of cultural differences on non-verbal communication and adapt behaviour accordingly.
• Demonstrate active listening and appropriate eye contact, posture, and gestures during interactions.
• Design communication approaches that integrate non-verbal elements for improved stakeholder engagement.

Target Audience

Extension officers, development practitioners, community facilitators, and anyone working in agricultural or community development who needs to communicate effectively across cultural and linguistic barriers.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

Practical sessions allow learners to observe, practice, and refine non-verbal skills in simulated extension scenarios. Through role-plays, video analysis, and peer feedback, participants build confidence in applying non-verbal techniques to real-world development contexts.

Practical Activities

• Non-Verbal Observation and Analysis — Learners watch video clips of extension interactions and identify non-verbal cues, then discuss cultural and contextual factors. (2h)
• Role-Play: Building Rapport with Community Members — In pairs, learners role-play an extension visit where one is an agent and the other a farmer, focusing on non-verbal rapport-building techniques. (2h)
• Group Facilitation with Non-Verbal Awareness — Small groups facilitate a short training session while peers observe and provide feedback on non-verbal effectiveness. (2h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.