Refutes 20 myths about telecourses, e.g., telecourses require only television viewing, they are easy, they will replace classroom teachers and all courses on campus, they dehumanize learning, and they do not undergo a rigorous curriculum process, and are too expensive to produce and offer. (DMM)

Discussed is how taking college courses at home via television and other formats can save students valuable commuting time and, even more important, gas money. (Author/TG)

Reviews the marginal success of college-level telecourses in increasing enrollments, reducing costs, and improving instruction, and points to reasons for these disappointments. Considers many telecourses over-hyped, over-sold, and under-delivered. Advocates a close and realistic look at the current telecourse movement and the involvement of master…

Discusses the Public Broadcasting Service's failure to provide critical support for telecourse users. Announcement of telecourse schedules too late for college planning requirements, increased need for delayed telecourse playback, increased fees, exclusive course contracts, and telecourses inappropriate as required or elective courses are…

Reviews the outcomes of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Adult Learning Service's first year of operation. Discusses PBS's efforts to improve its service to public television stations, colleges, and adult learners. Highlights activities to overcome problems related to timing, course selection, pricing, and exclusivity. (AYC)

Examines the Schooldisc program developed jointly by the American Broadcasting Company and the National Education Association and compares Schooldiscs with "ThinkAbout," an instructional television series produced by the Agency for Instructional Television. (IRT)

Traces improvements in broadcast technology and the increased use of satellites in providing education for previously unserved populations. Describes the concept of a Telecourse Channel that would provide college-level courses via satellite to any educational institution willing to pay the requisite fees. Urges educators to support the telecourse…

Compares factors required for a successful distance education course to requirements for designing a unit of instruction using instructional systems design (ISD). Application of these requirements to video teletraining is discussed to demonstrate that teaching ISD may be accomplished by teaching preservice teachers how to design a distance…

In undergraduate distance education, two approaches are emerging: (1) an individualized model based on correspondence study, giving students flexibility and control; and (2) the distributed classroom, cohorts working collaboratively and independently in resource-rich environments. The distance learning population is so diverse as to make the…

Describes how televised writing instruction works, why television is used to teach writing, what the programs are like, the effectiveness of this kind of instruction, and what the problems of telecourse instruction are. (JK)

Discusses the benefits and disadvantages of television as a learning medium for adults. Concludes that television's positive benefits outweigh the negative effects, provided that the medium is seen as just one part of a larger whole. (CH)

The authors cite many of the educational programs available on public television and suggest that teachers make use of them to reinforce classroom learning. (SJL)

Notes a number of advantages of telecommunications for educators. Argues that teachers must understand how to use this new medium, and presents actions that teachers should take when using television to deliver a course. (SR)

Discusses distance learning and examines the role of the educational environment as a place with unique characteristics. Highlights include correspondence education, multimedia and tele-learning models of distance education, and the trend to socially isolate the educational experience, thereby changing the nature of schools as public places. (LRW)

Explores the issue of interactivity in distance education courses being compromised through the use of telecommunications technology. Factors contributing to low interactivity are discussed, including one-way communication, schedule conflicts, and lack of standards; and ways to increase interactivity are suggested, including two-way communication,…