Results of an evaluation of the Washington Higher Education Telecommunication System (WHETS) are summarized. The system links Washington State University (WSU) in Pullman and the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle with the off-campus sites in Spokane, Tri-Cities, and Vancouver. The system also expands the microwave link between WSU and the…

Discusses the difficulties in attracting and preparing special educators in the area of severe disabilities. A University of North Carolina at Charlotte program that uses distance learning to prepare special educators to work with students with severe disabilities is described, along with the benefits of distance learning. (CR)

A project was conducted to identify criteria and procedures for using a distance learning delivery system at the University of Texas TeleLearning Center to teach Health Occupations II to high school seniors. Another objective was expanding the current distance learning program for health occupations to include between 15 and 20 school districts.…

This description of a project offering live television transmissions as an addition to the University of Regina's (Saskatchewan, Canada) distance education system includes: (1) an introduction; (2) a description of and rationale for the evaluation model used; (3) a description of the data collection process; (4) a summary of the findings; and (5)…

Presents results from a study of the status of distance education in community colleges. Discusses the design, support, and administration of telecourses; staffing and teacher training practices; course offerings; and existing assessment and evaluation studies. Addresses criticisms of distance education and cites research results on its…

The factors related to successful implementation of Georgia Statewide Academic and Medical System (GSAMS) credit courses at technical institutes were examined in a statewide study of teacher and student satisfaction with GSAMS. The six faculty members who taught distance learning class via GSAMS were interviewed, and the 62 students enrolled in…

A study was conducted to determine attitudes of students who had taken Interactive Television Network (ITV) courses at Northcentral Technical College (Wausau, Wisconsin). Following a literature search that revealed that many learners favored ITV, a survey questionnaire was developed and administered to a total of 117 Medical Technology I students…

Presents the results of two surveys conducted to evaluate distance education courses offered at a community college: one of students who enrolled in, but did not complete, a distance education course; and one of the faculty and administrators involved in telecourse planning and delivery. Describes how the results were used to improve the programs.…

In July 1985, declining state revenues forced Louisiana state legislators to institute a number of layoffs and hiring freezes at postsecondary-level vocational-technical schools in the state and to discontinue the state's policy of paying for the continuing education courses that the state's secondary-level trade and industrial education (T&I)…

The telecourse education program created by Barry University in Florida was evaluated by use of a questionnaire designed to measure students' overall satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the telecourse process. The questionnaire contains questions about how students heard about the telecourses, whether services were accommodating, what they liked…

The Early Intervention Special Education Program at West Virginia University developed, implemented, and evaluated a distance education model using satellite broadcasts of coursework and supervised practicum experiences to train early interventionists. Program success suggests that emerging telecommunications technologies offer a feasible…

This study examined perceptions of 12 students of a distance education training program in teaching students with visual impairments. Participants discussed their experiences with courses delivered via interactive video, over the Internet, and by live instructors. Participants had a strong preference for interaction with the instructor and other…

The Armstrong Atlantic State University Teacher Education Program is a participant in the Georgia Statewide Academic and Medical System, an interactive distance learning network. Over 400 sites have been linked within the state with an additional 1,700 in the planning stage. The network includes students at the high school, college, and graduate…

This final report discusses the activities and outcomes of a federally funded project designed to prepare leadership personnel in the area of adapted physical education. An element unique to the project was the successful collaborative effort of personnel and resources from the University of Utah and Oregon State University used in the preparation…

Three telecourse programs offering high school credit courses via interactive satellite communication are described and evaluated. German by Satellite and Physics by Satellite from Oklahoma State University feature biweekly 40-minute broadcasts with audio interaction via regular telephone lines and microcomputer voice recognition software at…