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…

Describes the evolution of distance education courses at the University of South Carolina and the results of a study of students who participated in those courses. Highlights include student performance and reactions of both students and faculty to the telecourses. (Author/CLB)

This paper describes the Hawaii Interactive Television System (HITS) program and provides an evaluation of the first year of broadcasts for the advanced placement (AP) calculus course. HITS allows two-way video-audio interaction among origination sites, but the configuration used by the Department of Education for its Teleschool program is the…

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)…

Designed to provide a broad picture of the state of instructional television for adults and to identify major issues relating to instructional telecourses, this reader presents 50 articles in seven categories relating to the production and distribution of telecourses. Section I presents six articles on the growth in the use of telecourses, which…

Information on a telecourse program at the University of Kentucky is provided, based on a survey of the user population of the media-based educational program. This population consisted of 88 adult learners and other more nontraditional students. The telecourses were one component of the instructional system, which included printed materials,…

Surveys at Darton College (Albany, Georgia) revealed that faculty felt little personal connection to existing pre-produced telecourses and that students felt isolated from the on-campus community. Describes the implementation, success, and subsequent expansion of a system allowing the transmission of courses to home-based students as they are…

Evaluates user response to the TI-IN Network's live interactive television courses for high school students and staff development in rural or small schools. Reports favorable responses from school principals and students but finds that students would prefer regular classroom instruction if available. (SKW)

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…

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.…

This paper provides an overview of distance learning activities in Connecticut and addresses the feasibility of such activities. Distance education programs have evolved from the one dimensional electronic mail systems to the use of sophisticated digital fiber networks. The Middlesex Distance Learning Consortium has developed a long-range plan to…

The Iowa Distance Education Alliance (IDEA) is a partnership involving educational institutions across Iowa that have received funding from the Federal Star Schools Program to demonstrate the use of the Iowa Communication Network's (ICN) fiber optic technology for elementary and secondary education. First-year activities focused on teacher…

Professionals Ready for Educational Partnerships (PREP) is a multimedia telecourse developed at the University of Utah to help preservice teachers, graduate students in education, and practicing teachers to understand collaboration. Using an ecological perspective, participants learn how to forge partnerships in the school, home, and community.…

Provides an annotated bibliography of 13 research studies in the ERIC database that examine how and to what effect telecommunications and related technologies have been used in community college instructional programs. Includes studies of telecommunications usage, student characteristics, and outcomes and program planning and evaluation documents.…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Utah Education Network, a closed circuit television delivery system used by the University of Utah in providing preservice education in rural regions. The audience of the system was graduate special education students. Interactive telecourses, video recordings, and instructors were involved. Two groups…