Argues that television has unique educational characteristics that separate it from other media and have implications for teaching and learning. Discussion of distributional and social, control, and symbolic (audiovisual) characteristics is based on published surveys and on research carried out at the Open University. Thirteen references are…

This discussion of the educational potential of audiotape and videotape cassettes in distance teaching considers each medium individually, with examples of how the Open University has tried to exploit them in its teaching, and comments on some major differences between the two media and their implication for education. Characteristics of…

This study examines alternatives to direct transmission of television and radio programs for courses with low student enrollment at the Open University. Examined are cut-off points in terms of student numbers at which alternative means of distributing audio or audio-visual materials become more economical than direct television or radio…

This study was conducted to determine the effects of instruction on using a formal media selection procedure on the media selection choices made by novice instructional designers. Twenty-nine male and female graduate students enrolled in a media design course at Arizona State University participated in the study. Media design problems were used…

Ten college classes of speech communication students were used to examine the relationships among prior attitude, mode of presentation, and distortion of a high intensity (positive) persuasive communication. Three classes heard messages while four classes read messages. The remaining three classes were not exposed to messages and served as a…

A study conducted at the University of Maryland, College Park campus compared the effectiveness of three instructional media for presenting introductory training in the use of an online circulation system. Modules based on a common set of instructional objectives and examples were developed and delivered using three formats: a print packet, a…

This article is a review of the impact upon science learning of classroom and laboratory uses of computers in grades K-16 as revealed by published, peer-reviewed research from 1988-95. Highlights include problems with media-comparison studies, computer-assisted instruction, computer simulations, microcomputer-based laboratories, interactive video,…

Developers of distance education courses need to determine the best and most efficient delivery systems. Traditional print-based correspondence courses are thought to prevail in the technological age because of inertia of administrators and instructions, but it is important to know the preferences of the adult learners who are the usual…

Using the cognitive fit paradigm as a theoretical framework, this study compared the problem-solving performance of users of a hypertext-based learning aid to the performance of users of a computer-based linear text learning aid. Subjects were 103 undergraduate MIS (Management Information Systems) majors enrolled in an information systems analysis…