The National University Consortium for Telecommunications in Teaching, the first national effort to provide high quality bachelor's degree programs for Americans who cannot attend college full-time on campus, is described. It is suggested that both institutional participation and enrollment projections may be exceeded. (MLW)

The development of new communications technology is likely to transform everyday life in the coming decades, and a central question for educators is whether and how such technologies can be used to advance the education of both the historically disenfranchised and of those who are already educated but desire or need more education. In an effort to…

Describes the Instructional Telecommunications Consortium's 1991 "Symposium on Telecommunications and the Adult Learner," reviewing reasons the symposium focused on telecourses, and discussing five major imperatives for the continuing expansion of telecourses: thinking strategically, identifying learning needs, redefining telecourses, raising the…

In January 1981, a committee at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) began work to design a system to deliver non-group instruction to homes, businesses, and other off-campus sites. The committee first established criteria for the program to ensure that the Extended Learning System (ELS) would be compatible with and complementary to other…

Based on a review of existing literature and interviews with more than 50 individuals at television stations and colleges, this report describes the state of the art of telecourses. Following an introductory chapter, 13 chapters discuss the following aspects of telecourses: (1) definition and scope; (2) the institutional environment; (3) the…

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…

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 book provides information supplemental to the accompanying videotape regarding the implementation and use of two-way, full-motion interactive television. Based on a study conducted by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, "Local Heroes" describes in detail how citizens have implemented the technology in small rural…

Because most teacher preparation institutions have extensive needs for numerous field experiences, the Teachers on Television (TOT) project was first conceived to meet demands for observation opportunities through the use of television technology. The TOT project provided live direct observations via television broadcasts from classrooms located…

Overcoming the challenges of educational discontinuity that arise from the migratory lifestyle is the central focus of the Migrant Education Program. This chapter describes Project SMART (Summer Migrants Access Resources through Technology), a national distance learning program for migrant students that addresses such challenges by coordinating…

Describes experiences developing a distance learning via television program at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. It focuses on the importance of instructor and facilitator training, student selection, physical arrangements for the studio/classroom, and an evaluation plan. (DB)

This study examined the current value of credentialism, extending the findings of an earlier report, "Business Training: Content, Enrollment and Delivery." The study acknowledged the distinction between various types of credentials, but focused primarily on professional business certification and investigated the potential for TVOntario…

For the first 2 years of operation, the Instructional Television Services (ITS) at Mohave Community College, in Arizona, operated in a very traditional manner, utilizing two cameras and an operator at each site. To increase the efficiency of the television services, surveillance cameras were installed at sites and were operated from the district…

This report describes training programs for paraprofessionals to accommodate the rapid growth of special education services in rural Kansas. Developed and implemented by state and local education agencies, the programs are based on the performance competencies established for paraprofessionals, and certification is enforced through the State…

In the design and development of telecommunications-based instructional delivery systems, attention to faculty involvement and training is often overlooked until the system is operational. The Waubonsee Telecommunications Instructional Consortium (TIC), in Illinois, is one network that benefited from early faculty input. Even before the first…