Found that community college students randomly assigned to receive instruction at a distance via a two-way interactive telecourse demonstrated learning equivalent to that of students assigned to on-campus, face-to-face instruction. However, students choosing to take the course via telecourse had significantly higher course learning than either…

The Federal Communications Commission is considering a plan that would allow cable-television to use parts of the broadcast spectrum that has been reserved for educational programing. Cable companies say it is wasteful to reserve limited broadcasting for educational programing if not enough colleges use the frequencies allotted. (MLW)

Reports on the use of interactive television as a medium of education for nursing students. Compares this method to traditional teacher lecture method. Found that although students may prefer the human interaction, the learning results may be equivalent when the alternative medium is used. (Author)

Discusses the possible uses for television in the classroom, including student programs, tutorials, and remedial resourcing. Describes instructional television applications such as satellite systems, microwave systems, distance education, and subleased access to commercial or wireless cable systems. Provides a directory of Catholic Television…

A Florida mandate for teachers to receive training in English for Speakers of Other Languages led to development by a consortium of multicultural telecourses, facilitator study guides, and a university credit course. Teacher resistance to the mandate was lowered by classroom-centered, interactive distance learning. (SK)

Describes the Education Network of Maine, an interactive television system which uses one-way video and two-way audio to provide an interactive connection between the seven campuses of the University of Maine. Highlights ways of personalizing distance learning instruction, strategies for increasing student-teacher interaction, and the value of…

Summarizes a study of subject-initiated interaction and instructor-facilitated instruction to determine which mode would result in the greatest amount of interaction during interactive televised instruction. Interaction frequency was measured and a questionnaire soliciting subject attitudes toward televised instruction was administered. (Contains…

Describes the development of a journalism telecourse that, rather than present videotaped lectures, uses footage from interviews with practicing reporters and television news anchors to illustrate themes and processes in the field. Discusses issues related to the designing of the program, obtaining interviews with eminent journalists, and…

Support for student learning during distance education experiences is often provided by local site facilitators or tutors. The University of Utah has utilized rural master special education teachers as local site facilitators to assist faculty with various aspects of distance education in its teacher education program. Recently, distance site…

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.…

The "Voices and Visions" series, a set of instructional videos on the lives and art of 13 important American poets, has the desirable potential to reach an audience that is virtually unlimited. The videos are a skillful blend of photographs, film footage, interviews with scholars, critics, and poets, readings by actors, and sometimes by…

A study examined system design factors and communication norms which combined to affect perceptions of televised instruction. Subjects, 206 proximate and 73 distant students enrolled in communication courses, received the same instruction in two modes (face-to-face and at a distance) and their perceptions were compared. The four instructors were…

The penetration of cable television throughout American communities makes it a potentially significant tool for improving the quality and accessibility of adult education. As cities begin to include in the cable franchise allotment monies for access by community members, adult educators need to become actively involved during the development of a…

The Task Force on Educational Telecommunications was formed to develop a statewide approach to educational telecommunications (e.g., public, cable, and satellite television; audio and video tapes; teleconferencing; and computer conferencing) for the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). The task force assumed that the instruction should have…

Large amounts of money can be wasted and serious disillusionment with the potential of distance education can set in when agencies decide to install extensive and expensive telecommunications systems before they conduct adequate planning. The State of Alaska spent $30 million to purchase and install the equipment for the Learn Alaska Network, a…