Chapter 2:The Use of Instructional Television

From Eduwiki

The Use of Instructional Television 1954-1983 The Beginnings

Cuban argues that the introduction of television into classrooms started before 1939. Cuban brings up three major issues:

1. The radio industry was not happy that the FCC was giving so many T.V. channels to the commercial industry.
2. Educators felt that the new medium of television could help students learn
3. Outside pressure from anti-progressive critics of life-adjustment curricula in the 1940’s and a mounting concern about increased student enrollment

There were many who were distressed by the educational system, one of which was overcrowding (and we’re still dealing with it – JA). The Ford Foundation and its Fund for the Advancement of Education financially supported television in schools. This was one of the major events from the private sector that helped push television into the classroom more than any other medium. Two hundred and fifty schools and 50 colleges used television as a teaching tool by 1961. Later, the National Defense Education Act and Congress put a combined $132 million in advancing the technology of television into classrooms.

An amazing push for the new medium of television grew as a silver bullet for a better and brighter school system. Organizations started to form to make sure people had access to the television:

• The Midwest Program on Airborne Television Instruction used airplanes to send broadcast signals to 6 states
• The National Program in the Use of Television in the Schools lobbied to get the televisions used as a primary tool in their curriculum
• Newspapers hailed television as the next best thing; T.V. would help academic achievement.

By 1950 numerous school districts incorporated instructional television into their curriculum. The following patterns developed:

1) Total instruction program presented by television teacher

• Existed only in Samoa
  • “By 1966, 4/5 students were spending from one quarter to one-third of their class time watching televised lessons” (30-31)
  • Elementary schools heavily used telecasts
  • The activities were built around the telecast, which generally lasted about 2 hours.
  • Although elementary teachers were satisfied, the upper grades, starting at grade 5, were not very happy.
  • The high school teachers felt that the students were watching too much television.
  • By 1973 control shifted from district to the teachers to decide how much television the students should watch
  • By 1975, the funding and excitement ran out.
  • By 1979, television was used as a supplemental activity decided by the teacher.

2) Supplemented television instruction

• Although not wide spread, this was the most well known pattern among schools and the public.

3) Television as a teaching aid.