Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Award Date

1972

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Journalism and Mass Communications

Abstract

This paper intends to determine if instructional television is widely used in the Brookings, South Dakota, elementary schools. It also attempts to determine what attitudes Brookings elementary teachers have about instructional television. Instructional television (ITV) is a modern-day teaching tool available and used in most schools. The cost to the individual school district is minimal after receiving sets have been purchased. Supplementary materials go with the programs and are available to the school from the public television station. A school may purchase any or none of the material it chooses. The advantages of instructional television are many, as will be discussed in Chapter III. This writer became interested in IT V several years ago while serving as a substitute teacher in the Lincoln, Nebraska, public schools. Th e programs were good, for the most part, and interesting on a level the children could understand. Television sets were not available in the classroom, however. Students were taken to the school auditorium, which could seat several hundred. The sets were placed high on the walls which made it necessary to hold one's head back to see the screens. The reader can easily imagine transporting 35 active junior high students down halls and stairways, seating them in a small corner of the large room, and trying to recreate a learning atmosphere and restore some semblance of classroom order. The course of least resistance, not taking them to watch the programs, was attractive. In social conversation, one Brookings elementary· teacher responded to this writer's question that she seldom used ITV--it was too much bother. Her statement was a reminder of the previous experience in substitute teaching, and, was the beginning of this research project. Did her attitude pervade the whole school system? What were the reasons for her attitude? Was it really a "bother?" Weren't enough receiving sets or supplementary materials available? Were the programs dull and uninteresting or badly produced? Did the programs tie-in or complement the course of study? Considerable reading preparation preceded the writing of the questionnaire. Many studies have been done on the effectiveness of television instruction in the classroom. The most comprehensive study done in the field was done indirectly by a famous researcher, Wilbur Schramm. Actually, his contribution was an extensive review of the available research.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Television in education -- South Dakota -- Brookings

Format

application/pdf

Number of Pages

66

Publisher

South Dakota State University

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