Educational television

Traditional structural designs of the basic speech communication course have not met the professional needs of the technical career student. The alternative model presented in this essay will enable the student to pursue, through independent study and small group interaction, those concepts and skills which will aid her/him professionally. This design offers solutions to staffing and scheduling problems faced by community colleges, and provides a structural format for facilitating the education of technical career students.     

Teaching television: the effects of critical television viewing curricula

Recognition of the important role television plays in children's lives has led during the 1970s to the beginnings of an effort to modify television's impact on children by teaching them how to manage their viewing behavior, how to understand the medium, and how to evaluate its content (so-called, “critical television viewing skills”). The objectives pursued by critical viewing curricula are discussed, and it is argued that critical viewing is strongly related to critical thinking. A review of studies of the effects achieved by television curricula indicates that television curricula can be effective in increasing children's knowledge of the medium and in altering children's perceptions of television content. However, there is little evidence that curricula can modify television's effects on children's attitudes and behaviors, and curricular effects on children's viewing behavior at home have yet to be demonstrated. The research conducted is evaluated, and suggestions are made for future work in this area.     

Family contexts of television

Educational technology research and development -     

Teaching cooperation on television

Conclusion The effects of media on the social behavior of young children is a topic to be treated seriously. Much of the literature has focused on negative outcomes. Little attention has been given to the intentional steps by which producers of children’s television can bring about positive social outcomes. The work of Stein and her associates is an exception (see Stein, 1972; Stein, Friedrich, & Vondracek, undated). It is not enough that we concern ourselves with reducing undesirable effects of television (e.g., removing the violence from Saturday morning cartoons). The means must be found to enhance desirable effects (e.g., positive forms of socialization). By defining and teaching social goals and measuring the results,Sesame Street has taken an important step in this direction. The research described in this paper was performed at Teaching Research, a Division of the Oregon State System of Higher Education, under a contract with Children’s Television Workshop, Inc. D. Lynn McDonald and Sherrill L. Whittemore were research assistants. Sandra Dawson, Sheryl Hirshon, Pearl Roossinck Paulson, Terry Toedtemeier, and Timm Tripplet worked on the project. H. Del Schalock of Teaching Research and Barbara F. Reeves, Patricia L. Hayes, and Edward L. Palmer of CTW provided many of the basic ideas. A complete technical report on the study is available (Paulson, McDonald, & Whittemore, 1973).