Minor Obstacles

But there are other factors involved which seem to limit the value of television as a teaching medium. In the teaching of Chemistry, for example, it was discovered that television has certain physical limitations. Minor obstacles, such as the placing of micro-phones, wires, and lights, generally proved surmountable, but the lack of color and the small screen size were more serious.

The lack of color tended to make demonstrations of certain reactions virtually meaningless. Even when samples of the final result were present in the viewing rooms, students were unable to see a crucial change in color at a given point in any reaction.

The screen size problem was adequately summed up by an assistant professor of chemistry at Penn State. "The restricted field of vision for presentations on the blackboard would be a handicap for one, like myself," he said, "who desires to give material on board A, go on similarly to board B, and then refer back to board A while considering board B."

One possible solution to this problem might be a bank of television screens, one showing board A, another board B, etc. The obvious solution to the color problem would seem to be color television. As a general rule it is probably true that the technical difficulties in closed-circuit telecasting can eventually be overcome in one fashion or another.

But there are several factors inherent in the very nature of televised teaching which may limit its applicability. The chief of these is undoubtedly the fact that the "remoteness" of students reduces the possibility of teacher-student interaction. Although microphones can be set up to connect the viewing rooms with the originating room, it is obviously much more difficult for a student to ask a question than if he were in the same room as the professor.

It would seem, therefore, that TV does not appropriately belong in all parts of the educational process. It seems especially apt for those courses which have something to show the student, such as the sciences. But even in these, the necessity for interaction prohibits the use of TV in every part of the course.

A fact, such a "Two plus two equals four," can readily be disseminated over TV. But a more general concept, such as "Man and culture develop contemporaneously," becomes meaningful only when it is clarified by discussion and questions.

It seems fairly obvious, therefore, that discussion must remain an integral part of the educative process. It probably does not make too much difference if a lecture is televised, for there is no verbal interaction between instructor and student, and students in the back rows are apt to get less of the lectures personality than they would over a TV screen anyway.

But some opportunity must be left for discussion. Thus television would seem inappropriate when applied to section meetings, i.e. if used to show a section meeting to non-participating students outside the section. Most courses could probably use some combination of televised lectures and "live" section meetings to clarify or expand the lecture material.

Student Reaction

One immediate use of television might be to give distant students within the original lecture hall itself a better view of illustrative materials.

The whole problem of appropriateness still needs exhaustive study, however, before anything can be decided definitely. Now that the feasibility of TV has been demonstrated and that no definite evidence has been found to prove TV ineffectual, it is this area which experimenters are concentrating on.

The fourth area of research mentioned at the outset was acceptability. As far as students are concerned, they tend to regard television as equal to or slightly inferior to the ordinary method of instruction. Often they assume that because they have never learned anything over TV, they are incapable of learning anything over it. As a result, side activities, such as reading, talking, and sleeping, often spring up in viewing rooms. Perhaps this is unavoidable when students are freed from the necessity of courtesy to a lecturer, but if students can be won over to a positive attitude, educational TV may well prove successful.

Faculty Opposition

The chief faculty opposition comes from fears of technological unemployment, of the mechanization of education, and of George Orwell's 1984 atmosphere. As one observer of the Education School's project said, "If this medium is ever used by administrators or their "flunkies" for the purpose of observing and thereby controlling a teacher or his material, it will be a horrible blight on education and freedom of enquiry."

But educational TV does not seek to replace the teacher. Rather it aims at increasing his effectiveness to meet growing educational needs. Nor should it "mechanize" education if kept subordinate to the will of the teacher to use as he thinks best. Nor hopefully should it be used for spying.

Educational TV is no panacea, no cure-all for the University world. Rather it is one possible means of meeting expansion problems and increasing the effectiveness of teaching. If used intelligently and without attempting to apply it to the entire educational process, it has great potentialities