Educational screen & audio-visual guide (c1956-1971])

ntermittent Television Alexander Calandra oriaie Professor of Physics, Washington UniveniCy, Si. Lonis id Neal Balanoff airman, Television-Radio Film Department, Stephens College, Columbia, Missouri PURING the spring of 1958, Stephens College presented a ies of science lecturers as part its closed circuit television course ens and Living Today. The great itude permitted the television ff by the administration has ide it possible to do considerable perimentation in this area. This icle describes the kind of thinkj that led to the development of intermittent type of presentan. The only limitation on the forit for this televised instruction s the length of each period (50 nutes). First, the standard course proach was used — that of beginig with a 25-minute lecture by ; TV instructor to a class of 900 idents. The lecture was viewed about 50 different groups. Each )up had its own television set d a discussion leader who was a :mber of the Stephens faculty, the end of the 25-minute teleion lecture, the discussion leadin the individual classes concted a 25-minute discussion of ; ideas presented by the TV inuctor. Although the procedure d the advantage of permitting ss participation, it soon develed the serious disadvantage that tile science series progressed, the Teasing complexity of the maial made it difficult for the disision leaders, most of whom were t regular science teachers, to do tice to the situation in the limd amount of time they had availle. U'ith this in mind, an attempt s made to have the television lecturer use the whole period without group discussion. This had two serious disadvantages, the first was the complete lack of student participation and the second was the difficulty of producing two 50-minute television programs weekly using student crews that were not able to give the time required for rehearsals. After reviewing the limitations of both attempts, the teleteacher tried lecturing for about 5 minutes, leaving the students with a problem, going off the air for about 5 minutes, and returning after this interval with a discussion of the answer. During the 5 minutes the lecturer was not on camera, the discussion leaders with their small groups considered the problem posed by the lecturer. This on-off-on pattern of intermittent lecture was generally regarded as the best approach to the problem. Students liked the technique since it gave them continuous active participation in the program; they were rewarded or punished as the case might be with an immediate appraisal of their solution to the problem as the lecture jirogressed. Discussion leaders were relieved of the need for extensive structuring of a discussion in a field which was not their special interest; in fact this approach would have made it possible for a student leader to be substituted for the regular faculty discussion leader. Less rehearsal time was necessary to achieve jirofessional results, for the tele-teacher was able to run through each segment with a student crew during the "off-air" periods. Pres & AV Guide — February, 1959 sure on the television lecturer was reduced since this system provided intervals for relaxation during the program. Although the technique was developed as a solution to a special problem, it points the way to a possible answer to the shortage of qualified instructors in the field of science. It also provides for an imaginative use of television and film, one which would allow maximum involvement of the audience during the presentation. It is conceivable that a film series might be produced using the "master teacher" as lecturer and demonstrator during an entire standard 50-minute class period. The lecturer would present his materials and ideas, pose the problems to be worked on by the class, either individually or collectively, the projector would be stopped, turned on again at the given interval, and the filmed lecture would continue. With 10 or 20 minutes of film a 50-minute class period might well be accounted for. Instruction would be continuous, the students would be able to participate during the entire class period, necessity of close attention to a movie or television screen for an extended period of time would be obviated, and a person with less experience would be able to conduct the class. Although the last point is certainly undesirable, it is an answer to an emergency situation. As for the use of the system on television, it provides a method for creating active audience participation during the program. 85