Education by radio (1931-)

TiachGf'* uui>^j EDUCATION BY RADIO VOLUME I. NUMBER 3S. DECEMBER 24. 1831 Educational Functions of Radio William John Cooper United States Commissioner of Edtication AT THE OUTSET I dcsirc to discuss ZA some misunderstandings which I X JL feel sure are now retarding the use of radio in the classroom. The first of these is the fear of classroom teachers that radio may displace them. Teaching is more than merely passing out subject- matter. The radio will supplement but never displace the classroom teacher. The second misunderstanding seems to consist in a vague notion that somehow or other radio will provide a royal road to learning. It also must be dispelled, for it likewise is based upon a failure to comprehend the essential nature of the educational process. I shall suggest some principles as a basis of our discussion here. The first is that education is something to be achieved, not something that can be given to one. Second, since we know all children are different and may differ one from another markedly, radio programs prepared for an average child will not do equally well for slow or bright children. My third suggestion is that since some people are eyeminded and some earminded, radio programs should be more successful with the latter group than with the former. Accordingly the radio may become a major tool in the education of adult illiterates. We should next agree, if possible, on checking the effectiveness of our instru- ment, the radio, upon an accepted pro- gram before investing much money in time and equipment. First, we must Excerpts from an address delivered before the Second Annual Institute for Education by Radio. Ohio State University. Columbus. Ohio, June 9, 1931. have a group of cooperating schools under a unified administrative control. The effectiveness of the work could be checked, and, so far as subjectmatter or facts are concerned, we should get fairly FROM THE BEGINNING the Federal Radio Commis- sion has given the college sta- tions the poorest, the power- trust-radio monopoly the best radio channels. As tho this were not enough, the Commis- sion has forced these colleges, to spend funds, which should have been available for pro- gram development, on law- yers' fees and trips to Wash- ington to protect even these poor channels. Immediate en- actment of the Fess Bill [S. 4, see panel below] would stop this. reliable and accurate results. It would be ideal if a state department could undertake a project of this magnitude. The Ohio School of the Air is the nearest approach we have had to this situation. Next to a group of schools under a single administrative control, we need a central organization to prepare pro- grams suitable for school use and bring them to the microphone. The third item I suggest for your con- sideration is a determination of the school fields in which we should con- duct these experiments. In order to do this quickly, I suggest some organizing principles. One would be subjectmatter fields, and another, levels of instruction. There is one general field, auditorium programs, open to much experimenta- tion. A state is in an excellent position to work up auditorium programs for such occasions as Flag Day and Labor Day. Radio programs for the elementary school would serve two purposes: to sup- plement the usual curriculum, and to furnish poor and mediocre teachers with examples of good teaching. Another type of experimental pro- gram in this field would consist in having children who have learned to read chil- dren's selections well, read those selec- tions to inspire other children. In the junior high school there are still greater possibilities for radio. This school is a new institution. It has a chance to develop free from traditions, for it is free from any European ties. I think there are great possibilities in the United States in the use of the drama in radio education. The Office of Education is much inter- ested in some experiments with the use of radio in assisting adult illiterates to learn. The Office of Education and some schools of education can evaluate the radio as an educational tool. The Office of Education is to gather and systematize information. It has no propaganda activities of any sort or at any level, but we do hope to answer questions. If you write in, we should like to tell you where there are organized schools of the air, and direct you to persons who can give you more detailed information. S.4 BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the second paragraph of section 9 of the Radio Act of 1927, as amended by an Act entitled "An Act continuing for one year the powers and authority of the Federal Radio Commission, under the Radio Act of 1927, and for other purposes," approved March 28, 1928, is amended by adding at the end of said paragraph, as amended, the following: "Not less than 15 per centum, reckoned with due weight to all factors determining effective service, of the radio-broadcasting facilities which are or may become subject to the control of and to allocation by the Federal Radio Commission, shall be reserved for educational broadcasting exclusively and allo- cated when and if applications are made therefor, to educational agencies of the Federal or State Gov- ernments and to educational institutions chartered by the United States or by the respective States or Territories."—From a bill to amend the Radio Act of 1927, by Senator Fess in the Senate, December 9, 1931. 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