Education by Radio (1932)

Wisconsin Gives Communication Course There has been a long felt want in the radio field for a school of recog¬ nized standing to give a complete, comprehensive, wellbalanced course in radio communication, to be complete within itself and capable of being finished within a reasonable time. Realizing this need the University of Wisconsin exten¬ sion division in Milwaukee is giving such a course to fit students for advanced places in radio activities. This is a new type of college training of a semi-profes¬ sional nature with the object of training young men for positions existing in a field between the skilled craftsman and the trained professional engineer. All trades and professions are now de¬ manding that the men participating in them shall be thoroly trained in the theory and fundamentals of the trade or profession in question. The ever-expand¬ ing science of radio is possibly more ex¬ acting in this than any other because of the extremely technical nature of the subject and of the enormous responsi¬ bilities upon the shoulder's of an operator. A few years ago a man could be a fairly good operator or technician without any particular training, but today, if a man expects to succeed in this field he must be thoroly grounded in the theory and practical applications of the fundamental principles of radio communication. The question has been to the serious-minded person, “Where can I secure such an edu¬ cation without taking a regular degree in engineering?” The course given in Milwaukee is not an experiment for it has grown out of auxiliary courses given during the past six years and is planned as a definite preparation for the actual problems met in practise. The work given is substan¬ tially of collegiate grade, requiring only a high school education or the equivalent for entrance. The training is very inten¬ sive, requiring the entire time of a stu¬ Radio’s Functions Glenn Frank President, the University of Wisconsin To serve the agricultural interests of the state by furnishing technical and market information. [2] To serve the households of the state by furnishing technical counsel on the construction, care, and conduct of the efficient home. [3l To serve the adult citizenry of the state by furnishing continuous educa¬ tional opportunities beyond the campus of the university. [4] To serve public interest and pub¬ lic enterprise by providing them with as good radio facilities as the commercial stations have placed at the disposal of private interests and private enterprise. [Si To serve the rural schools of the state by supplementing their educational methods and materials. t6l To serve the interests of an in¬ formed public opinion by providing a state-wide forum for the pro and con discussion of the problems of public policy. dent for two semesters. The entire day is occupied from eight until four-thirty with lectures, class work, laboratory ex¬ periments, special problems, and assign¬ ments to be completed after class hours. This same course may be taken in eve¬ ning classes over a period of two years or by correspondence. The principal course of a complete training in radio communication is strengthened by supplementary subjects which assure a thoro understanding of the various phases of the theory and practical applications of receiving and transmitting circuits. These correlated subjects include elementary electricity, high-frequency currents, thermionic vac¬ uum tubes, and laboratory work which is divided into three parts: [ 1 ] actual experiments, [2] design of apparatus and circuits, [3] adequate drill in international Morse code. The entire list of studies is completed more easily because of a study of tech¬ nical mathematics as applied to electric¬ ity and technical English, which pertains to the writing of reports and experiments. The satisfactory completion of the course qualifies a student for the government examination for a second-class commer¬ cial operator’s license or he may enter an allied branch of the radio industry. The University of Wisconsin is one of the great state universities of America. It has long been noted for its progressive and pioneer attitudes. It has always been a champion of free speech and the inter¬ ests of the people. It is one of the first universities to see possibilities in educa¬ tion by radio, and to cooperate with other educational interests and depart¬ ments to develop this service for the citizens of the state. Just as those states which first developed efficient schools be¬ came the leading states in America, so those states that use radio to elevate the intelligence of their people will occupy first place in the America of tomorrow. The communication course offered by the University of Wisconsin may have its counterparts in other states. Reports of such pioneering work will be published in the bulletin, space permitting. \T7e commend the splendid work of the Ohio School of the Air. We believe that “the radio broad^ ^ casting channels belong to the public and should never be alienated into private hands.” We appreciate the fact that in Ohio certain channels are assigned exclusively to educational and civic pur¬ poses. We indorse the work of the National Committee on Education by Radio and the Ohio School of the Air in their efforts to protect the rights of educational broadcasting and to utilize certain definite means for educational purposes only. UWe most emphatically voice our objection to the continuous exploitation of our schools by various agencies that claim they are assisting in the education of our youth, but in reality they are using the schools mainly for the purpose of advertising. We urge superin¬ tendents and teachers to exercise their best judgment in permitting all such agencies to interfere with school work, particularly in this time of stress when all educational units are hard pressed, to maintain proper educational standards.— Resolutions adopted by the Southeastern Ohio Education Association, Athens, Ohio, October 30, 1931. [10]