The following is a summary of the ITC Research publication: THE FUTURE OF SCHOOLS TELEVISION The full report is available from: The Information Office ITC 33 Foley Street London W1P 7LB Price: £5.00 (cheques payable to The Independent Television Commission). _____________________________________________________________ Preface Educational television has made major contributions to school life and work for many years, but there is now a need for change. The emergence of digital technologies offers new opportunities for delivery and for integration with other learning media. At the same time, the impact of information and communications technologies has seemed to imply competition for the time used in schools for television. This has brought an element of strain into the issues being considered by governments, whose attitudes to educational technology, whether in the UK, Europe, the USA, or the Group 7 nations have been developing swiftly as new approaches to educational practice are discussed. The main questions about the use of educational television - as about the use of related technologies - remain. How valuable is it as a learning resource? How best is it used? How should teachers and students be encouraged and trained to use it? This report is the outcome of research undertaken for the Independent Television Commission (ITC). It focuses on the attitudes and the activities of teachers and students who use schools television and some of their aspirations for the service. Teachers are broadly very positive about this aspect of school life. They are excited by the potential of educational television and new forms of delivery easing their problems of access. They would like to see closer linking of television with the National Curriculum and other resources, and television becoming a more integral part of programmes of study. Students also have a very positive attitude towards television; they see educational television as one of the key media through which they learn, but have some criticisms of ways in which it is used by teachers. Summary and Recommendations
Central Finding: Television is a valuable educational resource that could have a greater impact on student learning. 1.1 it is time to consider the future of television in education because of the convergence of digital screen-based technologies, new forms of delivery, access to more television, and potential integration with other learning resources. 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 television is a valued resource in schools, and there is clear agreement that it is a high quality educational medium. most teachers have a positive attitude towards educational television. teachers feel television helps children learn, and the time given to watching television in school reflects this perception. students report they both like and learn from educational television, rating it more highly than many other methods of learning. nevertheless, the key task is to increase the student learning from television.
Key Recommendation: Educational television should be more actively supported at a national level 2.1 educational television needs the clear support of national institutions such as the DfEE, OFSTED, and NCET. These institutions should consider ways of encouraging greater and more effective use of educational television. learning from screen-based technologies such as television is an educational necessity in an information society. Television and media literacy skills should be part of teacher training, reinstated in the National Curriculum, and television texts used in national examinations and tests. BBC and Channel 4 could work together in planning, some production, publicity, and improving access, whilst retaining their distinct strengths and editorial independence. television should be used more frequently to deliver national educational and training priorities, and focus on appropriate elements in the National Curriculum. the development of multimedia, high bandwidth networks, and on-line educational resources could be integrated with national educational television to
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maximise resources and to create internationally marketable learning products. Key Recommendation: Schools need to examine how their use of educational television could be improved. 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 schools should examine barriers to television use and alternative methods of delivery. training teachers, parents and children how to learn from television must be a high priority. Such training should be integral to whole school development. students' views on television, and their attitudes towards different ways of learning, should inform schools' use of the resource. schools ought to consider how to address teaching and learning in an information society (covering screen-based information, texts, images, on-line resources, and so on). This could develop towards teaching and learning in a fully digital environment.
Key Recommendation: Producers should consider how educational television could be improved. 4.1 4.2 the transformation of educational television from a broadcast to a digital age should inform all production decisions. improving access for schools is central, whether through means of delivery (broadcast timings, video, cable, on-line, on demand) or information to schools. the use and structure of programmes might develop from the 'series' model, whether in new formats, links to other resources, or integration with multimedia. programmes made in partnership with educational publishers and others, to more closely integrate television with other learning resources, would be welcomed. consultation with students, teachers, parents, and others, as well as objective assessments of learning impact, should inform development of schools' television. television can operate as a leading force in promoting access to the information society, supporting learning in home, school, and work, and blurring the divide
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between statutory education (schools' television) and general learning. New uses of broadcasting such as real homework channel/s with targeted programmes atset times supporting key aspects of the National Curriculum need to be considered. 4.7 effectiveness for students must be the key evaluative criterion.