Distance education may be used on its own, or in conjunction with other forms of education, including face-to-face instruction. Kerka (1996) notes that in any distance education process there must be a teacher, one or more students, and a course or curriculum that the teacher is capable of teaching and the student is trying to learn. The contract between teacher and learner, whether in a traditional classroom or distance education, requires that the student be taught, assessed, given guidance and, where appropriate, prepared for examinations that may or may not be conducted by the institution. These requirements must be accomplished by some form of two-way communication.
Kerka (1996) notes that in this the two-way communication that is part of all education, instruction can be accomplished by diverse methods of instruction delivery. Some examples of these alternative methods are: home-based study, telecommunications using the phone or fax, videotape, CD-ROM, and online instruction. However, one alternative method of delivering instruction, a method that is being used increasingly frequently, is interactive television. According to Ostendorf (1994), interactive television typically involves an instructor who meets with students (via the television) while in a classroom at the originating site. The students communicate from designated remote sites using the interactive television technology. Through the television cameras, the instructor can hear and see the students at remote sites and they can see, hear and communicate with the instructor.
The purpose of this paper is to take an in-depth look at the use of the interactive television as a means of distance learning. The paper emphasizes those factors that need to be most considered in policy development and formulation for the use of this technology as it relates to distance education and distance learning.
Issues Related To Policy Development For Interactive Television a...