ANNUAL REPORT OF RESEARCH IN PROGRESS, INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH, STANFORD UNIVERSITY

A COST ANALYSIS OF INSTRUCTIONAL TV (ITV) IN EL SALVADOR THROUGH 1971 SHOWS ANTICIPATED COSTS OF ENTIRE EDUC REFORM PACKAGE AT $30 MILLION, WITH COSTS OF ITV ABOUT 1/4 OF TOTAL. ANNUAL COST OF ITV PER STUDENT HOUR IS APPROX 5.6 CENTS. GREATER SAVINGS ANTICIPATED IF ITV IS EXTENDED TO RURAL EDUCATION & TEACHER TRNG. A STUDY OF THE ADMIN HISTORY OF PROJECT WAS PRODUCED WHICH STRESSES LARGE TIME LAG BETWEEN PROJECT CONCEPTION AND ACTUALIZATION, & NOTES HIGH DEGREE OF IN-COUNTRY LEADERSHIP THROUGHOUT 9 YR PLANNING & PREP PERIOD. RESEARCH WAS ALSO DONE ON EDUC AND CAREER ASPIRATIONS OF STUDENTS & PARENTS INVOLVED IN EL SALVADOR PROJECT. RESULTS INDICATE HIGH ASPIRATION LEVELS AMONG STUDENTS - 95% OF 7,8,AND 9TH GRADERS WANTING TO GO BEYOND 9TH GRADE, & 40% ASPIRING TO UNIV STUDY AND PROF CAREERS. POSSIBLE FRUSTRATION RESULTING FROM LIMITED UNIV AND PROF OPENINGS IS NOTED. INTENSIVE OBSERVATION OF 2 CLASSES USING ITV FOR 1ST TIME IS BEGINNING. A LARGER, RELATED PROJECT INTRODUCING ITV INTO CLASSROOMS ALONG IVORY COAST IS DISCUSSED. THIS IS 1ST AFRICAN COUNTRY TO UNDERTAKE LARGE-SCALE USE OF EDUC TECHNOLOGY & MAY PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO OTHERS. THE COST EFFECTIVENESS OF ITV AND ITV ALTERNATIVES (RADIO, RADIOVISION) IS BEING ASSESSED. PRINCIPLE STUDY SITE IS MEXICO, WHERE STUDIES WILL BE MADE OF 2 SYSTEMS: 1)TELESECUNDARIA, WHICH EXTENDS SECONDARY SCHOOL LESSONS BY TV AND MONITORED CLASSES TO VILLAGES WITHOUT SUCH EDUC FACILITIES, & 2)RADIOPRIMARIA, WHICH EXTENDS 3 YR PRIMARY SCHOOL TO 6 YRS WITH RADIO & PT-TIME TEACHERS. RELATED REPORTS ARE BEING WRITTEN ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF ITV AND ALTERNATIVE INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA. OTHER STUDIES IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS ARE DISCUSSED: INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY, COMMUNICATIONS POLICY, CONTINUING EDUCATION, EDUCATIONAL MEDIA, AND COMMUNICATION & THE ENVIRONMENT. A LIST OF AVAILABLE PUBLICATIONS ON COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH IS GIVEN AT THE END OF THE REPORT.