GRANT TO STRENGTHEN COMPETENCE IN COMMUNICATION AS RELATED TO EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

A WIDE RANGE OF COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (E.G., TELEVISION, RADIO, FILMS, FILMSTRIPS, RECORDINGS, LOW-COST PRINT, GROUP LEARNING, PEER TEACHING, ETC.) WILL BE STUDIED FOR APPLICATION IN EDUCATIONAL REFORM, EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENT, EDUCATIONAL EXTENSION, AND NON-FORMAL EDUCATION. PROGRAM INCLUDES THREE MAJOR AREAS OF ACTIVITY: 1. RESEARCH: EMPHASIS WILL BE ON SIMPLER, LESS COSTLY TECHNOLOGIES SUITABLE FOR RURAL AREAS AND ON COMBINATIONS OF MEDIA AND METHODS THAT ARE MOST COST EFFICENT FOR GIVEN SITUATIONS RATHER THAN ON SINGLE MEDIA THAT ARE REQUIRED TO PERFORM A GREAT VARIETY OF TASKS. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE FIELD STUDIES, STATE-OF-THE ART PAPERS; AND REPORTS. 2. EDUCATION AND TRAINING: GRANT FUNDS WILL SUPPORT FACULTY AND STUDENTS IN A DOCTORAL PROGRAM OF COMMUNICATION POLICY AND PLANNING, METHODOLOGY OF FIELD EVALUATION, COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANAYSIS, AND ANALYSIS OF NON-FORMAL USE OF TECHNOLOGY. A TWO-YEAR M.A. PROGRAM WILL BE ESTABLISHED FOR LDC RESEARCHERS AND PLANNERS, GRADUATING 10 PER YEAR. GRADUATE STUDENTS WILL ASSIST IN RESEARCH PROJECTS. STANFORD WILL ALSO CONDUCT ONE OR TWO INSTRUCTIONAL WORKSHOPS A YEAR WITHIN THE LDC"S OF ASIA, LATIN AMERICA, AND AFRICA. 3. CONSULTATION AND LINKAGES: COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS FOR RESEARCH AND TRAINING WILL BE MAINTAINED WITH US AND FOREIGN INSTITUTIONS. STANFORD WILL COLLECT AND DISSEMINATE RELEVANT MATERIALS AND REPORTS, AND ATTEND REGIONAL CONFERENCES. INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAMS OF PROBLEM SOLVERS WILL PROVIDE SHORT-TERM CONSULTANT SERVICES TO LDC PLANNERS ON COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES, ESPECIALLY FOR REACHING THE RURAL, OUT-OF-SCHOOL POPULATION.