Issues in satellite utilizaton for education

SATELLITE PROJECTS IN ALASKA AND IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN AND APPALACHIAN REGIONS TO LDC USE OF SATELLITES, FOCUSING ON THE INFORMATION THEY MIGHT PROVIDE FOR PROJECTED EXPERIMENTS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. PROPOSES THAT PROJECT PLANNERS FROM BRAZIL AND INDIA SHOULD EXAMINE THE AMERICAN PROJECTS WHICH ARE REVIEWED HERE IN PREPARATION FOR THEIR OWN EDUCATIONAL SATELLITE PROGRAMS. INFORMATION REQUIRED BY SUCH PLANNERS INCLUDES: THE LONG-TERM FEASIBILITY OF A PROJECT; THE DEGREE OF COOPERATIVE EFFORT REQUIRED AMONG VARIOUS GOVERNMENTAL LEVELS AS WELL AS AMONG PRIVATE CONCERNS; AND THE METHODOLOGY AND APPLICATION OF FORMATIVE EVALUATION. PLANNERS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT SATELLITE USE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES IS AN EXPERIMENTAL VENTURE WITH NO BACK-UP SYSTEM. THIS REPORT SUGGESTS THAT THE DISTRIBUTION OF EVALUATIVE AND RESEARCH REPORTS FROM U.S. PROJECTS WOULD PROVIDE AN INFORMATION BASE FOR RATIONAL DECISION MAKING BY LDC PLANNERS. ORGANIZATION OF A CONFERENCE IS ALSO PROPOSED TO ENABLE LDC POLICY MAKERS TO QUESTION THE OFFICIALS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH U.S. EDUCATIONAL SATELLITE PROGRAMS.