The role of television in adult education

This study examines some of the fundamental issues concerning the role of television in adult education. The nature of adult education is examined using existing theory as a basis for establishing key concepts about the processes which go into making an educational experience for adults. These criteria are then related to existing knowledge about educational television with a view towards establishing definitions to describe the nature of ETV in adult education. The study draws a distinction between two different functions of television: first, its use in the formal instructional setting, which is defined as educational, and, secondly, its role in the natural societal setting, which is defined as educative. The study shows that both educative and educational television have a part to play in adult education, the latter as an integral part of the process, the former as a device for information and enrichment which at times may be associated with adult education. Educational television is further defined as a method of adult education, a way to organize individuals for purposes of instruction. ETV is also defined as a device where it performs one or more of the following functions: it extends educational experiences outside the boundaries of an institution or it acts as a source of information or enrichment within the formal instructional setting. A conceptual scheme of seven categories is proposed to describe types of educative programs which under certain conditions may be of use in adult education but which are not really an integral part of the discipline because they are created for reasons other than education and do not display the characteristics necessary to be recognized as educational television. Some issues concerning television's role in instruction are discussed and anomalies in the research are examined which have affected the development of theory in instructional television. An alternate approach to the study of ITV is proposed based on the recognition that television has a role to play in instruction as a communication device but is not, in itself, a complete instructional process. Finally, the study examines the work of various agencies concerned with educational and educative programming. The particular focus is directed towards Canadian contributions, specifically the work of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Some examples from outside the Canadian scene are considered as well, particularly the work of Britain's Open University. The contributions made by the CBC to educational television are found to be marginal, due largely to constitutional constraints imposed by the nature of Canadian federalism which restrict the CBC's role to that of advisor and resource agency to other educational institutions. On the other hand, CBC contributions to educative programming are significant. As an agency for mass communication it provides a wide range of programming which serve to support its mandate to provide information and enrichment programs for Canadian viewers.Education, Faculty ofGraduat