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The Open University of Israel (OUI) is a distance learning university. Learning is based mainly on textbooks and meetings with tutors in learning centers throughout the country. However, these meetings sometimes do not materialize. Synchronous virtual tutorials, via satellite communication from a studio at the university to classrooms throughout the country have been conducted during the last five years as a solution to this problem. Seven two-hour satellite tutorials were conducted in a course for social science students during five semesters. Each satellite-based synchronous tutorial was saved on a videocassette that could be sent to students as an asynchronous tutorial. Satellite-based synchronous tutorials were compared with satellite-based asynchronous tutorials delivered on videocassettes. All students answered a questionnaire about their learning-habit preferences. Students who preferred the satellite-based synchronous tutorials were compared to those who preferred the satellite-based asynchronous videocassettes on four scales of the learning-habit preferences questionnaire. Those who preferred the synchronous tutorial were significantly higher in their belief in the positive aspects of interactions and significantly lower on learning autonomy and the need to "have" all material than those who preferred the asynchronous mode. In general, students' tutorial-mode preferences depend on their learning-habits preferences as measured on a Likert type questionnaire: their attitudes toward the control of learning and the possible contribution of interactions. (AEF)

This paper reports on research with a group of students in grades 3 and 4 who live on isolated grazing homesteads in the Australian desert in western New South Wales. The paper examines an alternative mode of delivery involving the application of satellite-based systems to provide a teaching-learning environment for these students. The trial of a satellite system made it possible to evaluate not only the appropriateness of the technology but also the potential for teaching and learning implied by such systems. This evaluation involved a number of key participants, including students, teachers, home supervisors, administrators, and those engaged in the preparation of the printed materials that form an essential ingredient of education for remote students. Data were collected through questionnaires, daily student records, home supervisor comments, teachers' lesson evaluations, and interviews with professional staff. Results are analyzed under two broad headings: reactions to the systems, including the nature of the learning environment and how the system might be improved; and classroom interaction analyses, including the direction of interaction and the type of interaction (e.g., social, procedural, narrative/expository, explanatory, and cognitive). Contains 17 references. (MES)

This report, in response to a request by 10 U.S. Senators examines the status of broadband deployment in the United States. The rate of deployment of broadband services will be key to future economic growth, particularly in rural areas far from urban and world markets. This report finds that rural areas, especially remote areas outside of towns, are far behind urban areas in broadband availability. Only two technologies, cable modem and digital subscriber line (DSL), are being deployed at a high rate, but deployment is primarily in urban markets. Less than 5 percent of towns of 10,000 or less have cable modem or DSL service, and service in remote rural areas is far lower. Broadband over cable, which provides most broadband service, has been deployed in large cities, suburban areas, and towns. The primary reason for the slower deployment rate in rural areas is economic. Costs per customer increase with the distance between customers. New technologies, such as satellite and wireless broadband services, have potential for rural areas because customer location has no effect on costs. Policymakers should promote competition, but other government policies should be considered. Recommendations include expanding government programs that ensure access to new technologies, redefining universal service, creating funding mechanisms that ensure equal access to telecommunications and information services by rural and urban residents, and supporting development of alternative technologies. Appendices present data on cable modem and DSL deployment, characteristics of satellite systems, and a letter from U.S. Senators. (TD)

In recent years, increasing numbers of nontraditional students have begun pursuing bachelor's and master's degrees in human resources development, technology education, and vocational-technical education in the Department of Industrial Technology Education (ITE) at Indiana State University. In 1998, the ITE department expanded the options available to these students by offering courses through the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System (IHETS), which is a state-funded consortium of eight college and university campuses that was initiated in 1967. Students now have the option of taking courses through one of four delivery formats: traditional on-campus delivery; IHETS satellite transmission to 325 sites; videotape; and the Internet. The transition to instruction through multiple delivery systems has given rise to several issues and concerns including the following: (1) in most cases, students and faculty have no eye-to-eye contact; (2) assessment of students at various "distances" can be problematic; and (3) teaching courses through multiple delivery formats requires high levels of expertise on the part of faculty. Solutions developed to address these issues/concerns have included the following: (1) enabling off-campus students to communicate with faculty via e-mail, telephone, and satellite transmission; (2) arranging for proctored examinations at remote sites; and (3) offering faculty training sessions on creating Web pages and Internet courses. (MN)

Middle Tennessee State University recently developed a satellite-linked, interactive distance learning system with six rural K-12 schools. Faculty were then invited to make a single presentation over this system. The social work department, recognizing both the opportunities and the limitations presented by this new system, elected to be one of the presenters. However, instead of simply broadcasting one presentation, faculty proposed that a comprehensive program be developed for high school students, using the distance learning system as one component. The comprehensive program included: (1) a satellite broadcast to teachers at the six schools to discuss student needs; (2) follow-up contacts by phone and in person with key personnel at the schools; (3) provision of six videotapes dealing with drugs, alcohol, and violence to help prepare the students for the broadcasts; (4) administration of student questionnaires to determine problems and needs; (5) visits to the schools by senior social work students to examine student behavior; and (6) three satellite-linked, interactive, television broadcasts entitled "Anger Management: How To Prevent Violence in Our Schools I, II, and III." This paper reviews and evaluates the results of this effort. (MES)

New technologies offer educators a lower cost, easier to access opportunity to use distance learning. The Internet, which has had a wide impact on education, has only recently become widely available and is much easier to navigate than in past years. Educational benefits for students using the Internet include learning materials posted on Internet pages, learning to work cooperatively, and learning to write correctly when creating web pages. Videoconferencing is another new technology. Within the last year, new technologies have made it possible videoconference over the Internet for a reasonable price. Until recently, only those in professional laboratories could turn photographs, sounds, and video images into digital files that could be manipulated by computer. Digital cameras that once cost thousands of dollars now cost hundreds. They are as easy to use as standard cameras. Many schools use digital cameras to create web pages. Digital images can be created by scanners at reasonable costs. As prices drop, schools must consider whether it is worth the expense to use technology, determining how and why the technology is important to them and whether the time it takes to integrate it into the curriculum is justified by the educational benefits. Use of the new technologies can naturally foster the kind of collaborative learning that is harder to achieve in other settings. (SM)

This study focused on the roles facilitators and students play in high school distance education classes, how these roles affect student performance, and other factors (such as school organization) which affect facilitator and student performance. Three classrooms from three different high schools, each taking the same nationally-offered distance education physics course during the 1994-95 school year, participated. The course was delivered live, twice a day, via satellite, with telephones and a computer keypad system connecting the students with the remote teacher. The research methodology included classroom observation, interviews with classroom facilitators and students, and review and analysis of student work, extant documents, and resources used in the course. Results supported the position of theorists who contend that distance education does not constitute a distinct educational process. The same factors that affect student learning in a traditional classroom (learner skills, knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes, and course and lesson design) also affect student learning in a distance education class. The study also suggests that responsibility for the quality and outcome of distance education courses is shared among all components of the distance education system. Specifically, the course provider, instructor, and designers are responsible for providing effective, efficient instruction that maximizes student achievement. The responsibilities of the local school include ensuring that students possess pre-requisite entry skills and supporting utilization of the course as designed. In addition to course design and school factors, facilitator roles and performance requirements are defined by the needs of the students themselves. (Contains 36 references.) (AEF)

The capacity for immediate, or almost immediate, interaction between teacher and student is often cited by distance education program developers as one of the key reasons why interactive satellite courses can be as effective as face-to-face instruction. This paper analyzes the interaction between the learner and the instructor in the distance learning context by examining three research questions: (1) How important is it to provide live broadcasts, rather than taped instruction? (2) What is the importance of the instructor providing a social presence in producing learner satisfaction? and (3) What is the importance of providing interaction between the learners and the on-screen instructor? Data was collected from two Star Schools programs, one in science called "Geonauts," produced by Northern Arizona University, and one in foreign language instruction called "Elementary German," produced by Oklahoma State University. Both deliver instruction to primary/elementary schools (grades 1-6) across the United States using interactive satellite television technology. Case Studies and mail surveys of students and teachers were used to collect data. Findings are presented in four sections, dealing with live versus taped format, interaction, social presence, and a final section examining a multivariate analysis of all of these variables. The results indicate that watching the programs live had the same effect as watching them on tape. Recommendations are made for reshaping paradigms in future distance education programs. (Contains 12 references.) (AEF)

The Video Instructional Development and Educational Opportunity (VIDEO) Program encourages all public educational institutions in Missouri to supplement educational opportunities through the use of telecommunications technology, including instructional television programming and satellite broadcast instruction. Three subprograms within the VIDEO program are: (1) grants to public school districts, public institutions of higher education, and public broadcast television stations for equipment and instruction; (2) development of instructional programs to be transmitted through the airways or by cable television, available free of charge to the public; and (3) development of instructional programs to be made available on a subscription basis. An institution or organization may access VIDEO funds in five ways: initial access grants, extension grants, broadcast grants, program development grants, and discretionary grants. When the VIDEO program first awarded grants in 1989-90, 458 local education agencies, 21 institutions of higher education, and 5 public broadcasting stations applied for and received approximately $4,500,000 in initial access and broadcast grants. In the 1995-96 school year, nearly $3.7 million dollars was allocated to local education agencies, institutions of higher education, public broadcasting stations, program development/distribution, and the VIDEO/Technology Conference. The program summary also lists members of the VIDEO committee for 1995-96 and their term expiration dates. (SWC)

The implementation of effective science programs in primary schools is of continuing interest and concern for teacher educators. Recent Australian national initiatives have been designed to foster the teaching of science in primary schools. At the provincial level in Queensland, decisions concerning the planning and introduction of a new primary science syllabus are still pending. As part of the Australian Academy of Science's approach to creating an awareness of the national curriculum project called "Primary Investigations," a project team tried out a series of satellite broadcasts of lessons related to two units of the curriculum for grades 3 and 4. The curriculum development project included a focused inservice component for the respective classroom teachers, also conducted by satellite. This paper reports the involvement of a grade 4 teacher in the project and analyzes her professional growth in the areas of self-efficacy and motivation. Already an experienced and confident teacher, the subject showed no quantitative changes in self-efficacy; however, her pedagogical content knowledge and confidence to teach science in the concept areas covered by the broadcast were enhanced. Changes in the teacher's views about the cooperative learning strategies espoused by "Primary Investigations" were also evident. All the results suggest implications for the design of inservice programs for primary science teachers. (Contains 41 references.) (Author/SWC)

In 1990, the Satellite Telecommunications Educational Programming (STEP) Network in Spokane (Washington) joined with state education agencies from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington to form the Pacific Northwest Star Schools partnership for distance education. The STEP network offers telecast courses to 500 schools, 90% of which are in rural areas. Of the 6,000 middle- and high-school STEP/Star students in those 500 schools, 72% were in grades 9 through 12, 57% were female, and 26% were Native American. Courses range from languages like Spanish and Japanese to marine science and astronautics. A 1994 survey polled 440 superintendents and building administrators. Forty-three percent of respondents indicated that their buildings had participated in the STEP/Star program for two to three years, and 53% anticipated increasing the use of distance learning at their locales over the next five years. The survey also shed light on the perceived benefits of distance learning and on barriers to technology implementation, such as a lack of equipment, scheduling, cost, instructional concerns, and lack of technical assistance. Commitment of time and resources at various organizational levels was seen as a crucial factor in further progress. (Contains 5 figures, 3 tables, and 26 references.) (BEW)

Franchise fees are a tax imposed on a private entity to compensate a municipality for use of a public property for private gain. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 grants municipalities the right to assess a 5% franchise fee to both cable companies and competitors of cable companies, such as operators of open video systems. The Minnesota State Department of Public Service surveyed all municipalities, telephone companies, telecommunication carriers, investor-owned natural gas utilities, investor-owned electric utilities, and cable communications companies in the state of Minnesota to collect data on franchise fee collection and use. The survey identified 209 municipalities that access franchise fees on cable communication companies. Franchise fee collection is the most prevalent with cable companies, which are also required by state law to provide access channels for public, educational, and government (PEG) access. The four technologies capable of delivering subscription video services are standard cable television, open video systems, wireless cable, and direct broadcast satellite. Only standard cable television is both subject to a franchise fee on all gross revenues and is also a technology which is fully compatible with local PEG access requirements. The government must regulate its fee and requirement policy to prevent increased consumer subscription costs and loss of competition among competing technologies, and to maintain current franchise fee revenue and PEG access. The document includes the following sections: (1) Background on Franchise Fees and Public, Educational and Government Fees; (2) Franchise Fees (amount collected, use of franchise fees); (3) PEG Access (PEG programming and viewership); (4) Video Technologies, Franchise Fees, and PEG Access; (5) Recommendations for a State Policy Regarding Franchise Fees and Related Compensation; and (6) Conclusion. (Author/SWC)

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been progressing over the past 5 years toward the institution of Direct Broadcast Satellite Radio (DBS-R) which would institute a new type of radio service. The FCC refers to the service as Satellite DARS (Digital Audio Radio Service), and it would provide reliable, high-fidelity satellite-delivered radio signals, receivable on fixed, mobile, and portable devices anywhere in the United States and its environs. Spectrum for provision of DBS-R services has been allocated, but no rules have yet been set, nor any licenses granted. Four proponents remain among those who submitted proposals during a filing window that closed in 1993. Any proponents awarded spectrum under Gen. Docket 90-357 would become national broadcasters, each beaming 20 or more channels of digital audio to national audiences. Note that another form of DBS radio service, Direct-to-Home (DTH), has also begun; two DBS television services (DirecTv and Primestar) currently offer multichannel digital audio services as part of their service packages. The four DBS-R proponents are American Mobile Radio Corporation; CD Radio (formerly Satellite CD Radio); Digital Satellite Broadcasting Corporation; and Primosphere Limited Partnership. In response to debates on fiscal soundness of the proposals, the FCC has leaned toward DBS-R proponents, citing the economic obstacles that their proposals face, while also maintaining that the burden of proof is on those who would obstruct the new technology. To protect terrestrial broadcasters, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has presented items for the FCC to consider regarding Docket 90-357: DBS-R should only be offered as a non-commercial, subscription-based service; DBS-R radio should not be given any head start in authorization over terrestrial Digital Audio Broadcasting; there should be no ground-based components for terrestrial repeating allowed; the application window for prospective DBS-R licenses should be reopened so more than the current four applicants can be considered; and DBS-R service providers should be held accountable to the same standards and public service requirements to which U.S. broadcasters have been traditionally subject. Geographic issues include the probability of signal loss the further a listener is from the equator and international spectrum differences. The most prudent approach for public radio in reaction to possible future DBS-R services should be both defensive and offensive. (AEF)

Public radio is about to achieve a new technological level as the new Public Radio Satellite System (PRSS) is deployed. The network will dramatically improve the capacity and quality of its interconnection system, but proper interfacing at member stations will be required to realize the full benefits of the new system. The new system uses digital transmission and includes a perceptual coding algorithm called MUSICAM, a data compression system that keeps bandwidth requirements low and audio quality high. Audio outputs will be offered in: (1) the compressed digital signal; (2) the decoded (decompressed or "linear") digital audio complying with the AES/EBU interconnection standard; or (3) standard analog linear audio. Uplink stations should note that modulators do not include MUSICAM inputs, although these may be added later. Most stations will want to use analog audio to feed live programs to their on-air consoles or for time-shifting. Details are provided about interfacing the MUSICAM output to a disk-based storage system, ancillary data interfacing, and control interfacing. The new PRSS will usher in a small revolution in the way public radio programs are distributed. One table lists additional hardware options for the new PRSS. (SLD)

In this paper, potential applications of wireless data communications and mobile satellite technology are described which aim at improving education. The motivation behind this work is that the technology now exists for providing today's teachers and students with not only better access to educational facilities, but also instantaneous communications with distant sites and mobile units. Wireless data communications systems integrated with mobile satellite technology use wireless radio packet modems for message transmission between a fixed dispatching center and mobile units. Messages are relayed over a wireless data network, and mobile units are equipped with satellite receivers which read signals from Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites. A discussion of mobile satellite communications includes an examination of GPS, the Magellan AIV-10 OEM GPS Module, and Blue Marble Graphics MAIL Map, Geo View, and GeoCalc. Topics addressed in the wireless data communications discussion include the ARDIS Radio Network and the Motorola RPM 405i Radio Packet Modem. Mobile unit design, dispatching office design, and development issues and interface requirements are addressed in the section on system design. Wireless data networks, Internet access and distance learning, and administrative computing are offered as examples of applications in education. The last section of the paper addresses other applications and future directions. (Contains 19 references.) (MAS)

The Satellite Interconnection Project was created for the purpose of investigating the interest and need for improved interconnection, faster and of greater capacity than the capability of present systems, especially among Alaska state-supported users of video and audio transmissions. The intent was to explore the cost-benefit and the potential improvement in the quality and range of services supported by the state. It was anticipated that through the use of advanced telecommunications, the state would realize significant savings, improved productivity, and more meaningful levels of service for Alaskans in K-12 education, University of Alaska courses, state agency training, public broadcasting, and other applications. The Satellite Interconnection Project would consolidate state-supported distance delivery and put in place the first phase of such an integrated system by the summer of 1995, bringing together private, public, state, and federal planning and investment. This collection of reports summarizes the research, studies, consulting, multitude of site visits and face-to-face meetings, and recommendations to and endorsement of the Telecommunications Information Council for further planning and implementation. A summary of the Satellite Interconnection Project to date is given. Proceedings are provided from the Telecommunications Forum II meeting in October 1994, including: assessing the state environment for infrastructure development; the planning process to date; Delphi study; other states' efforts; ongoing interconnection: current status of 5 projects; building on the present infrastructure; and next steps and later phases. Appendices include: "TIC Endorsement for Further Planning Work"; "Delphi Study Final Report, School of Business, University of Alaska"; "Other States' Comparisons: 'Satellite Interconnection Planning Project'"; "The National Information Infrastructure: Agenda for Action"; "Selected 1993 State Telecommunications Legislation"; and "Telecommunications Forum I, 'Visions of Alaska's Future,' March, 1993." (MAS)

These two documents summarize the findings of the 1994 and 1995 rounds of the Technical Institute Information Technology Survey, which is conducted annually to gather information about a broad range of technology uses at Georgia's technical institutes. Both reports included the responses from all of Georgia's 33 technical institutes regarding their uses of the following: Georgia public television, satellite dishes, mobile rental dishes, cable television, closed circuit television, telephone company services, microwave towers, telelearning classrooms, mobile and/or fixed remote sites, fax services, loaner distance learning equipment, computerized keypad response systems, telephone registration systems, high definition television, virtual reality, desktop visual communications, computer networks, mobile equipment, and security systems. The 1994 report includes an overview of the survey results, a copy of the questionnaire on which the responses have been tallied, a data matrix of equipment at each institution, and a list of technical institute coordinators. The 1995 report includes a description of the study's purpose and methodology, 51 pages of tables and charts detailing the study findings, and a copy of the revised questionnaire. (MN)

In 1993 the Western Illinois University and Illinois State Board of Education Satellite Education Network broadcast a series of 10 half-hour instructional programs focused on mathematics inservice training for Illinois school teachers in grades 5-8 and 9-12. Project funding came from the Eisenhower Mathematics and Science Education Program through the Illinois State Board of Higher Education. Because the programs were broadcast to such a large potential audience, it is not possible to obtain accurate data on the exact number of teachers who actually watched the programs. More than 49 schools had initially committed to watch the programs, and they were later distributed to over 25,000 schools in Illinois and over 1,000 schools in Texas. Responses of 128 elementary school teachers and 93 high school teachers to a questionnaire indicated that the approach is cost-effective and particularly useful for smaller rural schools. Teachers agreed that the programs were well-organized and articulate, and few criticized the programs or their content. Teachers found the training worthwhile and were appreciative of the convenience of watching at their home schools. Dissemination in other communities has confirmed that these programs are a useful recourse for inservice training in a practical and cost-efficient format. Six tables present evaluation results. (SLD)

Star TV, the first international satellite broadcast system in Asia, has had a profound effect on national broadcasting systems, most of which are rigidly controlled, state owned monopoly organizations. The purpose of this paper was to study the response of national governments, media industries, and the general public to this multichannel direct broadcast service. India is used as a case study because it is generally representative of Asian national broadcast environments and has been specially targeted as a potential market for Star TV's services. Public response to the service has been enthusiastic. Industry has mainly viewed it as a short-term, money-making opportunity. Governments, however, perceive Star TV as a commercial/economic enterprise, and their policy responses have also been governed by this perception. Efforts made by governments so far have been either to strengthen domestic broadcast systems, or to control cable systems that function as carriers for satellite signals. No attempt has been made to apply the provisions of international law which guarantee nations the right of prior consultation and consent to satellite broadcasting or to evolve supranational regional regulatory frameworks. (Contains 25 references.) (Author/KRN)

A study was conducted of off-campus instructional programs offered by the College of Agriculture of the University of Florida to describe the programs being conducted, the resources needed, the policies for teaching courses at community colleges, and the potential for using Ag Sat and other remote delivery systems for off-campus teaching. Data were gathered by a task force through mail and direct contact with students, faculty, and administrators. Results were organized in three areas: delivery systems for off-campus instruction, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) off-campus teaching programs, and other off-campus instructional programs. Programs in each area were described as they are operating now, and recommendations for improving them were made. (Appendixes to the report include a model 2 + 2 articulation agreement, a model 2 + 2 scholarship agreement and criteria, and a model agreement between community colleges and the IFAS for using faculty to teach courses.) (KC)

Teaching multiform foreign languages in a multicultural "United Europe" cannot distinguish between instruction of culture and instruction of speech. The terms interculture and intercultural are used to refer to European culture instead of a particular national culture. This paper asks the following fundamental questions: (1) "What objects of study should be included in foreign language intercultural instruction which modern educational technology is called to support?"; (2) "Which research reports or educational productions are suitable for comparative studies in the classroom and could be implemented through a collaboration of various agencies from different European countries?"; (3) "Which production of comparative studies could be realized through collective processes among different classes of foreign languages students in different European countries?"; (4) "What kind of new educational support material would be required to implement interculture in conjunction with traditional material?"; and (5) "Which networks of modern technology best transmit and instruct European interculture?" Discussion includes databases, interactive video, electronic mail, the role of mass media, the European educational satellite Olympus, and educational radio-television stations. (AEF)

This paper describes the Virginia Satellite Educational Network (VSEN) and reports the results of an assessment of the program. The purpose of the VSEN, which was developed after the 1988 approval of the Governor's Educational Technology Initiative, is to meet the educational needs of Virginia students, especially in small and rural areas, and to bridge any educational disparities between localities. The paper begins by describing VSEN courses as "live," 50-minute, one-way video, two-way audio interactive presentations that include credit courses for students, staff development programs, and special course offerings. General guidelines, licensure standards, and guidelines for instructors and support staff are also provided. It then reports on a survey of all high school and middle school principals and counselors in Virginia which was conducted in 1991-92 to rate VSEN distance learning classes and other major satellite course providers. Responses on the 452 questionnaires returned are analyzed, and the results are reported. These results provide information on which distance learning providers are used; the frequency and nature of technical difficulties; the kinds of personnel involved in receiving programs; and the geographical distribution of local participants. Discussions of facilitator problems and their training needs and the strengths of distance learning conclude this report. (KRN)

The feasibility and relative costs of four telecommunication systems for delivering university courses to distant locations in Colorado were compared. The four systems were compressed video, vertical blanking interval video, satellite video, and audiographic systems. Actual costs to install and operate each for a 5-year period were determined, without reference to costs for classroom remodeling, operational staffing, or instructional staffing, working on the assumption that annual maintenance would be 10% of purchase costs. Distance delivery costs were compared with that of having an instructor travel to the site. Instructor travel costs were determined for direct travel expenses and for instructor travel time. The least costly alternative was live instruction with the instructor traveling to the remote site for a semester compressed into a few weeks, a choice that would cost about one-third the cost of any alternative. The least costly electronic delivery modes were compressed video and vertical blanking interval video, which were relatively equal at $84 and $83 an hour. Compressed video would require many more hours and would result in a substantially higher annual cost. Instructional advantages of electronic delivery include the ability to spread a course out over the entire semester, which should enhance learning. (SLD)