Radio amd Audio

UNIT 7 TELEVISION AND VIDEO

Structure
7.0 Introduction
7.1 Learning Outcomes
7.2 Television: A Medium of Education
7.2.1 Historical Perspectives
7.2.2 Potentials and Limitations of Television
7.2.3 Utilization of Educational Television
7.3 Video
7.4 Emerging Trends
7.4.1 Webcasting
7.4.2 Video on Web
7.5 Let Us Sum Up
7.6 Keywords
7.7 References and Further Readings
7.8 Feedback to Check Your Progress Questions

7.0 INTRODUCTION
By now you are exposed to the concept of communication technology and its
various aspects. You have studied in the preceding units about pedagogical
designs for communication technology and managing the technological
change. Learning through information and communication technology (ICT)
is evolving rapidly and is becoming a global phenomenon these days. It
allows the learners to overcome many of the constraints of conventional
methods of learning. It also enhances teachers’ capability and effectiveness
by highlighting the learning points visually.

ICTs can be used to provide flexibility for catering to different learning

needs and learning styles (aural, visual, pictorial, etc.) of the learner. The
learner who uses ICTs learns more quickly, retain knowledge for a longer
time and feel better about the content learnt.

In the previous unit, you have studied in detail about the audio medium.
Historical development, and strengths and limitations of the audio medium
for the teaching learning purposes have been discussed there. We therefore
assume that you have developed fair understanding of the various
applications of radio broadcast and audio tapes both in the face-to-face
(classroom–based) and open distance learning environments.

The audio medium, as the term indicates, caters to only one of your senses
that is hearing / listening. You can hear / listen to information / content
delivered through a source but you cannot see the events happening or
taking place. Neither you can see the teachers / experts nor can they see you
as learners. Educational television can provide an opportunity whereby the
learner can hear and see the events happening or taking place. You can see
the teacher while making presentation on a topic or demonstrating
experiment. We therefore can say that the limitations of the audio medium
can be overcome to a great extent by the use of the video medium. In this
unit you will study an overview of the historical expansion and types of
television broadcasts, strengths and limitations of television as a tool,
channel or medium of learning, etc. You will also study the strengths and
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Technology Primer limitations of television broadcasts vis-à-vis the cassette technology. You will
also study the emerging trends in the visual medium, such as webcasting,
YouTube, TeacherTube, etc. Television has the potential to be a valuable tool
in enhancing the quality of teaching and learning at all the levels of
education. It is, therefore, widely used for dissemination of information to
its users. We hope that you will find the unit interesting and useful to
improve your teaching or learning through television.

7.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES

After going through this Unit, you are expected to be able to:
• Describe the historical development of educational television;
• Describe the advantages and disadvantages of television broadcast and
video cassettes in education;
• Discuss different applications of television and video media in distance
education; and
• Examine the use of webcasting and other tools in the open and distance
learning system.

7.2 TELEVISION: A MEDIUM OF EDUCATION

Television has pervaded the society to the extent that it has become part of
day-to-day life of people all over the world. It has been entertaining,
informing and educating them through a variety of programmes. It provides
unique opportunity to learners to learn as per their convenience. According
to Lesser (1975) the television’s greatest power is its capacity to transport, to
show the world to children, to display people, events, ideas that they have
never encountered before and are unlikely ever to have the opportunity to
confront. We shall discuss the development and potential of television as a
medium of education in the following sub-sections.

7.2.1 Historical Perspectives

Television has a history of about seven decades when it was started on an
experimental basis in developed countries as a medium of entertainment. As
per the literature available the television industry was born in the years
immediately preceding World War II. Television was exhibited at the 1939
World Fair as a show case for the first US Presidential speech on television.
After the war was over television has clearly proved its greater capacity and
a period of its intense growth took place. Its popularity can be judged by the
exponential growth of television centers all over the world. Between 1945
and 1948 the number of television centers in America grew from 9 to 48. By
1960 about 85 per cent of US households had a television set. In late 1940s
some American Universities started experiments for establishing studios,
producing and broadcasting television programmes for their students.
Recognizing its potential and wide reach some educational institutions had
started using it as tool for imparting education to learners in early 1950s.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of USA In 1952 established
television stations and broadcast programmes for educational institutions.
The use of television grew slowly in the beginning. Its use however grew
rapidly in 1960s and by 1972 more than two hundred television centers were
established in US alone.

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Television was used for educational purposes by different institutions/ Television and Video
countries in different ways. For example, the following two models of
utilization of television programmes for educational purposes were used at
the initial stage:
• Extension of classroom: Initially teachers started using television as an
extension of classroom teaching by making the content available to a
large number of learners outside the classroom. In this model
presentations of experts are recorded in the lecture format and made
available to educational institutions and learners. In other words, the
functions of a live teacher are performed by the television teacher/
presenter/expert who could be available to a large number of students
in both the classroom and off campus situations. As a result a large
number of video lectures presented by eminent experts are available for
use by teachers, scholars ad learners.
• Exploitation of potential of television: After the establishment of the
British Open University in UK, and subsequently other open learning
institutions in different parts of the world the specific functions and
potential of television were exploited to achieve learning objectives
effectively and efficiently. British Open University took into account the
specific strengths and weaknesses of television as a visual medium and
used it extensively for learning situations where visual support was
needed to comprehend the content or accomplish specific learning
objectives. Television programmes were designed by a team of experts
based on the principles of effective teaching and learning. In this
model, media experts gave importance to instructional design for
developing educational television programmes. The need for media
selection and integration caught the attention of teachers.
Both the models are being used these days by educational institutions in
most of the countries, including India. For example, a series of lectures of
eminent scholars / experts on various topics related to higher education have
been produced by the Consortium of Educational Communication,
University Grants Commission (CEC / UGC), New Delhi. These
programmes are being telecast nation-wide (known as country-wide
classroom) for the teachers and students at the tertiary level education.
Besides, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), for example, has
produced a large number of television programmes based on the specific
potential of the visual medium for its learners. Such programmes are
specifically designed taking the strengths and weaknesses of educational
television into consideration. The visual medium is selected based on the
various factors / criteria, with more emphasis on the learning objectives to be
achieved by the learners.

History of Educational Television in India

The history of television in India goes back to September 15, 1959 when the
first experimental television service was started in Delhi with the noble
cause of social and educational development of the people. Unlike most of
the developed countries, India started the television service for empowering
school teachers in their teaching and children in their learning. With this
objective in view, a series of especially designed and produced television
programmes were telecast by Doordarshan Kendra (government run
television centre), Delhi for secondary school children in and around Delhi
in October 1961 under the aegis of ‘Delhi School Television Project’. These
programmes were syllabus-based and telecast during the school hours as
part of the school activities. The aim of introducing the television service in
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Technology Primer school system was to overcome the shortage of qualified science teachers
and improve the standard of teaching science in secondary schools. Research
studies found positive contribution of the television programmes on the
quality of teaching and learning.

In spite of its educational and developmental uses, in the beginning,

television was treated as an extravagant item by the government. Hence its
expansion could not get precedence in comparison to developments in other
areas. After a gap of about 13 years the first major expansion of the television
service in India began when the second television station was commissioned
in Mumbai in 1972. This was followed by commissioning five more
television stations one each at Srinagar, Amritsar, Calcutta (Kolkatta),
Madras (Chennai) and Lucknow by 1975. Till 23 long years the television
transmission was in black and white. During Asian Games (1982) which
India hosted, the colour transmission of television programmes was
introduced. Thereafter the television industry in India did not look back.
Starting with 41 television sets in 1962, now there are over 130 million homes
with television sets covering viewing population more than 400 million
individuals through more than 150 channels. Similarly, beginning with one
hour broadcast in 1980s now television programmes are being transmitted
round the clock. Besides introducing colour television, the Govt. of India
installed nationwide a large number of high and low power terrestrial
transmitters which increased the reach and accessibility of television
programmes to viewers across the country. Easy access to relevant
technology, variety of programmes and increased transmission hours were
some of the factors for rapid expansion of the television service in India
(Vyas, Sharma & Kumar, 2002).

Till the early nineties Indian television was directed towards education and
development. Entertainment programmes were few which later on occupied
more time in the transmission schedule. When a few melodramas / soaps
like Hum Log (1984) and mythological dramas: Ramayan (1987-88) and
Mahabharat (1988-89) were broadcast, millions of viewers in both the urban
and rural areas became devoted users of television programmes. This
brought sparkle in the television service in India. Similarly when urban
viewers learnt that it was possible to watch live events from any part of the
world on television they brought dishes for their home to watch television
programmes telecast by the various broadcasters. At this stage, the use of
the television programmes moved from cities to smaller towns and
thereafter to villages. As a result, entertainment and commercial
programmes occupied more chunk of the television transmission these days.
Let us explain the development of television in different words. In the early
years television was considered as a medium of facilitator of the
development process and its launch was justified by the role it was supposed
to play in educational and social development of the people. However, by
1991 television’s earlier mandate to aid the process of educational and social
development had been diluted. Entertainment and commercial programmes
had begun to take the centre stage in television programming strategies.
Educational programmes which could not attract advertisers and hence were
not able to fetch money for the broadcasters shifted to the back bench.
Sensational programmes became popular and occupied foremost place in the
transmission schedule of majority of broadcasters.

SITE (Satellite Instructional Television Experiment): SITE (1975-76) was a

landmark in the history of the educational television service in India. It was
designed to test whether satellite-based television services could play a role
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in socio-economic and educational development of rural masses. Using Television and Video
American ATS-6 satellite and uplink centers at Ahmedabad and Delhi,
developmental television programmes were beamed down for about four
hours a day to about 2400 villages in six educationally backward States. The
programmes dealt with in and out of school education, agriculture and allied
subjects, health and family welfare, national integration, etc. Thus the
programmes based on both the developmental and school education were
broadcast through the satellite, which were viewed by the villagers
(including adults and children) through direct reception television sets
installed in primary schools and / or community centers in the villages.
Besides school children, programmes for school teachers were also telecast.
During SITE a large number of primary school teachers were trained in
innovative teaching-learning methods. The experiment was conducted for
one year. Research studies on SITE found the experiment successful in
demonstrating the effectiveness of satellite-based television programmes for
development and education in Indian villages. The role of television was
appreciated by the viewers and it was accepted in primary schools as an
educational force for teaching and learning effectively.

Post-SITE Project (1977): After the SITE was over, the broadcast of television
programmes continued through terrestrial transmitters installed at Jaipur
(Rajasthan), Raipur (Chhatisgarh), Muzaffarpur (Bihar), Cuttack (Orissa),
Gulburga (Karnataka) and Kheda (Gujarat). Community television sets were
installed in primary schools or community centres in the villages within the
effective range of the respective terrestrial transmitters. You would like to
note here that in place of communication satellite, terrestrial transmitters
were used to broadcast television programmes. The broad objectives of the
post-SITE project were to familiarize the rural masses with improved and
scientific knowledge about agriculture and allied subjects, health and
hygiene, national and emotional integration, etc. and hence to facilitate their
socio-economic development. It was also aimed at making rural children in
the age group 6-11 years aware of the importance of education and healthy
environment. The enrichment educational television programmes based on
primary school curriculum / syllabus was broadcast during the school hours.
One day in a week was earmarked for primary school teachers in which
programmes related to new pedagogy, content and contextual issues were
broadcast for their professional growth. The primary school teachers
otherwise did not have opportunity to keep themselves up dated about the
recent developments in the area of education. The post-SITE centres were
later on converted into full-fledged television centers to broadcast national
as well as regional television programmes.

INSAT Project (1982): Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system has been a
major catalyst in the rapid expansion of terrestrial television coverage in
India (Mehta, 2005). The launch of a series of indigenous communication
satellites boosted broadcast of television programmes in India. Started with
INSAT 1A, launched in 1982 with the national coverage, television
programmes were used for socio-economic and educational development of
rural audience. The television broadcasts covered various areas of
developments, such as education, agriculture, social education, health and
hygiene, etc. The main objective of the INSAT supported television service
was to bring people residing in the rural and backward areas into the
national main stream, by quickening the developmental activities in these
areas with mass media support (IGNOU, 1995). Developmental programmes
for community and educational programmes for primary school children
were telecast in different languages.
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Technology Primer Gyan Darshan channels: Various indigenous satellite-based television
services were started in 1990s in the country. With INSAT in the
geostationary orbit of the space, it could be possible to network all the
Doordarshan Kendras located in different parts of the country and broadcast
programmes. Besides the use of television programmes for commercial,
entertainment and information purposes, INSAT is being used for
educational television services at all the levels: from primary school
education to higher education, including professional courses and lifelong
learning. With the liberalization policy of India, the television scenario has
changed dramatically in the recent past. IGNOU in collaboration with
Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD), Indian Space Research
Organization (ISRO) and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MI&B)
has established a bouquet of Gyan Darshan Channels — dedicated to
education. It beams educational television programmes produced by various
institutions in the country, such as IGNOU, University Grants Commission
(UGC), National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT),
Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and so on. These channels provide
round the clock service to learners at primary, secondary and higher
education levels. The following three GD channels are functional:

GD 1: This channel is devoted to educational and developmental needs of

the learners. A variety of educational and developmental programmes for a
variety of learners are broadcast through this channel.

GD 2: This is an interactive channel for education and training. GD 2 as the

Training and Development Communication Channel (TDCC) provide one-
way video and two-way audio interactivity between the teaching and
learning ends. This system is also known as teleconferencing which can be
received across the country with the help of direct reception television set
and the learner can interact with experts / resource persons through
telephone. Live teleconferencing is an innovative intervention to learning at
a distance. It provides the much needed human touch to the otherwise
remote and distance learners who can directly interact with experts /
teachers located at any teaching ends in the country, seek guidance, can
express their views and clear their doubts regarding the topic being
discussed. In the existing arrangement of teleconferencing the learners can
see the teachers but the teachers cannot see the learners. It, however, does
not mean that two-way video conferencing cannot be organized. If needed
technological infrastructure at both the ends (teaching and learning) is
available, the teachers and learners can see and interact with each other (you
will read more about teleconferencing in Unit 8).

GD 3: This channel, launched on January 26, 2003, is known as Eklavya

which is aimed at imparting quality education to students pursuing
engineering education. GD 3 telecast curriculum-based programmes for
undergraduate studies in engineering and technology. Any educational
institution in the country can have access to this channel with some basic
infrastructure. It is estimated that the channel is being watched by nearly 1.5
million learners studying in about 1500 engineering and technology
institutions across the country. Many of the programmes are found useful by
the general public as well.

Ministry of I & B has placed two channels of Gyan Darshan: GD 1 and GD 2,

on Direct-To-Home (DTH) platform which, besides reducing costs of the
system, has enhanced viewership of the programmes. You may be aware
that DTH is a technology to receive satellite television programmes with a
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personal dish (small in size and less in cost) in an individual home. DTH is Television and Video
wireless (unlike cable television) reaching directly to the learner’s place of
study or work. It is satellite-based and is often called satellite TV.

Check Your Progress 7.1

Notes: a) Write your answer in the space given below.
b) Compare your answer with the one given at the end of this unit.
Briefly discuss the common objectives of the projects and initiatives discussed
above.
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7.2.2 Potentials and Limitations of Television

As you might be aware, every medium and method has its strengths and
weaknesses. The usefulness of the medium depends on the fact that how
systematically it has been selected and utilized. In this section we shall
discuss important strengths and limitations of television as a medium of
education and training.

Potential of educational television: By now you might have realized that

educational television has incredible potentials to facilitate both teaching
and learning at the various levels of education. If designed creatively and
utilized successfully, educational television programmes can make learning
well-organized, productive and imaginative. Through television-supported
learning we can reach educationally deprived learners, including those who
cannot attend regular classes due to one or the other reason, all over the
country with uniform quality content. Television as a medium of
instruction therefore has to be selected scientifically and used imaginatively
so that its potential is exploited most favourably. You have to make sure that
you have made right choice by selecting the video medium to achieve your
learning objectives. Our experience reveals that television for that matter any
technology, is not a barrier, it is an advantage to both the teachers and
learners. The general advantages of educational television are as follows.
The television:
• Supports education both in the face-to-face classroom and distance
learning environments. Under favourable environment, educational
television can be used to support a large number of learners.
• Can facilitate synchronous and asynchronous interaction between the
teacher and learner when used in teleconference situation. Active
participation of the learner in the learning process is a pre-condition for
optimum learning.
• Motivates learners to overcome many psychological problems
hampering their learning. Educational television, with its usual impact,
creates interest in learners to enjoy learning as per their convenience. It,
therefore, can be effectively used as a motivational tool.
• Provides high quality education to all the learners irrespective of their
location, caste and creed. Thousands of learners spread over different
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Technology Primer geographical regions can receive same programmes at the same time.
The educational television broadcast help overcome problem of
inequality and imbalance among regions by providing equal
opportunities.
• Provides more cost effective education when it is used on a large scale
and repeated over a period of time. Though production and
transmission of television programmes is a complicated and costly
process, the cost per learner is low.

Besides the general advantages stated above educational television, as a

visual medium, has certain specific strengths. They are as follows:
• Television demonstrates experiments, experimental situations or
principles involving dynamic change or movement
• It demonstrates abstract concepts through the use of especially
constructed physical models.
• It can be helpful in learning abstract ideas directly. Making the abstract
concepts concrete, the role of animation and visual experimentation is
very important. Complex / abstract concepts can be illustrated through
visual simulation also.
• It can facilitate animated, slow motion or speed-up video tapes/
videodisc.
• It presents objects in the animated format, such as cartoon films.
• It illustrates principles involving two, three or multidimensional aspects
of a learning object/concept.
• It brings primary or unique resource materials, case studies, etc.,
directly to the learner.
• It can take the learners to unique learning environments, such as launch
satellite, to moon or even to a forest, etc., which is otherwise not
possible to create in a classroom situation.
• It records special events, experiments, places, people, monuments, etc.
and make available to learners as and when they need.
• It influences learners’ affective aspects of personality, such as, attitude,
interest, value system, etc. It has positive motivation effects by
attracting and sustaining learner’s attention to main learning points and
arousing attention with the movements of camera (through different
types of shots, zoom in / zoom out, camera panning, etc.) or visual
effect.
• It condenses or synthesizes range of information into a coherent whole
• It demonstrates as to how instruments or tools are played, arranged and
used.

All these merits of educational television point out its superiority in the
presentation of content.

Limitations of educational television: We have discussed the strengths of

educational television in the preceding sub-section. We have categorically
stated that if planned and implemented effectively, educational television
can facilitate the learning process. In spite all these advantages, television
has some limitations too which however can be overcome to a great extent
by adopting certain measures. The main limitations of educational television
are as follows:
• It cannot provide instant feedback. It is difficult to capture the learners’
reactions / views about the programmes.
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• Video production is a costly and time consuming affair. It requires Television and Video
sophisticated production facilities and equipments.
• Television programmes are aimed at the average learner. Hence they
may not be very effective for learners with special needs, below and
above average learners. Such programmes may not pose any challenge
to brilliant learners.
• Television broadcast is a passive technology; hence its pedagogical
effectiveness can be limited. To make it interactive we need
sophisticated technology at both the teaching and learning ends.
• Unless produced professionally based on an effective instructional
design and by a team of experts, the television programmes cannot be
effective in facilitating learning. As a result, educational programmes
produced by various institutions are not pedagogically sound / effective.
• Once produced, it is difficult to revise and update the educational
television programmes.
• Television programmes restrict the learners to view the visuals shown
by the producers. Hence the learners get limited perspective of the
concept(s) being taught / learnt.

7.2.3 Utilization of Educational Television

Research studies conducted in India and elsewhere by individuals and
institutions have revealed that educational television is not being used to its
full potential in improving the quality of teaching and learning. There are
various reasons that have become stumbling blocks in the utilization of
television programmes for educational purposes. The main reasons for
underutilization of television are as follows:
• Accessibility and availability: A large number of learners do not have
easy access to different types of information and communication
technologies, including television, video cassettes and videotape
recorders. There are areas where television broadcast is not available.
There are many villages where schools are not equipped with
computers, television sets, etc. We would like to state here that even if
television is available in schools it is not easily accessible to teachers and
learners to use. The television remains either under lock and key of the
head of the institution / learning centre or out of order. Not only
television should be available in the school, but it should be easy
accessible to those who want to use it.
• Attitude of teachers and learners: The attitude of teachers and learners
towards television as a medium of instruction plays an important role in
its utilization. It has been observed that those teachers who have
positive attitude toward educational television are innovative in their
approach to teaching and learning. They use more effective methods
and strategies to enhance learning of their students. There are some
teachers and learners for one or the other reason, such as ignorance
about the potential of educational television, etc., avoid its use. They
are averse to alter their methods of teaching / learning to accommodate
ICTs.
• Support of administrators: The support and encouragement of the head
of the institution or the coordinator of the learning centre in case of
distance education system is essential for effective use of television
programmes. It has been observed that due to one or the other
managerial problem teachers/counselors are not provided easy access to
ICTs, including television. Some of the coordinators may not have been
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Technology Primer oriented in the use of television for group learning situations. Hence
they do not support teachers/counselors to utilize the potential of
television.
• Viewing facilities: The supportive environment (either in classroom,
workplace, home or learning centre) is most advantageous for learning
through television. The learning environment should motivate learners
and build self-confidence in them for optimum learning. Poor learning
environment results in reduced learning. This is more so in situations
where the learner uses television without external support or guidance.
• Maintenance: To keep all the electronic gadgets functional is an
essential condition for optimum utilization of television programmes.
There must full proof mechanism for maintenance of television set and
other accessories. Provision for financial and technical support should
be ensured by the distance education institution. If the television and
other accessories remain out of order for long time the learners get
demotivated and gradually forget the very existence of the electronic
gadget.
• Poor integration with main learning materials: It has been observed
that in most of the cases the television programmes are being used in
the supplementary mode to provide additional support to the learner.
They are not integrated, for example, with print medium which is prime
medium of learning at a distance. The learners find television
programmes dispensable to successfully pass their term-end
examinations. Hence they avoid the use of television programmes and
study the printed text materials only.
• Training of teachers and producers: The teachers (tele-teachers/
presenters/anchors) and producers of television programmes should be
thoroughly trained in the philosophy and practices of distance
education system, designing and producing ICT-enabled learning
materials, learning through ICTs and so on. It has been observed that
media producers are trained in producing general television
programmes and not educational programmes. They may not
appreciate the importance of instructional design, learning
environment, etc., in preparing television programmes.
• Enabling policies: In order to exploit the potential of educational
television as a tool for enhancing learning it must be integrated into
pedagogical processes which of course require a deliberate attempt by
teachers, educators, curriculum developers, policymakers and learners.
Relevant policies, norms and guidelines should be in place to assist
teachers and academics to use television in teaching and learning.
Field Work
Undertake the following small survey on television broadcasts. Take an
appropriate sample of ten respondents and ask them the following three
questions:
i) What is the most suitable time for you to view the educational
programmes?
ii) In which language would you prefer to view the educational television
programmes.
iii) What are the weaknesses of the television as an educational
medium?
Analyse the responses and discuss your findings with those of other
students during a contact programme.

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 Television and Video
7.3 VIDEO
You might have used both the modes of educational television technologies:
broadcast and cassette technology. Both the modes have their strengths and
limitations too. The video is considered a more effective medium of learning
than the television broadcast. In other words the video has certain
advantages over the broadcast. They are more flexible and convenient in
their use because you, as learners, have full control over the pace of your
learning in terms of the time and place of using video tapes. Additionally,
the replay facility has made them more flexible to individualized learning.
However, some learners do not agree with argument. Nevertheless the main
differences between the video tape and the television broadcast are given in
Table 7.1.
Table 7.1: Video and Television Broadcast: A Comparison
Video Television broadcast
Available as and when needed Fixed viewing/broadcast time
Repetition, search and mastery learning Repetition, search and mastery
is possible learning not possible
Can be reviewed Cannot be reviewed (ephemeral in
nature)
Individualized pace of learning (pause, Fixed pace for all students
forward, rewind possible)
Integration with other media easy Integration with other media difficult
More flexible and decentralized More rigid and centralized
systems of delivery of content system of delivery of content
Allows the students control over the Students have little control over the
learning process learning process
Allows interaction / discussion as and Discussion during transmission is difficult
when required
Distribution is difficult (through mail) Distribution is easy (through
transmission)
Easy to take notes while viewing Difficult to take note during transmission
Activities / exercises possible while Activities / exercises not possible
using video tapes
Can cater to the need of specific Cater to a large group of learners,
target group of learners including general public
Source: Adapted and updated from IGNOU (1995)

Strengths of video tapes: From Table 7.1 we can infer that the use of the
video tape technology has its advantages for the distance learning as
compared to television broadcasts. Let us discuss, in brief, the practical
advantages and weaknesses of the video tapes (IGNOU, 1995). Video can be
delivered through tape, Compact Discs and Flash Disks.
i) Optimum learning: The video provides planned learning and saves a
lot of study time. It is systematically planned and produced based on
effective instructional design. The required knowledge can be imparted
/ gained within a short time. The control on its use also enables us to
study the desired content / information as many times as we need it and
/ or we achieve our learning objectives. Learning through the video
tape thus saves time, money and resources.
ii) Multiple mode communication: The video programmes can be 33
Technology Primer presented in several modes. To hold attention and motivate the
learners, the content can be discussed in more interesting formats,
which can help the learners retain and recall information presented
through the programmes. Also unlike the television broadcast, video
can be viewed in various ways and / or situations that are independent
of the fixed viewing timings and places.
iii) Standard content: The video programmes are prepared with systematic
planning by a team representing different areas of expertise. Selection,
analysis and sequencing of content are decided based on effective
pedagogy. All the learners receive the same quality content in the same
style of delivery. This is not otherwise possible in face-to-face teaching
arrangements in which only a few learners get opportunities to have
high quality education as not all the teachers everywhere are equally
effective and not all teachers teach with full preparation.
iv) Flexibility: The video technology caters to the need of individual
learners. You have control over the use of medium and hence on the
pace of your learning. A tape can be stopped and replayed as many
times and as long as required by you. The flexibility ensures effective
learning by the learners.
v) Learning through case studies: A case study can be recorded on the
location. Each step of the process of the case can be demonstrated
through the video. Learning through case studies has proved quite
effective for adult learners and this can be done effectively with the help
of video tapes.

Besides, the video has all the educational advantages that the television
broadcast has.

Weaknesses of video: The video has some weaknesses too, particularly in

the Indian context. The use of the video depends on the availability of the
video player equipment and we cannot ensure each distance learner has easy
access to the replay equipment. It is therefore, not advisable to exclusively
depend upon the video tape technology to deliver content for all the learners
across the board. The cost of a cassette replay equipment and lack of its
availability in many learners’ home or work place may be handicaps for its
wide use. To overcome this problem we can opt for study centre-based
rather than home-based learning. In other words, through study centre-
based learning we can use video programmes in a group. The video players
can be made available at the study centres for viewing the programmes. You
may argue here that it is not simple to provide easy access to every learner at
the study centers in a large country, like India. The use of the video through
the study centre network has, therefore, its own limitations. Experience
shows that large number of learners prefer to study independently at their
home or work place. Small number of them makes use of the facilities at the
study centers. Moreover, in group learning the individual learners may find
difficult to learn their pace of learning.

An argument generally being used against learning through videotapes is

that it makes the learners lazy and indiscipline as a result they fail to stick to
the study schedule. On the other hand the broadcast mode makes the
learners disciplined and forces them to strictly follow the broadcast schedule
and hence they pursue the schedule of their study.

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 Television and Video
Check Your Progress 7.2
Notes: a) Write your answer in the space given below.
b) Compare your answer with the one given at the end of this unit.
List at least four advantages which recorded programmes have over live
television broadcasts.
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7.4 EMERGING TRENDS

The emergence of powerful ICTs such as computers and multimedia, digital
compression, satellites, fibre-optics, wireless networks, artificial intelligence,
virtual reality, etc., have expanded our options for engaging in learning and
teaching. Opportunities are also emerging for making effective use of ICTs
that have been previously under-utilized in supporting the learning process
both in campus-based education and open learning. Now-a-days new
possibilities in information processing and communication networks are
making open learning increasingly value alternative to facilitate learning
(UNESCO, 1997).

7.4.1 Webcasting
Webcasting is the Internet broadcasting of streaming audio and/or video
presentations. The learners can view them through a Web browser on a
personal computer (Baecker, Moore and Zijdemans, 2003). Webcasting use
grows as Internet broadband communications becomes more available and
more affordable. Webcast is the transmission of live or pre-recorded audio/
video to computers that are connected to internet (Bell, 2003). Webcast is an
interactive online broadcasting service that enables online events,
videoconferencing and web-seminars through protected network. While
discussing the integration of webcast as a teaching tool Bell (2003) focused
on webcast-supported pedagogy.

According to Schneider (2001), “Webcasting can mean a lot of things, but if

you can produce sound or video over the web and make it available as a live,
real-time recording, or provide it for download latter, it is webcast. The
difference is whether you experience the webcast while it is happening or
whether you are able to download it latter” (p. 1). Webcasting is typically
live presentation in which the distance or classroom-based learners can
participate. Several converging technological and social factors contribute to
the growth of webcasts.

In webcast we transmit rich media to learners and facilitate interactivity

among them. The main objectives of the webcast are to increase the potential
for collaborative learning and to support the development of a learning
society.

35
Technology Primer Webcast presentations can provide various kinds of interactivity (Baecker,
Moore and Zijdemans, 2009). Some of them are as follows:
i) Interaction between expert and distance learners: A distinguishing
feature of the webcasting for distance learners is that they can ask
questions to the experts and resolve their queries. For this we however
have to design our presentations such a way as not to distract the expert
or make him/her lose concentration. We have to use techniques to
engage learners in classroom and ODL environments.
ii) Interaction among distance learners: Distance learners can
communicate via an integrated chat subsystem and can also send
private messages to one another. Unlike learners at a traditional lecture,
they can do this without disturbing other learners and without
distracting the expert.
iii) Interaction between expert and classroom learners: The expert can
argue traditional verbal and nonverbal communication with the
learners by allowing those who have mobile wireless devices to ask
questions and achieve mastery in learning.
iv) Interaction among classroom-based learners: Classroom-based learners
who have mobile wireless devices would be able to participate in the
chat and private messaging. An open question is the effect of this
capability on the concentration and understanding of the learners, on
the ambience in a lecture hall, and on the concentration and
effectiveness of the expert.
v) Interaction between classroom and distance learners: Classroom-based
and distance learners are also able to communicate with one another via
chat and private messaging capabilities of webcast technology.
vi) Interaction among the retrospective learners viewing the webcast
presentation: The interaction can continue (or start) anytime after the
event has taken place/happened while viewing the webcast
presentation.

7.4.2 Video on Web

Due to recent developments in ICTs learning through web is getting impetus
these days. Various types of web-based learning are being utilized by
teachers and learners as well. We shall discuss three emerging trends in ICT-
enabled learning: YouTube, TeacherTube and National Programme on
Technology Enabled Learning (NPTEL), in this sub-section:

YouTube: YouTube is a video sharing reservoir of learning/training content

in which anyone can upload videos for sharing for free. YouTube is a system
where the learners can acquire free higher learning or spend free time for
developing their capacity for better life. It has to rescue too many learners
who cannot afford regular colleges or devote time to attend regular classes
due to one or the other reason. YouTube has for the last few years been
forging partnerships with universities and colleges in the developed
countries. You might have seen some promotional videos like campus tours
on websites of some universities, particularly in developed countries. The
content is uploaded on YouTube straight form classroom. In the recent past
many universities have posted videos of guest lectures, introductory classes
and even a full course. IGNOU has a tie-up to host all its video programmes
on the YouTube servers.

YouTube is gradually becoming popular among learners of formal and

lifelong education. In the recent past some leading universities/institutions
36
such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology launched OpenCource Ware Television and Video
(OCW) with a plan to make virtually all the school’s courses available for
free online. As a user you almost would feel like you are being taught by or
are learning from eminent experts. There is no registration and within a
minute you can be watching demonstration of an eminent expert.

TeacherTube: Based on the needs of the teachers, TeacherTube, a video

sharing website, is building capacity in teachers. The system generates a
customized study plan that is tailored for the need of individual learner. This
leads to faster assimilation of learning and superior understanding of
concepts. Thus YouTube and TeacherTube can be integrated into lesson plan
as both the sites offer a variety of useful video for teaching and learning. You
therefore can use them for your learners. These are excellent resources for
teaching/learning. They can motivate you to learn and have mastery over the
topic.

To make use of YouTube and TeacherTube you have to search for the subject/
topic you are going to teach/learn. You will find various videos on YouTube
and TeacherTube. These videos discus the topic you want to study and they
generate interaction / conversation with you and your class (in case you are
teaching in a face-to-face situation).

NPTEL: You would have realized that technology has an important role in
enhancing quality of education. Hence besides physical infrastructure, the
quality of education depends on quality of faculty whose empowerment in
the design and use of technology can bring qualitative improvements in
education. With this back drop the Ministry of Human Resource
Development (MHRD), Government of India has designed National
Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), an important
intervention on the lines of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’ Open
Courseware (The Hindu, 2009). The main objective of the NPTEL is to
enhance the quality of engineering education in the country by developing
curriculum based video and web courses. Funded by the MHRD the project
is conceived to pave the way for introducing multimedia and web
technology to enhance learning of basic sciences and engineering concepts.
This project is being carried out by Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and
Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore as a collaborative project.
Sufficient infrastructure has been created for production of video based
learning materials by IITs and National Institutes of Technical Teacher
Training and Research (NITTTRs). The concept of multimedia-based courses
with high potential for interactivity has become popular and a viable option
for educational institutions. In the first phase of the project, supplementary
content for 129 web courses in engineering/science and humanities have
been developed. Each course contains materials that can be covered in depth
in 40 minutes or more lecture hours. In addition 110 courses have been
developed in video format, with each course comprising approximately one
hour lecture. In the next phase other premier institutions would participate
in the content creation and access to quality education will be provided to all
without any barrier. The NPTEL aims to increase the competitiveness of
Indian industry in the global market by improving the quality and reach of
engineering education. It envisages forging of strong ties with major
academic initiatives worldwide for developing new technological tools for
learning and dissemination in order to benefit all students (http://
nptel.iitm.ac.in). Engineering colleges, learners and even industry across the
country have stated taking advantage of NPTEL’s resources. Any learner
with poor instructional facilities can learn from professors in this way
(Jebaraj, 2008). The NPTEL videos are also available on YouTube. 37
Technology Primer
Web Search
Go to YouTube (http://www.youtube.com) and find out videos related to
Education, Distance Education, and any other discipline of your choice.

7.5 LET US SUM UP

We hope that you enjoyed reading this Unit. Let us now summarize the main
learning points to help you recapitulate what has been discussed in the Unit.
We discussed, in brief, the historical development of television service. The
history of world television is about seven decades old while it came in India
in 1959 as a medium of social and educational development. Various projects
such as SITE (1976), post-SITE (1997), INSAT (1982) and Gyan Darshan (2000)
were discussed as examples of successful utilization of television for
educational purposes. We have discussed in this Unit that educational
television has certain strengths and weaknesses as well. We therefore should
select television, as a medium of teaching and learning, in such a way that its
potentials are exploited optimally. Television programmes, designed and
implemented systematically can have desired impact on education and
training.

Research studies conducted in India and abroad revealed that television

programmes are not being fully utilized in educational institutions. The
main reasons for its under-utilization are as follows: poor availability and
accessibility to quality television programmes, lack of positive attitude
among teachers and learners towards teaching or learning form television,
lack of adequate support from educational administrators / managers, poor
viewing environments / conditions, poor maintenance of equipments, lack of
integration with other media, lack of training of teachers and programme
producers, etc.

We have also discussed the pedagogic differences between video tapes and
television broadcast. For further clarity we have also discussed, in brief, the
strengths and weaknesses of video tapes for teaching and learning purposes.

There are some emerging trends in the use of information and

communication technologies which have influenced the way we teach and
learn. To expose you to recent developments in ICTs we have also discussed
webcasting and video on web in this unit.

7.6 KEYWORDS
Gyan Darshan is a series of television channels used for transmitting educational
programmes. It is managed by the Indira Gandhi National Open University, and has
national reach through satellite transmission.

INSAT is a series of satellite launched by the Government of India.

NPTEL is a programme initiated by the Ministry of Human Resource Development,

Government of India to provide video and web-based material in Science and
Engineering subjects. It is managed by a consortium of IITs and Indian Institute of
Science, Bangalore. Similar programme in Humanities and Social Sciences are in the
offing.

SITE is the first experiment of satellite use in education. It stands for Satellite
Instructional Televison Experiment. It was initiated in 1975.

Webcasting is the distribution of video programmes over the Web using streaming
38 media technology. It is also referred as broadcasting over the Internet.
 Television and Video
7.7 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
Baecker, Ron, Moore, Gale, & Zijdemans, Anita ( 2003). Reinventing the Lecture:
Webcasting Made Interactive, in Proceedings of the tenth International
Conference on Human - Computer Interaction,
Bell, Stenven (2003). Cyber Guest Lectures: Using Webcast as a Teaching Tool, Tech
Trends, 47(4), 10-14.
IGNOU (1995). Television and Video Components, in Communication Technology for
Distance Education (ES-318), PG Diploma in Distance Education, IGNOU, New
Delhi
Jebaraj, P. (2008). IIT Online Learning Programme gaining momentum, The Hindu,
Daily Newspaper, July 27, 2008
Lesser, S. Gerald (1975). Children and Television: Lesson from Sesame Street, Random
House Inc. (P), New York
Mehta, Shyamal (2005). Space Technology in Education: Indian Context, Available at
http://www.digitallearning.in/jan06/spacetech.asp
Schneider, K.G. (2001). Lights! Cameras! Action! American Libraries, 32(7), 94.
The Hindu (2009). NPTEL- Helping bridging the Gap, Daily Newspaper, March 9,
2009
UNESCO (1997). Toward Open Learning Communities, in Technology and Learning,
mimeo, UNESCO, Paris
Vyas, R.V., Sharma, R.C. and Kumar, A. (2002). Educational Television in India,
Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 3 (4), Available at http://
tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/tojde8/articles/educationaltv.htm

7.8 FEEDBACK TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

QUESTIONS
Check Your Progress 7.1
The common purpose behind the various television projects can be formulated as: the
use of television for the social, economical and intellectual growth of the country and
for an attempt towards improving the quality of education in the country.

Field Work
While you ask these three questions to different people, you may analyse their
preferences for languages, timings on the basis of gender, in job/without job, age etc.
Also see the limitations they express of television through these lenses. You may also
consider to know how they would like to use video, such as available in CD or
through Web.

Check Your Progress 7.2

ii) Recorded programmes are produced and can be broadcast as per the
convenience of the producers and the students respectively.
iii) Recorded programmes are based on specific objectives.
iv) Proper editing and addition of music and sound effects are possible in recorded
programmes.
v) Formative evaluation can easily be carried out in recorded programmes.

Web Search
The Website of IGNOU YouTube is http://www.youtube.com/user/egyankoshIGNOU.
Go to School of Education to find videos related to education.

You may also like to see the NPTEL YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/
user/nptelhrd
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Technology Primer

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