DOCUMENT RESUME EM 007 128 ED 027 741 By-Wade, Serena E. Disadvantaged- -A Reviewof the Literature. Media and the Educational Media andTechnology. Stanford Univ., Calif.ERIC Cleai-inghouse on D.C. Spons Agency-Officeof Education(OHEW), Washington, Pub Date Mar 69 Note- 26p. HC-$1.40 EDRS Price MF-$0.25 Bibliographies, *CompensatoryEducation, Computer *Audiovisual Instruction, Educational Descriptors-Audiovisual Aid:, Disadvantaged Schools,Disadvantaged Youth, *Culturally Disadvantaged, Multimedia Assisted Instruction, Television, Films, Filmstrips,*Instructional Technology, Innovation, EducationalNeeds, Educational Slides, Video TapeRecordings Instruction, *ResearchReviews (Publications), Instruction, Programed articles, and ERICdocuments, 1966 andlater. This review coversbooks, journal than placed on media programand projectdescriptions, rather Much emphasis is trends of commonmedia use and completed research.The review points to reports of shed some light onthe generaldirection of future student performanceand tries to supported in the review: for the disadvantaged.These propositions are media efforts frames of referenceand providingmodels and (1) media areuseful in extending approach disadvantaged; (2)media can emphasizeeach individual's motivation for the disadvantages withwhich some (thereby de-emphasizingthe learning to learning teach basic skills,but seem to beinadequate children come toschool); (3) media can focus on older the disadvantaged;(4) projects that to teachassimilation skills to in achievingnoticeable disadvantaged children oradults will havegreater difficulty mainly because theseindividuals are moredifficult success in ashort period of time, Adelaide Jablosky. Critique and marginalcomments areprovided by to reach: numbers, is included.(Author) Bibliography, includingERIC document A PAPER FROM ERICatStanfoid ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Media and Technology at the Institute for Communication Research, Stanford University,Stanford, Calif. 94305 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT.POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY. MEDIA AND THE DISADVANTAGED A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE By Serena E. Wade With Critique and Marginal Commentary By Adelaide Jablonsky Commissioned by the ERIC Information Retrieval Center on the Disadvantaged at Teachers College, Columbia University and by ERIC at Stanford March, 1969 MEDIA AND ME DISADVANTAGED A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE One of the least explored avenues of possible assistance in teaching the disadvantaged has been the use of media, either to carry the burden of content or to act as supplementary reinforcement to a specially designed curriculum. In their 1965 survey of language programs for the disadvantaged, the National Council of Teachers of English visited 190 programs of 115 separate administrations and found that something less than one-third stressed audiovisual aids; these audiovisual programs were mainly preschool. Educational TV was emphasized in only 5% of the programs, and various mechanical aids were used in fewer than one-fifth of the programs. Of all the compensatory projects listed by Gordon and Wilkerson in their survey of programs and practices (1966), only 16 mention the use of media in any form. We have found a few studies in this area that seem to point to trends of common media use and student perfor- mance, and a few more that seem to throw some light on the general direction of future efforts. What has been seen for this review are books, journal articles, and reports of research through ERIC. Much of the literature is what has become termed "fugitive"; unless there is a cue for search, the information goes unnoticed. While some references prior to 1966 have been included, the major effort has been concentrated on information available since 1966. In organizing the material covered in these pages, we felt it was myopic to look only at the applied research in the field, for there is very little to be found. Accordingly, perhaps dispropor- tionate attention has been paid to descriptions of media programs and projects. 1 Media are being used in the education of disadvantaged children and adults. But they are being used as aids in systems designed before technology became the moving force in education that it is today. It is a foregone conclusion that more media audiovisual aids, films, filmstrips, tape recorders, phonographs and the expensive ones, ITV and CAIwill appear in the schools in the years to come. It is just as great a certainty thattheir supplementary status will continue unless a critical effort is made by educators to assess media capabilities andeducational needs in a more comprehen- sive manner than is currently the case. There is almost no area with greater potential for innovative development than compensatory education. This review of literature and bibliography on the uses of media to help the disadvantaged will state propositions that seem to be supported by at least some data. Such a format is perhaps premature, but we would like to try the approach to indicate,if nothing else, where more work needs to be done. 1. Media Are Useful in Extending Frames of Reference And Providing Models and Motivation for the Disadvantaged. In an early effort a community group in Prince Edward County, Virginia, formed the Free Schools (September1963-August 1964) to compensate disadvantaged children who were for four years without formal schooling due to theintegration controversy ("Action Programs for the Disadvantaged," 1965). Negrochildren (1600 of them) were grouped according to age in anongraded, team-teaching operation. Educational TV from Richmond, Virginia, was used one hour daily anddealt with music, art, science and 2 current events; 30 TV sets wereplaced in four schools. Motion pictures in the schools served ascultural events for these children since local theaters were segregated. One of the most interesting projectsinvolving TV for disad- vantaged youngsters was completed in1966 in Washington, D.C. (Mujerki, 1966). A program seriescalled "Roundabout" demon- strated the use of televisedmaterial to enhance the educational experiences of disadvantaged preschoolchildren and included sepa- rate materials for teachersusing the program. The programs were designed to provide a variety of experiencesand activities that could not be produced byteachers in the classrooms with traditional resources to enrichand extend the preschool curriculum. Theseries dealt with science and mathematicalconcepts, creative arts, social studies and social development. The target population was approximately400 children in five preschool centers in Washington, D.C.Staff evaluation of the pro- interaction (1) There appear grams foundenthusiastic viewer response and frequent to be several inherent between the child and the TV program.The central character of the problems in TV series, a non-teacher, non-professional actor,proved to be an effec- programs projected into tive model for the children toemulate. The program series is now schools or school systems from a available for national distribution.(1) central station. The New York public schools havedevoted E.S.E.A. funds to most serious problem teacher training in the use ofaudiovisual equipment and, as a result, stems from the have improved pupil interest inschool. Teachers who participatedin teacher's inability to the effects of audiovisual instruction control the flow of the the training progyam stated that program Extraneous or on students wereincreased attentiveness, greaterwillingness to prac- intrinsic distractions tice oral communication skills,and more student question-and- often interrupt the answer exchanges inthe classroom (Morrison,1967). Also in New attention of some or all of participated in a project designed to the students. While the class is York, when selected schools trying to resolve its confusion provide maximum flexibility and suppliesand support personnel the program moves (media specialists), normally high teacherturnover dropped, student implacably on attendance increased, and disciplinarysuspensions decreased. Staff with neither (Dubrowsy and Fornear, 1967). the teacher nor the and student morale were high children being able to pick Similarly, the introduction ofaudiovisual aids, including TV, up the threads. All toooften a in an Arkansas junior highschool increased interest in school as well-conceived program is shown by increased attendance (Bumpassand Gordon, 1967). In Los broadcast into a installed desk-top computers with classroom with little or no Angeles, an experimental program preparation on the part of simplified programing in six mid-cityhigh schools that were in the teacherand more often, predominantly black areas. Attendance was sohigh that some expected follow-up activities are ignored or delayed until v 3 their effectiveness is reduced critically. A third and persistent prob- lem is technologicalTV sets break down, and teachersare unable to adjust or repair them. By the time the audiovisual or custodtdl help arrives the program is over and its content lost irretrievably. Last and most serious for disadvantaged children is the fact thattoo many programs are irrelevant to the children's life experiences, to their evolving needs and to their learning styles. Most of these ob- stacles may be largely overcome with the extendeduse of videotape, screened by the teacher in advance,