on ground of financial exigency, often the to make when distance learning institu­ tion. Since telematics are cheap flexible and Providing for Lifelong Mfiliation with severance benefits involved mean that al­ tions are involved because many students easily configured to handle very large num­ most no resources can be re-allocated to drift off without graduating, but still feel bers of communications this would appear Distance Education Institutions newer more vital functions. associated with the organisation. The dis­ to be the basis for an adequate solution advantages of face-to-face meetings is that from the institutional standpoint as well as and the Feasibility of Doing So with Inadequate solutions they are costly in time and in money both that of the students. If some means were to be found which for the institution and for the students. Al­ Telematic communications are self­ would encourage frequent continuing con­ though indispensible to the development auditing. A complete record of how many Personal Computer Communications tact between students and the distance of deep ties, these meetings cannot be held people are participating and where they are education institution even when no courses very frequently. located is readily available. It can be used per-se are being taken, the problem would The only sort of meeting which can be by the distance education organisation as by Gary M. Boyd Organizations are publicly funded. They studies in order to improve their work op­ be at least half solved. Of course, alumni held frequently is that of the local study a basis for subsidization requests. If the need to demonstrate the legitimacy of such portunities, does not preclude the deeper associations do play an important role in group. These often are simply several students pay for the messages from them funding by attracting and retaining large quest for affiliative meanings which add up maintaining contact between graduates students who meet regularly in each to the institution then the amount of those Introduction numbers of students. What happens is that to a "self-esteemable" identity being opera­ and universities. But many distance educa­ other's homes to listen to, watch and dis­ payments is also an indication of the legiti­ In our rapidly changing and deeply com­ particular areas of study (e.g., computers, tive in distance studies. Coltman (1983! tion students don't graduate, they just sus­ cuss broadcasts. Groups which meet for­ macy of the enterprise, in the sense that partmentalised world people have a grow­ small-business management) attract many notes that impending loss of study often pend studies. Television and radio broad­ mally in local libraries, courthouses or token payments for public transit, or for ing need for opportunities to reenact per­ students who take a few courses and then promotes identity crises. cast messages do attract and sustain inter­ schools and make use of telephone con­ medicare serve this end. sonal affiliative performances; to reiterate disappear. They may return later to com­ The main source of motivation for con­ est for many students, and newspaper dis­ ferencing systems such as those developed meaning and to reaffirm identity. People plete a degree or to study some other newly tinuing with distance study, aside from self­ play advertising is also somewhat effective; by the University of Wisconsin Extension Conclusion also need on-going access to 'state-of-the­ fashionable subjects. But they may not. confidence, is according to Bowlay's work but not effective enough. Department are quite effective in develop­ There is currently a realisation that stud­ art' information in all the professions. Uni­ Except where enrollment is artificially in Australia (Bowlay 1979), "perceived sup­ The telephone is, in North America at ing bonds among students and between ent support services are of equal import­ versities with deep historical roots and restricted for political reasons as with the port from significant others". Some of the least at present, the most convenient means them and the institution (Thompson, 1984). ance to the packaged and broadcast learn­ leading edge research can and do meet UK Open University, large fluctuations in "significant others" are tutors and which­ for communications between students and ing materials in determining the success of these needs for certain minorities. Distance enrollment make distance education plan­ ever other distance education students institutions. The telephone has some ma­ A new and possibly adequate solution distance education schemes IStewart, education institutions are doing a good job ning difficult. Because the politicallegiti­ have become friends through local study jor disadvantages. It is preemptory in its Personal computers have become very 1983). Counselling, and the provision ofar­ at providing more open access to basic macy of these organisations depends on the centres or summer schools. Means for summons, and therefore calls forth various inexpensive and widespread. Also packet­ rangements for continuing interactions bet­ courses of studies; perhaps they can also size and kind of clientele they are seen to maintaining contact with these people forms of telephone protection, such as non­ switched data communications are now ween students and faculty, and among adapt to meet these life-long affiliation and serve, large variations in enrollment num­ should therefore increase the probability answering machines, which reduce its use­ available throughout the world at very low students are vital parts of the support ser­ knowledge needs. bers and kinds make it difficult to maintain of continued course taking. Professionals fulness (we have all been caught in little rates. Telematic networking, therefore, vice. At present they are expensive and dif­ successful clams on public funds over the possessing high status in the work field of inadvertent games of telephone tag!. presents itself as an option for maintain­ ficult to provide. A prototype experiment Innovation comparatively long time periods needed for the student are also "significant others". The mails are slow and expensive. New ing life-long involvement with distance in carrying on these functions with the aid Innovations occur when there is the hap­ producing and delivering packaged They will encourage the worker to take computerized letter generating and addres­ education institutions (Boyd, 1979). of personal-computer communications py conjunction of four factors: (al pressing courses. The appropriate scale of perma­ courses or use other facilities of the institu­ sing programs do facilitate correspondence, For example, in Canada it is now possi­ should be undertaken now. problems, (b! solution oriented people, (cl nent institutional staffing is also made diffi­ tion if they are affiliated with it themselves but not enough. ble to purchase a personal computer with choice opportunities (e.g. staff replace­ cult to determine by large changes in enrol­ and if it is seen to be doing a good job. The broadcast media (TV/Radio) are a modem for less than four hundred dollars ments, additional resource sourcesl, and (d) ment (Rekkedal, 1982). These higher status practising profession­ cheap, and effective attention attractors, IThis is about three times what the text­ References new solutions looking for problems to als also need continuing affiliation with but they are one-way channels and alto­ books for a university course cost). Such which they apply. March and Olsen (1976! The clients' problems organisations which give them critical eval­ gether lack privacy. Newspaper columns a personal computer can access the Trans­ Bowen, C., & Peyton, D. (1984). How to argue that it is the conjunction of these fac­ The nominal reason for most people's uations of the latest research results and and display advertisements are also cheap, Canada Telephone System 3000 get the most out of CompuServe. tors rather than "rational planning" which participation in distance education is to im­ practises in their fields. To some degree but suffer from the same limitations as DATAPAC service. The current rate be­ New York: Bantam. brings about actual innovation. prove their work status. Two other this is provided by professional assoca­ broadcasting. All of these "mass" media tween Montreal and Vancouver is $1.45 Bowlay, D. J. (1979). Motivation and per­ reasons: to gain knowledge for its own tions. It is also provided by many universi­ need to be complemented with private fast per Kilopac. Public dial access adds about sistence at external tertiary Problems sake, or for social contacts, each account ties both informally through contacts be­ personal return and interaction channels. one dollar per Kilopac. However a Kilopac studies. Armidale, N.S.W.: The For individuals in our society the peren­ for about ten percent of the students tween professors and former students, and Teletex may provide some capability of the is a very large amount of data. What this University of New England. nial problems of meaning, purpose and op­ (Holmberg 1982). Distance learning in par­ formally through special extension servi­ kind needed if it ever becomes widely amounts to is that you can send a thousand Boyd, G. M. (1979). Transparency, quality portunity are acute. The problem of mean­ ticular is chosen over other means mainly ces. Distance education institutions are enough available. At present it is not much words of text from Montreal to Vancouver and stability in computer communica­ ing is also the central concern of ethnic and because it enables students to budget their now at the place where further under­ more than a curiosity. NAPLPS (Telidon) instantly for about five cents. Similar rates tions-based higher education. In R. F. religious political-action groups. The survi­ time more efficiently and more pleasant­ takings along these lines appear to be indi­ videotex is slightly more widely available, apply throughout North America. Ericson (Ed.). Proceedings of the val and growth of organizations which pro­ ly. There is also a particular appeal for cated for the reasons given above. but is still preposterously expensive (Only Another advantage of computer cor­ Silver Anniversary International vide both security and opportunity is a cen­ those who like solitary study. a requirement that NAPLPS decoder/en­ respondence and computer conferencing is Meeting of the Society for General tral concern of their members. Distance It is very difficult to determine whether People and Opportunities coder chips be built into every TV set in that it can be asynchronous. People partici­ Systems Research (pp. 800-807). education institutions are organisations ser­ a deeper search for the meaningful life March and Olsen's second and third fac­ the way that UHF tuners are now required pate at whatever odd moments they New York: Springer-Verlag. ving their employees and their students (In­ underlies the stated objective of career ad­ tors are of necessity peculiar to particular to be built in, will open up the videotex choose. That this medium is acceptable, Coltman, B. (1983). Environment and sys­ deed many people who work for such in­ vancement. In European and North institutions, places and political situations. world (Godfrey and Chang, 1981). and even highly appealing, to large num­ tems in distance counselling. In A. Tait stitutions also study through them). American society most men and women Fortunately most distance education Personal visits, week-end workshops, bers of people is attested to by the success & D. Steward (Eds.). International answer the question "Who are you? by organisations are fairly young so that many and summer-schools do provide excellent of the Special Interest Groups, and 'CB' Workshop on CounseUing and Dis­ The institution's problems naming their job. The search for identity of the staff have flexible attitudes toward opportunites for direct personal exchanges channels on the CompuServe and Source tance Education (p. 48). Milton Most open learning or distance education and meaning is expressed as a search for change. Unfortunately some institutions among students and faculty. Alumni orga­ computer utilities (Bowen and Peyton, Keynes: Open University/I.C.D.E. a better job, or perhaps still even as an at­ are already heavily bureaucratised, and nisations also hold such gatherings and in 19841. What we have here is a cheap fast Godfrey, D., & Chang, I. 119821. The Gary M. Boyd is a Professor and Direc­ tempt to try and find some "true" vocation. committed to rigid job-description con­ some cases these overlap with those of cur­ pleasant new way of communicating Telidon book. Reston, VA: Reston. tor of the Doctoral Program in Education Certainly the fact that most distance educa­ tracts with staff unions. Even if contracts rent students. The distinction between cur­ which seems very well suited to persons' Technology at Concordia University. tion students say that they pursue their allow for the closing of certain operations rent students and alumni is often difficult needs for continuing educational affilia- Continued on page 27.

8 VOLUME 14, NUMBER 1, 1985 CANADIAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL COMMUNICATION 9 TABLE 4 emerged confirming evidence that Telidon tial for Telidon as an effective, user friendly References although not all, of the work commission­ learning system: Bits and Bytes (Don is an easy-to-use home service for other­ and student accepted system. If the termi­ Herrmann, T. (19831. Tutoring in PSI... ed is expected to be regionally informed, Robertson, TV Ontario) wise inexperienced computer users. This nal problem and the costs of telecommuni­ Distance Education: the Nigerian experi­ STUDENT RESPONSE TO THE USE Person vs Computer. ERIC Document nationally significant case studies. confirmation was also received from the cation can be resolved within a specific dis­ ence (Francis Z. Gana, Ministry of OF TELIDON DELIVERED TESTS IN No. ED233251. Small research grants ($500-1000) will be specific on campus instructional applica­ tance education project than our evidence 1 PSI available to selected individuals. Oppor­ Education, Lagos) COURSE IN ORNOTHOLOGY N = 15 Herrmann, T., & Leppmann, T.(198 1· , tions. Furthermore, while there were tech­ suggests that Telidon is the only presently Personalized for Whom? ERIC Docu­ tunities will be available for contributors Format: Canada's National audiovisual nical reliability problems, they are of suf­ available practical method of displaying de­ to attend coordination meetings and/or information system (Donald Bidd, 1. Is this the first time Moderately easy to use 100% ment No. ED187765. you have taken a Yes 100% ficiently short duration or limited fre­ tailed graphic and textual information us­ Herrmann, T. (19841. "Telidon" as an workshops/symposiums in August, 1986, National Film Board, Montreal) test using Telidon? No quency as not to man the general accepta­ ing a range of colour. It appears to provide Enhancer of Student Interest and Per­ Expo year in Vancouver. The project will Satellite Communications: Past Present 2. Did you have any bility of this service for home based infor­ intrinsic motivation to students when pro­ publish selected materials in either one of and Future. (W. Terry Kerr, Depart­ problems with the Yes 53% formance. Paper presented to the system? No 47% mation access to extension and distance perly used. American Psychological Association, four teacher/learning booklets or a mono­ ment of Communications, Ottawa) 3. What was your Very easy to use 40% education resources. The Guelph trials, unlike the educational Toronto, August, 1984. graph. Selection of contributors will be Telidon: its use in Distance Education (Dr. reaction to this Moderately easy to use 60% Two major hurdles, however, were iden­ television panacea projects of the 1960s, made in January 1985. Robert A. Abell, Alphatel Systems, technology? Difficult to use Hofstetter, Fred T. (19831. The Cost of Very difficult to use tified in the agricultural field trial which undertook to limit the scope of the applica­ PLATO in a University Environment For more information contact: Edmonton) 4. Was the test... too long? 20% are of intense importance for distance edu­ tion of Telidon to one or two specific as­ Journal of Computer Based Instruc­ Dr. D.C. Wilson, Project Coordinator Among the many AMTEC members at­ too short? 27% cation. The first is the entry cost of the ter­ pects of the course. The project team work­ Department of Social and Educational tending the 1984 ICEM conference were right length? 33% tion, 4, 148-155. no answer? 20% minal. A Telidon dedicated terminal with ed with an educational philosophy which Keller, F. S. (1968). Goodbye Teacher Studies president Bill Hanson, immediate past­ 5. What was your im· added significantly? 33% decoder, monitor and 1200 bps modem sought to emphasize student performance Journal ofApplied Behavioral Analysis Faculty of Education president Barry Brown and president-elect pression of the useful 60% costs in the vicinity of $2,000 and is a single and output rather than teacher input, Most 1, 79-89. University of British Columbia Ed Crisp. President Bill addressed the ses­ graphics used? not very useful 7% purpose device, An IBM PC type earlier media approaches have concen­ sion on the morning of the second day of 6. Was the display much too slow? Leppmann, P., & Herrmann, T.(19821. PSI, Vancouver, British Columbia time... too slow 20% microcomputer with the necessary soft­ trated on information input, i.e. the more What are the Critical Elements? ERIC V6T lZ5 the conference, bringing greetings on be­ acceptable 73% ware decoder, colour board and modem senses you use the more you can share in. Document No. ED214502. Dr. R. Lorimer, Project Coordinator half of AMTEC and describing its function very good 7% to the interested delegates. 7. How did you find inaccurate 7% will cost in the vicinity of $5,000 although Knowledge of what is expected, student Perry, W. G. Jr. (1970). Forms ofIntellectual Department of Communication the graphic depic- some uncertainty 33% the educationally priced IBM PC Jr can be practice and awareness of achievement and Ethical Development in the College Simon Fraser University The chairman of the ICEM 1984 Con­ tion of content? acceptable 47% put in service with a Telidon configuration through feedback on performance seem to Years, New York: Holt, Rinehart and Burnaby, British Columbia ference was Hans Kratz of Alberta Educa­ accurate 13% for less than $2,000. The microcomputer the author to be the most fruitful areas for tion. (Many will remember him as chair­ 8. Was the wording of Yes, very 27% Winston. V5A IS6 0 question easy to Yes, fairly 60% decision will, for many potential distance improving student learning. The Keller PSI Tucker, M. S. (1983-84). Computers on man of the highly successful AMTEC Con­ understand? No, confusing 7% education users, be based on more broad­ method and other approaches which em­ Campus: Working Papers Current Is­ ference held in Edmonton in 1979.) Hans uncertain 7% ly defined needs than for the use of Telidon phasize learner responsibility, especially in took care of every detail including the 9. Would you like to sues in Higher Education 2, 0 ICEM CONFERENCE have access to this access. With costs of this magnitude and post secondary and distance education, Continued from page 18. weather, which was perfect. After this ex­ materRil during the the elusive low cost TV Telidon adaptor not have demonstrated that such improvement perience let us hope that the Council de­ semester as a self· Yes 93% testing aid? No 7% yet in sight one is led to conclude that the is achievable. These methods, however, MEDIA NEWS tain, Nigeria, Switzerland and the U.S.A. cides to meet again in Canada before too population of home access terminals is not are costly in providing intensive and fre­ Continued from page 15 The theme of this year's conference was long. ICEM was founded in 1950 under the yet sufficient to warrant major investments quent feedback and often result in com­ theory. As editor of that journal, Winn is "Educational Technology to Enhance Lear­ name of International Council for Educa­ in creating Telidon materials for distance promises which reduce the immediacy of certainly in the position to assess trends in ning at a Distance". The program for each tion Films; the name was changed in 1966 III. Discussion and Implications education. "How will the students access the feedback and hence much of its educa­ content. Perhaps prospective day consisted of a number of speakers to International Council for the Advance­ the data?" tional power. It is in this era where the authors/researchers in the field will answer followed by a symposium involving the ment of Audiovisual Media, and in 1980 to While the two uses of the Telidon system The second major hurdle is regional in Guelph trial concentrated its study of his call for more papers on the topics of speakers for that day. All of the program International Council for Educational reported here (agricultural extension and significance and has to do with the availa­ Telidon and where its initial success analysis and design, as well as the social events were plenary session, with simul­ Media. ICEM enjoys Consultative Status, instructionI may appear unrelated to dis­ bility and cost of telecommunication ser­ occurred. aspects of educational technology. Copies taneous translation between English and type A, from UNESCO, through the Inter­ tance education, it is in combining the find­ vices. In parts of Western Canada tele­ of this conference paper may be found in French being provided over headphones. national Film and Television Council, and ings of both studies that some guidance phone line charges established for Telidon Conclusion the ERIC document collection as ED 243 A wide variety of topics was presented maintains a secretariat in Paris, France. 0 may be offered for distance education plan­ by the Government operated telephone The potential for Telidon in distance 440, or ordered from the EDRS (ERIC along the theme of Distance Education: ners. companies are extremely reasonable at 5 education lies more in the quality of th~ in­ Document Reproduction Servicel. Note Think before you leap: How to reduce pro­ The agricultural extension field trial with cents per minute in Manitoba and 6-8 cents structional design decisions than in the that EDRS has a new mailing address: 3900 blems in Distance Education (Dr. Bill COMPUTER COMMUNICATION GRASSROOTS revealed that it is possible per minute in Saskatchewan. In contrast, technology. This has always been the case Wheeler Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia Winn, University of Calgary) Continued from page 9. for a university to collaborate with a com­ Eastern Canada has no such provision with with educational media but the novelty of 22304. The Association for Educational Extending opportunity: Telidon technology mercial electronic publisher to their mutual regular voice tariffs costing at least 50 cents another system can blue one's vision of Communication and Technology (and in Vocational Education (Amelia Holmberg, B. (1982). Recent research in advantage. The University was able to get per minute. In addition rural phone lines what comes first, purpose and plan or tool. ECTJ) may be contacted at 1126 Sixteenth Turnbull, Alberta Correspondence distance education. Hagen: up to spped in a very short period of time are frequently party lines and the attach­ There are many existing forms in which Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. School) Zentrales Institut fur without the capital and operating expense ment of data terminals to such lines is not course content for distance education can Educational Teleconferencing (Dr. G. Fernstudienforschung. associated with a major database delivery permitted. The arrangement Infomart has be delivered. The test, the audiocassette, Barry Ellis, University of CalgaryI March, J. G., & Olsen, J. (19761· Ambigu­ system and network. The system operator made with Bell Canada for a special INET printed or film slide illustrations, all can Educational Technology to enhance learn­ ity and choice in organizations. gained access to a region otherwise difficult rate of 25 cents per minute in dialing area deliver content at a fraction of the cost of CALL FOR PROPOSALS ing at a distance: a systematic ap­ Bergen: Universitets-forlaget. to enter. It also gained experience in the 519 is a move in the right direction but its Telidon or other computer based systems. proach (Dr. Ron J. McBeath, San Jose Rekkedal, T. (19821. The drop-out problem design of action task software not then in cost structure will inhibit all but short ac­ What they cannot do as effectively nor as A major Secretary of State funded project State University) and what to do about it. In J. S. Daniel, use by the company. Ongoing working cess sessions by the majority of individual effeciently is provide students at a distance is soliciting proposals from individuals in­ New Realities in Educational Communica­ M. A. Stroud, &J. R. Thompson (Eds.), relationships were established which make users. The recent breakup of AT &T in the with frequent short tests of learning terested in contributing secondary curricu­ tions (Peter L. Senchuk, ACCESS Learning at a distance (pp. 118-122). it possible, subject to agreement on specific United States is resulting in rate increases achievement and immediate feedback. It lum materials or research papers on trans­ Alberta) Edmonton: ICEE Publications. applications, for the GRASSROOTS system for some institutionally provided distance . is in identifying similar limited segments portation and communication. It is expect­ Clearinghouse for Computer Software (Dr. Stewart, D. (1982). Counselling in distance to serve a number of distance education education services which threaten the con­ of distance education delivery where ed that, based upon proposals submitted, S. Jim Thiessen, General Systems education - An overview. In A. Tait, projects. The existence of the GRASS­ tinuance of these services at least in pre­ Telidon can make a useful contribution. persons selected to contribute will include Research Ltd., Edmontonl & D. Stewart (Eds.), International ROOTS network, relative ease of access, sent form. Since Canada is moving in a teachers, college instructors, university Technology in Distance Education: Im­ Workshop on Counselling and Dis­ and economy of use should not be over­ similar direction with telecommunications NOTE Based on the difficulty of serving level researchers, and other writers and proving Man's humanity to Man (Dr. tance Education lpp. 8-111. Milton looked by other institutions interested in policy, potential applications of Telidon to larger numbers of students on campus John S. Daniel, Laurentian UniversitYl Keynes: Open University/I.C.D.E. from a distant database, the University researchers. this technology for distance education, The distance education should examine this of Guelph and Tayson Information Materials to be developed will discuss By Making too many technological turns, Thompson, G. (19841. The development of analogy here is using the railway company dimension carefully and then proceed with Technolgy have developed a standalone the social, political, cultural, and/or econo­ one ends up going around in circles the educational telephone network at to transport goods rather than building caution. IBM PC based system, VITAL IVideotex mic aspects of transportation, resource ex­ (Andre Hebert, University of Quebecl the University of Wisconsin. Inter­ your own railroad or highway system. From the instructional applications Integrated Teaching and Learning national Council for Distance Edu­ System for Education and Trainingj. traction transportation, broadcasting and The TV Ontario Academy on Computers Secondly, from the agricultural field trial reported it can be seen that there is poten- new communication technologies. Much, in Education - a Canadian distance- cation Bulletin, 5 (2), 47-52. 0

26 VOLUME 14, NUMBER I, 1985 CANADIAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL COMMUNICATION 27