• During this period, educational technology and psychology are distinctly separate fields.

• As in the 1920s, technical problems and other factors result in limited use of classroom films and radio.

• The federal government is by now a regular producer of educational films.

• Film continues to be viewed as a symbol of progressive teaching.

(radio) 1930- CBS begins American School of the Air, a twice-weekly series on various topics for elementary and secondary students; it will run through 1940. (Saettler, 1990)

(radio) 1930- The National Advisory Council on Radio in Education (NACRE) is formed, bringing together educators, commercial broadcasters, the federal government, and  interested citizens. (Saettler, 1990)

(radio) 1930- The Institute for Education by Radio (later renamed the Institute for Education by Radio-Television) holds its first meeting at Ohio State University. (Saettler, 1990)

(radio) 1930- The National Committee on Education by Radio (NCER) is formed by educators who are dissatisfied by NACRE. NCER has strong animosity for commercial broadcasting interests and is quick to voice its sentiments. NCER also publishes information about educational radio and promotes research. (Saettler, 1990)

(film) 1931- Twenty-five states have units devoted to films and related media within their departments of education by this time. (Cuban, 1986)

(tv) 1931- W9XK at the University of Iowa begins experiments in visual broadcasting. (McKune, 1966)

(film) 1932- The National Academy of Visual Instruction and the Visual Instruction Association of America both merge with the DVI under the leadership of F. Dean McClusky, eliminating much duplication of effort; the name DVI is retained for the new organization. (Saettler, 1990)

(film) 1932- A Carnegie Foundation study demonstrates that when films are used in combination with textbooks, students learn more information and show a greater conceptual understanding. (Saettler, 1990)

(film) 1933- An NEA survey reports that 52% of schools are using silent films and 3% are using sound films. (Cuban, 1986)

(tv) 1933- January 25: WSUI and W9XK simulcast a visual broadcast of two actresses performing a scene from a play. (McKune, 1966)

(radio and television) 1934- The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is created through the Communications Act of 1934. (fm)

(film) 1934- Pennsylvania becomes the first state to require teachers to take a course in visual instruction. (Saettler, 1990)

(film) 1934- Representatives of the United States Office of Education attend the International Congress on Educational and Instructional Cinematography in Rome, where they learn that, compared to Europe, the U.S. is unsophisticated and behind the times in instructional film use. Following the Congress, the American Council on Education (ACE) began its Motion Picture Project, primarily motivated by the goal of establishing a national film institute. (Saettler, 1990)

(radio) 1935- The Office of Education undertakes the Radio Education Project, using unemployed talent to produce educational programs in association with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Experimentation leads to the development of effective broadcasting techniques and the conclusion that educational radio is more effective as a stimulant to learning than as a replacement for traditional educational approaches. (Saettler, 1990)

(radio) 1935- The Federal Radio Education Committee is established. (Saettler, 1990)

(film) 1936- The University of Wisconsin convenes a conference on Teacher Training in Visual Instruction; a second conference is held at Columbia University in 1937. Both are sponsored by the American Council on Education Committee on Motion Pictures in Education. (Saettler, 1990)

(film) 1937- The Committee on Motion Pictures in Education (CMPE) is formed to define and guide the use of motion pictures in education. From 1938-1941, the CMPE spearheads efforts to evaluate educational films and to disseminate these evaluations to teachers nationwide.  Four regional evaluation centers are established, including one organized through the University System of Georgia's Division of General Extension. (Saettler, 1990)

(film) 1937- In a study commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation, F. Dean McClusky examines the widespread failure of educational film production companies. He finds that there is a profound communication breakdown between educators and producers; that some teachers resisted technology out of fear that it would replace them; that there were too many poor quality films and too few successful ones; that there was little educational leadership to promote instructional film; and that the risk of fire was a strong deterrent to use (prior to the invention of safety film, classroom screenings were prohibited by law except in classrooms with fireproof booths). (McClusky, 1937)

(radio) 1937- Commercial radio research begins. The relatively early undertaking of this research is attributed to the fact that radio lacks other means (ticket sales, etc.) to measure audience share. (Saettler, 1990)

(radio) 1937- The Ohio Evaluation of School Broadcasts project begins. The project first provided teachers with training in the use of educational radio; it then evaluated the effectiveness of that medium when used by the trained teachers. At the same time, a Rockefeller grant funds another study at the University of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin study found radio to be no more and no less effective than traditional classroom methods of instruction; an exception to this was in music study, where radio proved more effective. In general, few educational radio survey results would receive wide publication, and most educational radio research would take the form of comparison-of-media studies. (Saettler, 1990)

(radio) 1938- The FCC allocates part of the FM band for educational stations. (Saettler, 1990)

(radio) 1938- WBOE, the first educational FM station, is established by the Cleveland Public Schools. (Saettler, 1990)

(tv) 1938- In May in New York City, C.C. Clark presented one of the early educational programs when he demonstrated the principles of electronic TV for about 250 New York University science students.  NBC transmitted it from the 3rd floor of the RCA building to 25 receivers on the 62nd floor.  Students asked questions via 2 way radio communications and were answered by the instructor on the screen. (Cumming, 1954)

(tv) 1939- A Los Angeles high school experiments with television in the classroom. (Cuban, 1986)
 

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Last update: August 26, 2005 Comments to: Mary Miller mlmiller@uga.edu Created by Mary Miller and Teresa Cruce for Dr. Thomas Reeves' UGA class EDIT 6100, spring 2002 URL=//http://www.arches.uga.edu/~mlmiller/timeline/1930s.html