The National Instructional Television Library Survey in the Use of Instructional Television for Elementary and Secondary Schools, 1963-1964

Instructional Television circa 1963

The National Instructional Television Library conducted a study on the availability and use of instructional television in elementary and secondary schools across the country during the first semester of the 1963-1964 school year.

Methodology

For purposes of the survey, NITL used the following definition:
"An ITV series is a sequence of television lessons dealing with specific subject matter content at specified grade level or levels. Series vary in length from 2 to 190 lessons..."

The survey evaluated data from the Midwest Program on Airborne Television Instruction, all 81 of the ETV stations on-air in September 1963, 51 commercial stations broadcasting ITV courses, and 41 closed-circuit ITV installations.

Scope and Focus

Total hours
25,800 hours of ITV (1,887 series) were broadcast during the fall of 1963
54% of the ITV lessons (1355 series) were for grades K-6
46% of the ITV lessons (532 series) were for grades 7-12

Rebroadcast
29% of the total K-6th grade broadcast hours were spent repeating lessons
31% of the total 7th-12th grade broadcast hours were spent repeating lessons

Grade emphasis
Of all ITV lessons broadcast in the fall of 1963,
24% were designed for kindergarten to 3rd grade;
48% for 4th-6th grade;
13% for 7th-9th grade;
15% for 10th-12th grade

Subject emphasis
The most common subject areas for ITV series were science, foreign languages, and music, followed by English, art, history, and math.

Series frequency
82% of series for K-6th grade had one or two lessons per week
62% of series for 7th-12th grade had one or two lessons per week

ITV Broadcasting by ETV Stations

ETV as a provider of ITV
88% of all ETV stations broadcast at least one ITV series.

Instructional purpose
49% of the series were used to supplement specific courses
31% of the series were used as the primary source of instruction for the subject
20% were used for "enrichment"- to provide information not directly related to any courses offered in the regular (classroom or broadcast) curriculum

ITV Broadcasting by Closed-Circuit and Commercial Sources

Instructional purpose*
51% of the series offered were "basic"; i.e., used as the primary source of instruction
49% of the series were "enrichment" (which also includes supplemental)

[*note: the study used different classifications of instructional purpose for these groups]

Series Quality

"NITL evaluated some 150 elementary school series as to technical quality, accuracy and adequacy of content, and instructional effectiveness." (Murphy and Gross, 1966, p. 62)
NITL found that:

• 9.2% were fit for distribution
• 20% were almost acceptable
• 70% were unsuitable for broadcast

• Concentration on local production for local use
• Insufficient research and planning
• Lack of specific instructional aim
• Failure to capitalize on the strengths of the medium

Return to timeline.
 

See the results of later ITV usage surveys:

1976-77

1982-83

1990-91

 

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/6364survey.html