Alternatives for Instructional Broadcast Satellites

Half the cost of education is that of students' time; this paper suggests methods of progranmning instructional broadcast satellites to reduce this cost. For fixed satellite ERP and ground station cost, 200 audio channels could replace a TV channel. If a 100-hour course were broken into 30-minute blocks, each could be transmitted simultaneously. Students would listen through earphones and follow the course in illustrated workbooks. At the end of a block, a student would answer questions by resetting dials before him to choose the block he hears. If he answers correctly, he branches ahead; otherwise, back. Continuous 12-year sequences of math, science, and verbal skills instruction could be available. The advantages of radio programnming are that, with no ground-to-satellite feedback, a student can: 1) be obliged to actively respond, 2) have feedback on his accuracy, 3) begin at his own level, 4) advance at his own pace, 5) miss school and resume where he left off, and 6) spend extra time (weekends or evenings) without waiting for his class. Additional sections of the paper deal with frequency allocation, interference, and ground station design.