ITV, Telephone, and computer as an instructional system

Conclusion

The telephone and ITV were successfully linked with a computer to provide an interactive information retrieval system useful in the instructional process. The technological feasibility of using an ordinary telephone to control a computer and ITV broadcast was clearly demonstrated, although the costs for this prototype system would have to be reduced greatly before such a system would be economically feasible. Our testing did show that the system was capable of providing information to the user so that performance on subsequent tests did improve. However, one would have to research very carefully the performance of this system measured against other instructional techniques before any type of meaningful comparisons could be drawn. We can conclude that technologically an information retrieval system using telephone and ITV under computer control could be used as part of either a traditional learning structure or a more varied system of education. The response of the teachers to questions about this system and the use of technology in education was a very positive endorsement of the concept. But much research must be done before any clear-cut “best method” can be determined. Probably, there will be many systems that will answer different needs, based on the variability of such things as available funds, level of sophistication in the use of technology, social pressures, etc. There will be no one “best method.”