Innovator of Telecourses Advocates for National Online Education Initiative
Posted on May 20, 2009 by Mark Schlesinger
An interesting letter arrived at, and was published by, the Chicago Tribune the other day. It was written by Professor Elynne Chaplik-Aleskow. The reason it is interesting is because it answers a question I’ve had for some time: What do the pioneers of tele-education think of today’s modern world of computer- and Internet-driven distance education?
As the letter states, Professor Chaplik-Aleskow was the …founding general manager of WYCC-TV/PBS Channel 20, an educational television station that was created in 1983 and cited during its first decade by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as the most successful distance learning station in this country in terms of the variety and number of telecourse offerings and student enrollment through the City Colleges of Chicago, which owns Channel 20…
Too young to remember the days of early morning and very late night television-based educational courses? Well, I remember them as mostly black and white, one-camera jobs, aired on regional stations when most people were asleep. In this region, they were called ‘Sunrise Semester.’ Later, when distance education links between campuses became more common, the atmosphere was considerably less engaging than we find it today. I recall visiting distance learning classrooms in which a professor at one far location was reading a lecture to the students at umpteen locations, and – if venturesome – using an overhead camera to show markups as s/he spoke. Allowing that such learning interactions can be useful, still, with the benefit of hindsight, they seem a little dreadful in comparison to today’s level of always-on digital and broadcast technology. But they did pave the way to some degree, right?
Interesting too is the fact that Professor Chaplik-Aleskow also taught in the traditional college classroom. But today she voices her full-throated support for online education:
It is time for America to create learning opportunities and availability by funding its academic institutions, supporting teacher training programs and developing online campuses.
You can see the entirety of Professor Chaplik-Aleskow’s letter by visiting the Chicago Tribune’s website.
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Dear Mark,
When I was asked to build WYCC-TV, I told the Chancellor of the City Colleges that I would only consider building the educational television station if the telecourses were documentary in style with no talking heads.
What you describe are the television classrooms way before my time. They were awful in terms of quality television but they started the distance learning process.
Many community colleges in the second generation of distance learning through television produced wonderful course programming.
My station WYCC-TV/PBS purchased language courses from the BBC that were magnificent productions.
There were no Sunrise Semester talking heads on my station. That was before my time.
Also, as my Tribune letter stated, distance learning is not for everyone. And the art of classroom teaching will never be replaced by distance learning. However, a variety of educational options are needed inorder to reach out to all potential students.
Professor Elynne Chaplik-Aleskow
Dear Elynne,
I’m so pleased that you commented on this blog and added to the information. Clearly you were a pioneer. It is interesting to me that there are still pockets in distance learning where the “talking heads” model prevails. More than that, sometimes the model can work for many under the right circumstances – an engaging and knowledgeable speaker, an audience whose interest is susceptible to the topic at hand, and (and here’s where the technology can make even the best of lecturers even better) effective media support.
Distance learning is certainly not for everyone. But it can be effective for many.
Thanks for your contribution.
Mark
Dear Mark,
Thank you for your kind thoughts about my work.
I agree with your response that in certain circumstances, if produced effectively, “talking heads” can indeed deliver knowledgeable and engaging lectures if the speaker has the appropriate talent. This requires a solid public speaker and solid production techniques.
Your blog is wonderful.
Elynne
Mark,
Chicago television historian Steve Jajkowski interviewed me on being Chicago’s first female television General Manager and the creation of WYCC-TV/PBS Channel 20. I think you will find this history enlightening.
http://www.chicagotelevision.com/WYCC.htm