Interactive Television

Interactive Television (ITV) is a synchronous, two-way distance learning method where the teacher is connected to the learner and learners are connected to one another. ITV can be a close approximation of the face-to-face classroom experience.

ITV provides increased access for learners who are unable to make it to the physical space where a course or program is being offered. ITV offers advantages to the teacher over some other distance learning methods. Unlike one-way video, ITV offers teachers the ability to receive direct learner feedback and for learners to interact with each other.

ITV can present technical challenges to teachers and learners. It sometimes includes learners in the same physical space as the teacher. This can present a challenge for the teacher to give the same attention and instructional quality to learners at a distance as they do for learners in the same physical space as the teacher.

Application: In Virtual Communication Camp, I attempted to approximate the learning experience of the face-to-face Communication Camp through a combination of one-way video, digital projects and discussion boards. However, I was unable to achieve the same impact of the face-to-face Communication Camp which led teams through a communication planning process using lecture, discussion, application and reflection. Learners especially valued the relevance of the material to their work, the time the experience allowed for them to work with their colleagues and the peer-support the experience offered.

Adopting ITV as a method of instruction for the Virtual Communication Camp could help me come closer to the face-to-face experience. Team members could come together, either at the same ITV location or from different locations. This would allow synchronous time for teams to discuss and work on their communication plan and projects. Having all teams connected through ITV would allow the broader discussion to flourish and peer-support to emerge in ways online discussion boards cannot.

Assessment: Digital Projects (Barkley & Major, 2016, pp. 196-201)

In order to see if learners are able to apply the communication planning process and communication skills in their work, I would ask Virtual Communication Camp teams to produce a news release, a piece of web content and a short online video based on their communication planning. Each piece should clearly advance their program goal, be aimed at their target audience, include their key messages and fit a particular user scenario. I would need to ensure Virtual Communication Camp experience included sufficient time for teams to coordinate and to co-create their projects. I could provide learners with example projects from the face-to-face Communication Camp to help guide them.

References

Barkley, E. F., & Major, C. H. (2016). Learning assessment techniques: A handbook for college faculty. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Witte, James E., & Witte, Maria Martinez (2004). Interactive Television. In Michael W. Galbraith (Eds.), Adult Learning Methods: A Guide for Effective Instruction (3^rd Ed.) (253-271). Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing Company.