The portrayal of reading, writing, and other selected behaviors on prime-time network television was examined in this two-part study. First, an interest inventory was administered to a sample of 301 elementary students (i.e., grades 1-5) in South Carolina, Virginia, and Pennsylvania to determine their favorite television shows, books, and school…

Investigated the role of television as a medium for communicating environmental information to the general public by determining the influence of a Cousteau documentary on viewer knowledge and attitudes and to assess changes in those characteristics over time. Survey form used is included in an appendix. (ML)

This review of recent empirical research on the effects of television on children and teenagers begins by examining the results of two surveys which were conducted to determine the opinions of experts in the field. A brief statement of the findings indicates that experts generally agree that television harms formal scholastic achievement while…

Examines various technological and artistic developments in the area of television production via their potential effects on viewers' comprehension and appreciation of televised programs. Developments in television equipment are reviewed, special effects and computer graphics are discussed, and future predictions and suggestions are presented. (47…

Measures children's attention to television programs varying in pace and continuity and assesses recall of the temporal sequence of program events. Attention and comprehension covaried more in animated than in live shows. Age, continuity, and pace effects on recall were not fully accounted for by their effects on attention. (Author/AS)

Children from grades one through six judged commercially produced advertisements, specially produced "pseudocommercials," and verbal descriptions as better suited to advertise a feminine or masculine sex-typed toy. Comprehension of sex-typed connotations was predicted by home television viewing patterns but not by general knowledge of sex…

Four case studies in varying stages of completion are currently being conducted in the Department of Vocational and Technical Education at the University of Minnesota using live, two-way television to link multiple sites for interactive television classes. Two of the four classes, which are offered via closed-circuit television, are a vocational…

Eleven articles on the evaluation of educational television (ETV) in South Africa are provided. Under the heading "Theory" are: (1) "The Meaning of Evaluation and Its Practice" (D. Nevo); (2) "Criteria for Evaluating ETV: A Theoretical Framework" (R. Israeli); and (3) "Sources of Evaluation Criteria in Education,…

A five-study evaluation assessed the appeal of Over Easy to its target group and its effectiveness in meeting stated objectives. Aimed at viewers over the age of 55, the daily, half-hour magazine-format program produced by KQED-TV San Francisco, is intended to inform them, encourage positive attitudes about aging, and encourage interaction among…

An introduction by Jon Baggaley provides background information on this international conference and its participants, and introduces 10 papers which were presented. The papers are as follows: (1) "Teaching Production Research and Design: The Interface of Theory and Practice" (James M. Linton); (2) "The Impact of Television on…

This report describes the yearlong case study based on participant observation at a school which used ThinkAbout, a series of 60 15-minute instructional television programs designed to strengthen the reasoning skills of fifth and sixth graders, and to review and reinforce language arts, mathematics, and study skills. Discussion covers the patterns…

This report describes an analysis of the segments and shows of the first season's production of "Square One TV" in terms of its elaborated goals. It includes charts and graphs showing the treatment of objectives for the series' goals across the 75 shows of the series. The goals of the series are: (1) to promote positive attitudes toward,…

A study was conducted to determine if classroom discussion of Channel One broadcasts would increase student knowledge of current events. Channel One is a news program designed for middle school and high school students and is shown to participating schools across the United States. The program is free to schools that receive use of a satellite…

A foreword by Arthur M. Sullivan and an introduction by Jon P. Baggaley introduce the 12 conference papers included in this collection. The papers are as follows: (1) "Research on 'Sesame Street': Designing the Educational Context" (Rodney Dennis); (2) "'Sesame Street' in Labrador" (Graham Skanes and Lorne Taylor); (3)…