EIILM UNIVERSITY, SIKKIM

EXAMINATIONS, OCTOBER -2011 MPHIL (ELECTIVE), YEAR I EDUCATIONAL SKILLS

Time: 3 Hours Note: 1-Attempt any five questions. 2-All questions carry equal marks.
01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09.

Max. Marks: 60

Explain the factors affecting classroom communication. As a teacher, how would you promote effective communication in the class? Explain the relevance of educational technology in open learning system. Explain the meaning, characteristics and application of systems approach to instruction. Discuss the theoretical bases of educational skills. Discuss the strengths and limitations of educational radio broadcasting in India. Enumerate the criteria for choosing a teaching aid for your class. Estimate programmed learning as an individualized learning approach. Explain the concept of micro - teaching and its skills. Explain the causes for teacher resistance to the use of educational technology.

Ans 1

Communication is a difficult aspect of life to become proficient in, especially for students. They face a multitude of barriers to effective communication. While none of these are insurmountable, they can be difficult to overcome

Environment

Environmental factors, ranging from the literal volume of a setting to the speaker's comfort level in that setting can influence the effectiveness of anyone's communication skills. For students, this aspect is multiplied tenfold. Students often face a great deal of peer pressure and fear of judgment, and as such, self-impose barriers. For example, a student may not feel comfortable eloquently expressing herself so will use more slang in her presentation. A student also may be worried about looking foolish in front of his peers and let his nerves get the best of him while making a presentation.

Lack of Experience

Effective communication, like anything else in life, takes practice to make perfect. Students, by their very age, often have not had the opportunity to practice their formal communication skills. While some may not face barriers in informal communication, they often face significant barriers when it comes to effective communication in formal presentations simply because they have not yet had the opportunity to hone those skills in a meaningful way.

Resources

Often, the most effective communication is well-developed and presented. Unfortunately, students may not have the resources to do this. They may not have access to the materials necessary to best research the message they are trying to present, which limits their argument. Moreover, they may not have access to the proper communication channels or the knowledge of how to access them. For instance, a student may want to convey a message regarding dissatisfaction with a dorm or living situation, but she may not know the proper channels to pursue to have this concern adequately addressed. This limits the effectiveness of her communication overall

Start With Questions About Nature Sound teaching usually begins with questions and phenomena that are interesting and familiar to students, not with abstractions or phenomena outside their range of perception, understanding, or knowledge. Students need to get acquainted with the things around themincluding devices, organisms, materials, shapes, and numbers and to observe them, collect them, handle them, describe them, become puzzled

by them, ask questions about them, argue about them, and then to try to find answers to their questions. Engage Students Actively Students need to have many and varied opportunities for collecting, sorting and cataloging; observing, note taking and sketching; interviewing, polling, and surveying; and using hand lenses, microscopes, thermometers, cameras, and other common instruments. They should dissect; measure, count, graph, and compute; explore the chemical properties of common substances; plant and cultivate; and systematically observe the social behavior of humans and other animals. Among these activities, none is more important than measurement, in that figuring out what to measure, what instruments to use, how to check the correctness of measurements, and how to configure and make sense out of the results are at the heart of much of science and engineering. Concentrate on the Collection and Use of Evidence Students should be given problemsat levels appropriate to their maturitythat require them to decide what evidence is relevant and to offer their own interpretations of what the evidence means. This puts a premium, just as science does, on careful observation and thoughtful analysis. Students need guidance, encouragement, and practice in collecting, sorting, and analyzing evidence, and in building arguments based on it. However, if such activities are not to be destructively boring, they must lead to some intellectually satisfying payoff that students care about. Provide Historical Perspectives During their school years, students should encounter many scientific ideas presented in historical context. It matters less which particular episodes teachers select (in addition to the few key episodes presented in Chapter 10) than that the selection represent the scope and diversity of the scientific enterprise. Students can develop a sense of how science really happens by learning something of the growth of scientific ideas, of the twists and turns on the way to our current understanding of such ideas, of the roles played by different investigators and commentators, and of the interplay between evidence and theory over time. History is important for the effective teaching of science, mathematics, and technology also because it can lead to social perspectivesthe influence of society on the development of science and technology, and the impact of science and technology on society. It is important, for example, for students to become aware that women and minorities have made significant contributions in spite of the barriers put in their way by society; that the roots of science, mathematics, and technology go back to the early Egyptian, Greek, Arabic, and Chinese cultures; and that scientists bring to their work the values and prejudices of the cultures in which they live. Insist on Clear Expression Effective oral and written communication is so important in every facet of life that teachers of every subject and at every level should place a high priority on it for all

students. In addition, science teachers should emphasize clear expression, because the role of evidence and the unambiguous replication of evidence cannot be understood without some struggle to express one's own procedures, findings, and ideas rigorously, and to decode the accounts of others. Use a Team Approach The collaborative nature of scientific and technological work should be strongly reinforced by frequent group activity in the classroom. Scientists and engineers work mostly in groups and less often as isolated investigators. Similarly, students should gain experience sharing responsibility for learning with each other. In the process of coming to common understandings, students in a group must frequently inform each other about procedures and meanings, argue over findings, and assess how the task is progressing. In the context of team responsibility, feedback and communication become more realistic and of a character very different from the usual individualistic textbook-homework-recitation approach. Do Not Separate Knowing From Finding Out In science, conclusions and the methods that lead to them are tightly coupled. The nature of inquiry depends on what is being investigated, and what is learned depends on the methods used. Science teaching that attempts solely to impart to students the accumulated knowledge of a field leads to very little understanding and certainly not to the development of intellectual independence and facility. But then, to teach scientific reasoning as a set of procedures separate from any particular substance "the scientific method," for instanceis equally futile. Science teachers should help students to acquire both scientific knowledge of the world and scientific habits of mind at the same time. Deemphasize the Memorization of Technical Vocabulary Understanding rather than vocabulary should be the main purpose of science teaching. However, unambiguous terminology is also important in scientific communication andultimatelyfor understanding. Some technical terms are therefore helpful for everyone, but the number of essential ones is relatively small. If teachers introduce technical terms only as needed to clarify thinking and promote effective communication, then students will gradually build a functional vocabulary that will survive beyond the next test. For teachers to concentrate on vocabulary, however, is to detract from science as a process, to put learning for understanding in jeopardy, and to risk being misled about what students have learned.

Ans3

the systems approach to educational technology

The systems approach to the design and analysis of teaching/learning situations is the basis of the great majority of modern educational technology-related developments. However, the terms system and systems approach are themselves jargon terms that can have a variety of interpretations. Let us therefore take a look at these terms in order to define the way in which we are to use them. In general systems theory, a system is any collection of interrelated parts that together constitute a larger whole. These component parts, or elements of the system are intimately linked with one another, either directly or indirectly, and any change in one or more elements may affect the overall performance of the system, either beneficially or adversely. A simple system is illustrated schematically in Figure 2.

Figure 2. A typical system In Figure 2, the system consists of four distinct elements A, B, C, D, which are related to or dependent upon each other as indicated. Note that some interrelationships may be two-way, while others may be one-way only. These elements may themselves be capable of further breakdown into other smaller components, and may thus be regarded as sub-systems of the overall system. The processes of teaching and learning can be considered to be very complex systems indeed. The input to a given teaching/learning system consists of people, resources and information, and the output consists of people whose performance or ideas have (it is to be hoped) improved in some desired way. A schematic representation of systems of this type is shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3. The 'systems' model of the educational process

In such a system, the teaching/learning process may be so complex that it can only be considered as a 'black box' whose mechanisms are not fully understood. However, research into the nature of the learning process has thrown some light on what happens inside the 'black box'. This has enabled educational technologists to structure the input to systems of this type in such a way as to try to improve the output through increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the learning process, thus leading to a systems approach to course and curriculum design based on current knowledge of how people learn. Such a systems approach attempts to mould the input to a course in such a way as to enable the optimal assimilation of knowledge and skills to take place during the learning process, and hence maximize the quality of the output. A basic system that can be used in the design and development of virtually all types of teaching/learning situations is shown in Figure 4. A number of writers have presented much more sophisticated systems, but these are considered to be unnecessarily complicated for our present purposes. (Readers who want to get a flavour of what they involve are referred to Romiszowski's book: 'Designing Instructional Systems'.)

Figure 4. A simplified systems approach to course and curriculum design

The various stages in the systems approach

Let us now take a more detailed look at the various elements of the basic system shown in Figure 4. (a) Consider target population characteristics and topic area The range of backgrounds, interests, knowledge, attitudes and skills of students coming on to the course will have a strong influence on course design. Preknowledge and any common misconceptions will have to be catered for in the design of the course (these may, for example, affect sequence, structure and support mechanisms). The broad thrust of the course content will also have to be considered. Consideration will be given to the sort of people which the course is trying to develop. The subject area may have traditional aims and directions, but one may wish to consider the justification of these and/or preparation for future change.

(b) Estimate relevant existing skills and knowledge of learners There may be minimum standards of entry to the course, but this will not always be so. For example, the increasing numbers of non-standard and mature student entrants to higher education will not necessarily have conventional paper qualifications, but may possess skills and qualities which will have an influence on course design. This may have implications for teaching methods, bridging courses, support systems etc. (c) Formulate objectives/learning outcomes The roles of objectives and learning outcomes in a systems approach to instruction are dealt with in detail in the booklet on 'Specifying the Outcomes of Student Learning'. The objectives and learning outcomes of the course or curriculum element will attempt to encapsulate the new skills, knowledge or attitudes which it is intended that the students will acquire. They may be formulated by the learners themselves, by employers, by teaching staff, by a validating, examining or professional body, or by some combination of these and other sources. (d) Select appropriate instructional methods Having specified the objectives and learning outcomes (ie, what we are trying to achieve in the course), we should be in a better position to select appropriate teaching/learning methods through which these have a reasonable chance of being achieved. There are far more teaching methods available to choose from than most people realise - one recent book describes no less than 303 different teaching/learning methods! The process of attempting to match appropriate methods to given objectives and learning outcomes is normally done on the basis of a combination of research and experience. The strengths and weaknesses of different methods are discussed in the booklet on 'Selecting Appropriate Teaching/Learning Methods'. (e) Operate course or curriculum The next element in the system is the actual implementation of the course. This involves all the logistical arrangements associated with running the course, including overall structuring, pacing, implementing the chosen teaching strategies, using appropriate supportive media and materials, and ensuring that all aspects of the course run as smoothly as possible. Later booklets will provide detailed guidance on how this can be done. (f) Assess and evaluate The combined result of the preceding stages is that students are involved in a learning experience that is planned to develop their knowledge, skills and attitudes, taking into account the individual needs and experience of the learners. Just how effective the pre-planning and subsequent operation has been can be measured by studying student performance in continuing and/or post-course assessments. These assessments should be closely related to the specified course objectives and learning outcomes. Poorly-achieved objectives or learning outcomes should lead the course designers to examine the entire system in order to identify places where improvements might be made. This could involve a change in the

objectives/learning outcomes, a revised assessment of students' pre-knowledge, a critical review of the instructional methods used, an examination of the course structure and organisation, a consideration of the assessment methods used, or a combination of some or all of these. These deliberations, together with feedback on the course from staff, students, employers, etc, can be used in an evaluation of the entire concept of the course, which should, in turn, form the basis of an on-going cyclical course development process. The topic of assessment is reviewed in the booklet on 'Assessing Student Performance', with evaluation being covered in the booklet on 'Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Teaching/Learning Process'.

Using the systems approach in practice

The systems approach to course and curriculum design is no more than an attempt to use a process of logical development and on-going monitoring and evaluation in order to allow continuous evaluation of the course or curriculum to take place. As indicated in the previous section, much more complicated systems approaches to course design do exist, but all of these contain the six core elements shown in Figure 4. It is, however, worth adding some cautionary remarks about using the systems approach in practice. Although the approach is useful in mapping out the broad flow of factors to be considered and developed, diagrams such as the system shown in Figure 4 always oversimplify the actual process. For example, Figure 4 has ordered the elements of the system in what is usually the most productive sequence for the initial planning of a course. If, however, we are re-designing a course or trying to build on a teaching/learning scheme already in place, we may enter the system in a different way - through evaluation perhaps, or through an ad hoc or unavoidable alteration to the implementation of the course (eg a change in the mode of delivery from full-time to part-time). In implementing the systems approach, it is important to appreciate that, while the decisions taken at each stage are always affected by earlier decisions, they may themselves necessitate some of these earlier decisions being changed. It is also important to realise that the stages shown are not the only ones possible, and that, once taken, a decision can always be reconsidered. The approach should thus be dynamic and iterative, always allowing for second thoughts and the refinement of ideas. For example, although you should certainly make a first attempt to define objectives and learning outcomes very early in the planning, you will invariably need to come back to re-define or add to them once you have worked through some of the later steps. Two further misconceptions need to be avoided. First, the separateness of the boxes in Figure 4 may suggest that the processes covered by them are also clearly separable. Second, you may be tempted to assume that they can all be considered at leisure, away from the actual hurly-burly of the teaching/learning situation. Neither of these assumptions is necessarily true. While primarily addressing one step, you will almost inevitably have several of the others partly on your mind at the same time. Similarly, while you can

sometimes enjoy the luxury of 'armchair curriculum planning', much of the decisionmaking must take place 'on the hoof', with students, administrators and other academic staff breathing down your neck! The systems approach can be used at any time when a episode of teaching/learning of any length is being planned. It can be applied to long-term planning for a whole course lasting weeks, months or years, through to daily lesson planning, or even to on-the-spot planning for a learning experience of only a few seconds' duration. It can be applied by a group of teachers designing or adapting a complete course, as well as by an individual teacher preparing his or her specific course input. The approach can also be used for analysing a previous teaching/learning experience. The systems approach does not prescribe or promote any particular teaching methodology (eg individualised study, or group learning). Rather, it is a vehicle that helps teachers to think more systematically and logically about the objectives relevant to their students and the means of achieving and assessing these. On occasion, analysis may suggest that 'chalk and talk' may be the most appropriate method for achieving some objectives, but no one method will be appropriate for all objectives or for all students. Later booklets will provide detailed guidance on how such analysis can be carried out, thus enabling you to make effective use of the systems approach in planning your work as a teacher.

Ans 9 Unit 4: Ressiissttaannccee ttoo CChhaannggee In Unit 3, you were introduced to the concept of change in schools. You were informed that change can be evolutionary, that is, it unfolds over time, or it can be a process of unexpected or planned events. You realised that you, the teacher, can also be a change agent in your school. In Unit 3, you were introduced to the concept of change in schools. You were informed that change can be evolutionary, that is, it unfolds over time, or it can be a process of unexpected or planned events. You realised that you, the

teacher, can also be a change agent in your school. For teachers, dealing with change is inescapable. Ichak (Cole, 1990: 503) supports this view: For teachers, dealing with change is inescapable. Ichak (Cole, 1990: 503) supports this view: Living means solving problems and growing up means being able to solve bigger problems. The purpose of management, leadership, parenting or governing is exactly that: to solve todays problems and get ready to deal with tomorrows problems. This is necessary because there is change. No management is needed when there are no problems, and there are no problems only when we are dead. To manage is to be alive, and to be alive means to experience change with the accompanying problems it brings. Living means solving problems and growing up means being able to solve bigger problems. The purpose of management, leadership, parenting or governing is exactly that: to solve todays problems and get ready to deal with tomorrows problems. This is necessary

because there is change. No management is needed when there are no problems, and there are no problems only when we are dead. To manage is to be alive, and to be alive means to experience change with the accompanying problems it brings. You will appreciate that change in any organisation comes in all shapes and sizes. Change can be resisted for various reasons. As a teacher, you should understand how resistance to change affects the smooth functioning of the school, retards progress and affects quality education at the school. This unit will deal with reasons why teachers resist change. You will appreciate that change in any organisation comes in all shapes and sizes. Change can be resisted for various reasons. As a teacher, you should understand how resistance to change affects the smooth functioning of the school, retards progress and affects quality education at the school. This unit will deal with reasons why teachers resist change. AAffter co ter comp mpleting this u leting this unnitit, yo , you sho u shouuldld b bee ab able to le to: : 1. Explain why change is resisted. 2. Describe how resistance to change can be overcome. Most of the reasons for resistance to change are a result of poor communication between the change agent, the person who is

managing the change, and the client system, a person or group of people who are helped by a change agent (Stoner and Wankel, 1986: 355). The following reasons have been selected to enable you to understand why change is resisted in schools: Most of the reasons for resistance to change are a result of poor communication between the change agent, the person who is managing the change, and the client system, a person or group of people who are helped by a change agent (Stoner and Wankel, 1986: 355). The following reasons have been selected to enable you to understand why change is resisted in schools: Module 15, Unit 4: Resistance to Change 37 Fear of the unknown. Teachers resist change because of the uncertainty about causes and effects of the change. Lack of information. Teachers carrying out the change need information about the aims and benefits of change, what is needed to introduce the change and how the change will be introduced. If this information is not provided, change will be resisted. Misinformation. If incorrect information is given about a change, the teachers view of the change will be unclear; hence the usefulness of the change will not be perceived. Threat to status. A change may mean adopting new ways of doing things. Old ways that teachers are used to or are competent in are now useless. If there is no training to develop

new skills to cope with the change, then the change will be resisted. Some changes may call for a reduction in the size of an organisation. This means that some people may lose their top posts or positions. Threat to power base. Some changes can reduce the influence one has in a school. Such a change will be resisted by the affected persons. No perceived benefits. If the benefits of the change are not clear, the change is seen as a threat to the already established routine. Low-trust organisational climate. If there is mistrust within a school, any change introduced is seen as a trap. Poor relationships. When relations between the change agent and the client system are strained, communication and the general flow of information are bound to be poor. This leads to resistance to change. Fear of failure. Teachers may fear to try out new ideas because they are not sure of the results. Fear of looking stupid. Resistance occurs when the procedures for implementing the change are not explained and they are unfamiliar. Custom. Changes that tamper with traditions and customs are seen as a threat, hence they are resisted.

Peer-group norms. A group of teachers develop rules and values that they want to be identified with. If the whole group does not accept the change, individual teachers may not adopt the change being introduced. Module 15, Unit 4: Resistance to Change 38 Self-Assessment 1 Explain how the following can cause resistance to change at a school. Give realistic examples. lack of information fear of the unknown threat to status. Possible answers to this activity are provided at the end of this unit. Overcoming Resistance to Change Resistance to change may be a sign that something is wrong with the proposed change. Mistakes made during the introduction or presentation of the proposal can also lead to resistance to the proposed change. From your experience, you are aware that resistance to change is caused by many factors. These factors can be dealt with using different techniques so as to experience success in the implementation of the change. As a teacher, it is very important for you to know how you can overcome or manage resistance to change, since you can also be a change agent.

Kotex and Schlesinger, as cited by Kreitter and Kinicki (1992: 737), offer six major strategies for overcoming resistance to change: education and communication participation facilitation and support negotiation manipulation and co-option coercion. Education and Communication This method is used where there is little or no information about the change. Teachers do not see the need for the change. In order to reduce resistance, teachers have to be informed about the rationale or reasons for the change. Teachers have to know what is happening and why they have to do what they have to do. The information can be passed to the teachers through one-to-one discussions, memos, group presentations or reports. Module 15, Unit 4: Resistance to Change 39 This method works only if the relationship between the change agent and the client system is good. Communication should be honest, sincere and truthful.

 Language used should be clear and straightforward. Participation It is rare for individuals to resist change if they have participated in all the stages of decision making. Participation in both the design and implementation of a change creates a sense of commitment to the change. Facilitation and Support The client system (teachers) should be prepared to face the effects of the planned change. This can be done by facilitating, retraining and providing staff development programmes which will help the teachers acquire new skills to cope with the change. Staff development programmes can be in the form of inservice workshops or seminars. Negotiation During negotiation, the change agent should democratically and in a friendly manner campaign for change. Discussion should be held with those opposed to change. The client system (teachers) realise that their rights, welfare and views are respected. The planned change is thus supported. Manipulation and Co-Option

 When using this strategy, the change agent twists facts to make them attractive to the client system. All negative information is withheld. False rumours may be created in order to make the client system accept the change. Leaders of the resistance are bought off by giving them a key role in the change process. These leaders contributions do not improve the quality of decisions made. Coercion This method involves using force and threats on the resisters of change. Module 15, Unit 4: Resistance to Change 40 These can be in the form of threats of transfers, negative performance appraisals, loss of promotion or a poor letter of recommendation.

 The advantage of this method is that change is implemented quickly.

Educational Radio in India

Professor R V VYAS, Director, Kota Open University, Kota, Rajasthan INDIA Dr. R C SHARMA, Indira Gandhi National Open University INDIA Ashwini KUMAR, IGNOU Regional Centre, Lucknow INDIA

The Global Beginning Radio Technology was first developed during the late nineteenth century and came into popular usage during the early twentieth century. Though sometimes overshadowed by television, radio represents a medium capable of reaching a wide geographic audience at a low production cost with proven educational results (Couch, 1997). Studies by the U.K. Open University have demonstrated that radio has a greater value for weak students who benefit from radio as a supplementary learning tool (Tripp & Roby, 1996). The Agency for International Development has shown that radio is more cost-effective and results in a greater learning effect size than textbooks or teacher education (Tripp & Roby, 1996). Radio has the advantage of teaching subjects in which classroom teachers are deficient or untrained. An added benefit for multi-grade classrooms is that it provides instruction for one group of students while the teacher works with another group. Radio can also bring new or unavailable resources into the classroom (Muller 1985). Jaminson and McAnany (1978), reported three main advantages of radio: improving educational quality and relevance; lowering educational costs; and improving access to educational inputs particularly to disadvantaged groups. Some of the limitations of radio for education are that interaction is limited; instructor feedback and clarification is generally unavailable; the instruction is uninterruptible and not reviewable; the pace of the lesson is fixed for all students; note-taking is difficult; and that time for reflection on the content is minimal. To overcome these drawbacks, preparation, supporting materials, and follow-up exercises are recommended when possible (McIsaac & Gunawardena, 1996). The popularity, availability, and low cost of radio made it a convenient and practical medium for use in programmes for learning at a distance and is mostly used in combination with other media, such as with print medium followed by face-to face teaching etc. Although, educational use of radio started around 1930, but perhaps U.K.O.U. was first make its utilization effective. Satyanarayana and Sesharatnam (2000) found that radio is useful in providing remedial tutorials, or some other forms of tutorial based feedback; providing corrections, alterations or updating of material, where print re-make budgets are limited, or where print cannot reach students quickly enough; recordings of naturally occurring events, e.g. political speech, children talking, concerts or performances, talks previously recorded for other than Open University proposes eyewitness interviews at historical events; presenting material in a dramatized form, enabling students to identify with the emotions and viewpoints of the main participants; providing an alternative view to that presented in the correspondence text and/ or television programmes; and enabling students to perceive the different points of view that exist, and observe ideas being challenged, through discussion and interviews. The Indian Beginning The Radio Club of Bombay broadcast the first radio programme in India in June 1923 (Sharma, 2002a). Afterwards a Broadcasting Service was set up (that began broadcasting in India in July 1927) on an experimental basis at Bombay and Calcutta simultaneously. This was done under an agreement between Government of India and a private company called the Indian Broadcasting Company Ltd. In the year 1947 (when India became independent), the AIR network had only six Stations located at Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Lucknow and Tiruchirapalli with a total complement of 18 transmitters - six on the medium wave and the remaining on short wave. Radio listening on medium wave was confined to urban limits of these cities. As against a mere 2,75,000 receiving sets at the time of Independence, now there are about 111 million estimated radio sets in about 105 million

Educational Radio in India

Professor R V VYAS, Director, Kota Open University, Kota, Rajasthan INDIA Dr. R C SHARMA, Indira Gandhi National Open University INDIA Ashwini KUMAR, IGNOU Regional Centre, Lucknow INDIA

The Global Beginning Radio Technology was first developed during the late nineteenth century and came into popular usage during the early twentieth century. Though sometimes overshadowed by television, radio represents a medium capable of reaching a wide geographic audience at a low production cost with proven educational results (Couch, 1997). Studies by the U.K. Open University have demonstrated that radio has a greater value for weak students who benefit from radio as a supplementary learning tool (Tripp & Roby, 1996). The Agency for International Development has shown that radio is more cost-effective and results in a greater learning effect size than textbooks or teacher education (Tripp & Roby, 1996). Radio has the advantage of teaching subjects in which classroom teachers are deficient or untrained. An added benefit for multigrade classrooms is that it provides instruction for one group of students while the teacher works with another group. Radio can also bring new or unavailable resources into the classroom (Muller 1985). Jaminson and McAnany (1978), reported three main advantages of radio: improving educational quality and relevance; lowering educational costs; and improving access to educational inputs particularly to disadvantaged groups. Some of the limitations of radio for education are that interaction is limited; instructor feedback and clarification is generally unavailable; the instruction is uninterruptible and not reviewable; the pace of the lesson is fixed for all students; note-taking is difficult; and that time for reflection on the content is minimal. To overcome these drawbacks, preparation, supporting materials, and follow-up exercises are recommended when possible (McIsaac & Gunawardena, 1996). The popularity, availability, and low cost of radio made it a convenient and practical medium for use in programmes for learning at a distance and is mostly used in combination with other media, such as with print medium followed by face-to face teaching etc. Although, educational use of radio started around 1930, but perhaps U.K.O.U. was first make its utilization effective. Satyanarayana and Sesharatnam (2000) found that radio is useful in providing remedial tutorials, or some other forms of tutorial based feedback; providing corrections, alterations or updating of material, where print re-make budgets are limited, or where print cannot reach students quickly enough; recordings of naturally occurring events, e.g. political speech, children talking, concerts or performances, talks previously recorded for other than Open University proposes eyewitness interviews at historical events; presenting material in a dramatized form, enabling students to identify with the emotions and viewpoints of the main participants; providing an alternative view to that presented in the correspondence text and/ or television programmes; and enabling students to perceive the different points of view that exist, and observe ideas being challenged, through discussion and interviews. The Indian Beginning The Radio Club of Bombay broadcast the first radio programme in India in June 1923 (Sharma, 2002a). Afterwards a Broadcasting Service was set up (that began broadcasting in India in July 1927) on an experimental basis at Bombay and Calcutta simultaneously. This was done under an agreement between Government of India and a private company called the Indian Broadcasting Company Ltd. In the year 1947 (when India became independent), the AIR network had only six Stations located at Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Lucknow and Tiruchirapalli with a total complement of 18 transmitters - six on