local heroes: bringing telecommunications to rural, small schools

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Sullivan, Michael; And OthersLocal Heroes: Bringing Telecommunications to Rural,Small Schools.Southwest Educational Development Lab., Austin,Tex.Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED),Washington, DC.94RP91002003105p.; A VHS videotape (29:35 minutes) accompaniesthis document.Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 211East Seventh Street, Austin, TX 78701 (book andvideo, $23 plus 157. shipping).Guides Non-Classroom Use (055) ReportsDescriptive (141) Audiovisual/Non-Print Materials(100)

MF01/PC05 Plus Postage.*Distance Education; Elementary Secondary Education;Instructional Innovation; *Interactive Television;Program Descriptions; Program Development; ProgramImplementation; *Rural Education; Rural Schools;Small Schools; *Systems Development;Telecommunications; *Telecourses

IDENTIFIERS *Technology Based Instruction

ABSTRACTThis book provides information supplemental to the

accompanying videotape regarding the implementation and use oftwo-way, full-motion interactive television. Based on a studyconducted by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, "LocalHeroes" describes in detail how citizens have implemented thetechnology in small rural schools and communities in southwesternstates and provides guidelines for implementing such technology. Sixsections contain an overview of the role of rural schools as a focalpoint for the community and the role of telecommunications inpreserving rural schools by providing services comparable to those inurban communities; an analysis of the technology; a "Getting Started"section, which goes from defining the primary need to bolster thecurriculum, through working with the local phone company, todiscussing the importance of the teacher to the success of thetechnology; guidelines and suggestions for implementation; aprototype detailing procedures for implementing full-motioninteractive video in small rural schools; and a narrative depictionand history of six projects in the states of New Mexico, Oklahoma,and Texas. Appendices discuss existing research and give furtherdetails on the implementation process and the research methodologyused. Contains 39 references. (ID)

Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document. *

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Local Heroes

Bringing Telecommunicationsto Rural, Small Schools

These materials were designed and developed by theRural Services for School Improvement (RSSI) staff at theSouthwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL)

Michael Sullivan, M.A.Research Associate

Deborah Jolly, Ed.D.Vice President

David Foster, Ed.D.Senior Technology Associate

Richard Tompkins, M.A.Research Associate

Local 1 leroes: Bringins 1-elecommunica bolts to Rural, SmallSchools is a guidebook developed by

Southwe st Educational Development Laboratory211 East Seventh StreetAustin, Texas 78701512 /476-6861

Copyright 199-1

This publication is based on works sponsored wholly, orin part, by the Office of Educational Research andImprovement, U.S. Department of Education undercontract number RI'91002003. The content of thispublication does not necessarily reflect the views of(1:.R1, the 1)epartment, or any other agency of the U.S.(;overnment.

Local Heroes

Bringing Telecommunicationsto Rural, Small Schools

Table of Contents

IntroductionAbout this Guidebook 1

Who Will Use this Guidebook 1

Organization 1

Overview 2The Challenge 2Rural Schools, Rural Communities, and

New Technologies 3

The Technology: Two-Way Interactive Videoand Audio 4

Specific Characteristics 5

The Typical Classroom 9Fiber-optic Technology and Bandwidth

Transmission OptionsGetting Started: From Vision to Implementation

Defining the NeedEmergence of the Local HeroFind Your PartnerThe Shared VisionFormation of a CoalitionThe Right ChoiceDealing with Vendors and ManufacturersOn-site Demonstrations by EducatorsInterconnectivityCost Issues Relating to a Two-Way

Interactive Video SystemNetwork Staffing, Management, Training

and Support 31The Local Network Director 32

Guidelines for Implementation 33Formative Stage 34Planning Stage 34Implementation Stage 35

A Prototype Based on Research FindingsThe Context 37Concerns/Needs 38Shared Vision/Commitnwnt 19

10

1212

121214

15171821

22

26

Community/Administrative Supportand Assistance 41

Planning/Resource Allocation 42Monitoring/Problem Solving 43Ongoing Assistance and Support 45

The Sites 47Up and Running 49The Oklahoma Panhandle Shar-Ed

Video Network 49The New Mexico Eastern Plains Instr tctional

Television Consortium 58The TeleCommUNITY Network 64On the Verge 68North Texas Educational Network 69East Texas Learning Interactive

Network ConsortiumThe Dell City Initiative

ConclusionBibliographyAppendix A

Existing ResearchAppendix B

SEDL's Descriptive StudyStructure of the Research ReportResearch questionsData CollectionData AnalysisStructure of the Research Report

70747880848488888888909294

7

Figures

Figure 1 Two-Way Interactive Classroom Model 8Figure 2 Two-Way Interactive Video Sites in the

SouthwestFigure 3 The Oklahoma Panhandle Shar-Ed

Video Network 49Figure 4 The New Mexico Eastern Plains

Instructional Television Consortium 58Figure 5 TeleCommUNITY Network 64Figure 6 North Texas Educational Network

(NTEN) 68Figure 7 East Texas Learning Interactive

Network Consortium 70Figure 8 The Dell City Initiative 74Figure 9 Two-Way Interactive Educational

Television Systems in the Southwest 76

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the contribution of themany "local heroes" who were extremely forthcomingin chronicling their experiences in relation to theimplementation of advanced telecommunications in theirrural schools and communities. Without their input thisguidebook would not have been possible.

Although the authors assume total responsibility for thecontents of this guidebook, special thanks need to beextended to Linda Lloyd whose telecommunicationsexpertise has been invaluable. In addition, the editingand layout skills of Jane Chamberlain, the artwork ofMichael Ferguson, and cover design of RosalindAlexander-Kasparik merit gratitude and acknow-1:dgment.

Finally, this guidebook would not have reachedpublication without the patient support of SEDL staff.members, Amanda Sealy, Lori Kitchens, and AnnetteForadorv. The authors are in their debt.

Local Heroes

IntroductionAbout this GuidebookLocal Heroes is an adjunct to the accompanying videotapeof the same name. It provides supplemental informationregarding the implementation and use of two-way, full-motion interactive television. Based on a study conductedby the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory,Local Heroes describes in detail how citizens haveimplemented the technology in small rural schools andcommunities in southwestern states and providesguidelines for implementing such technology.

Who Will Use this Guidebook

Intended audiences are educators committed to smallrural schools; state departments of education; ruralcommunities; educational organizations with a ruralfocus; teachers' organizations; rural school administratorgroups; and telecommunications professionals.

OrganizationLocal Heroes is organized into six sections:

An overview articulating rationale;An analysis of the technology;A "Getting Started" section;Guidelines and suggestions for implementation;A prototype detailing procedures for implementingtwo-way interactive video in schools in small ruralcommunities; andA narrative depiction and history of projects in thestates of New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Appendices provide information regarding currentresearch that gives details on the implementation processand describes the research methodology used ingathering data for this guidebook.

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SouthweNt Educational Development Laboratory

Overview

The ChallengeThe educational process is an integral part of the socialand political fabric of the United States that cannot beaddressed as an isolated entity. Like many otherinstitutions, education has tended historically to operatein a linear, segmented fashion, modeled after thenineteenth and early twentieth century manufacturingconcept of compartmentalization, with each segment anautonomous unit. Entities naturally evolved in thismanner when the potential for communication waslimited and the exchange of information was a laborious,complex process.

Education occurring within such a context ofindependence, isolation, and information deprivation hasbecome less effective in an age when the exchange andsharing of information is vital and when textbooks canbecome obsolete before going to print. Such isolation isparticularly problematic in small rural schools wheregeographic as well as economic barriers are common.New technologies, specifically in the area oftelecommunications, can facilitate a shift from isolationand communication deprivation to communicationaccess and exchange.

Telecommunications give geographically isolatedsmall schools the capacity to tie into the swirl ofinformation once available only to those located near thesource of such information. The challenge is to use newtechnologies creatively to restructure the learningexperience to meet the demands of a world intechnological revolution.

Using interactive telecommunications, a teacher cansimultaneously teach at multiple sites, providingeducational curricula that would otherwise not heavailable. Teachers can no longer be expected to knoweverything in their field, and it would be a disservice to

Local Heroes

limit learning to their experience. The sharing of teachersthrough telecommunications technologies brings to ruralschools specialized resources needed to prepare studentsfor the twenty-first Lentury.

Knowledge is dynamic, being the intelligent synthesisof a dynamic flow of information which changes,reformulates, and grows instantly. Technology allowsstudents and teachers immediate access to thatinformation and those changes. The teacher's role, then,is to not only channel this perpetual stream of data, butto make it relevant. The teacher then becomes a conduit/facilitator and no longer merely a disseminator. Thechallenge here is not so much to present this cacophonyof information, but to understand it and extract relevancy.

Rural Schools, Rural Communities,and New Technologies

The role of rural schools is beginning to extend beyondbasic education for the youth of a community.Increasingly, the rural school serves as a focal point andresource for the rural community at large. Today, manyrural schools function as the local clearinghouse for thedissemination of information, health care, counseling,and community support services. Consequently, theclosing of rural schools has frequently spelled the declineof t e surrounding communities (Jolly & Deloney, 1993).Concerned citizens have recognized that their ruralschools must survive to ensure the survival of the ruralcommunity, as well as its unique culture, and they havesought ways to protect this important symbiosis bykeeping rural schools vigorous.

Prominent among the solutions that rural leaders havebegun to investigate is the recent development and rapidgrowth of telecommunications technologies, which havebeen instrumental in making educational opportunitiesand social services available to rural communities. Newtelephone, computer, and video telecommunicationstechnologies can empower rural communities by offering

Southwest Educational Developntent Laboratory

creative ways to provide services comparable to those inurban communities. Telecommunications are being usedby rill al communities to support and enhance the artsand cultural activities, economic and businessdevelopment, legal and judicial professions, health andhuman services, training and education, and a broadspectrum of political, government, community, andindividual interests. Visionary rural leaders are limitedonly by their imagination.

The promise of expanding course offerings throughtelecommunicated classes may further neutralizearguments for consolidation of rural districts (Jolly &Deloney, 1993). This technology will also broadenopportunities for sharing and cooperating with otherrural districts in partial reorganizational arrangements.The very nature of the medium which links schooldistricts electronicillv will ensure that rural districtsmaking use of new technologies will be involved incooperating with other districts or organizations in orderto implement the technology and later to share resources.

New telecommunications technologies now availableto rural communities can offer a unique opportunity toreshape the educational environment, as well as haveimpact on the social, communication, political, economic,and recreational aspects of rural life.

The Technology: Two-WayInteractive Video and Audio

As technology continues its nearly exponential evolutionand costs continue to decline, high-tech accessibility torural schools and attendant communities can be expectedto increase dramatically. One of many advancedtelecommunications systems, two-way full-motioninteractive video and audio, is particularly applicable torural education and community needs. In essence, two-way interactive video and audio can network rural

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Local Heroes

schools, colleges and/or service centers, giving them thecapability to transmit and receive live programming. Thiscapability is particularly relevant where populations aresparse and expertise limited. Two-way video enables theclassroom or community service center, such as a healthclinic, to transmit and receive images and sound similarin quality to those found on professionally producedcommercial television. Used creatively, this technologycan revitalize rural communities.

Specific Characteristics

Two-way full-motion interactive video and audio hasspecific characteristics that make it attractive and feasiblefor rural, at-risk student populations. These include:

Continuous interactivity. In contrast to education bysatellite, which typically originates at a greatdistance with limited opportunity for studentparticipation, two-way video and audio allowsconstant interaction between students and teachers,who are usually located in the same or nearbycommunities. This immediacy of feedback allowsstudents with limited attention span to maintainactive contact.Relevance. Two-way interactive video generallyinvolves the clustering of several small studentpopulations with a teacher positioned at one of thelocations. This allows teaching to be speciallydesigned to meet the needs of students involved.The most common configuration among sitesstudied was one teacher in a classroomsimultaneously delivering instruction to anadditional three class woms, usually separated byless than forty miles. One site had a unique team-teaching configuration for a pre-algebra class. Thecourse was taught by a certified teacher onpremises, assisted by a university professor linkedfrom his cla,,sroom.

14

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory

Stimulating Learning Environment. Using multiplecameras from different angles and variable fieldsof view, videotape, and computer display, enablesclassroom teachers to present a variety ofperspectives and high quality images. Thecredibility of these near network-quality imagestogether with the additional stimulation of multiplevisual and aural fields and complemented withcontinuous student feedback, has the potential toengage students, including those with learningdisabilities, in ways that go beyond typicalclas,.:.room methodology.Flexibility. Linkage among schools and connectionwith institutions of higher learning help schoolsshape their curricula to meet educational andcommunity needs. Many examples are already inpfactice. Team teaching, with teachers contributingfrom different network sites, is a possibility. Anexample of this configuration is described in theTeleCommUNITY Network section of thisguidebook. Dual-enrollment courses, wherebystudents are taught by a higher education instructorand receive both college and high school credit, areavailable in networks studied. Visits by specializedexperts are practical with the technology in place.Education departments of universities and collegesare beginning to monitor field experiences ofstudent teachers, as well as to document exemplaryteaching practices.Affordable Cost. With dramatic advances in mediatechnology, the use of consumer-oriented video andaudio production equipment, and aggressiveseeking out of business partnerships, many schooldistricts will be able to equip classrooms (mediacenters) at moderate cost. The classroom equipmentnecessary to purchase and maintain a teacher-student operated electronic environment is outlinedin these pages.

Local Heroes. _

Telephone Company or Cooperative Participation.Incentives in the form of grants, profitopportunities, public relations and deregulationmotivate telephone businesses, particularly small,local entities serving rural populations, to be majorparticipants in making two-way video available inschools.Access to Information. Once linked with two-wayvideo, a classroom has the potential to receive otherinformation available within the network. Onceclassrooms have been equipped, information fromvideos, laser discs, satellite feeds, and computernetworks can all be easily transferred from oneclassroom to another.School/Community Production Center. At its inception,television was viewed merely as a means tochronicle live news events. As it has become muchmore than that, so, too, the electronic classroom hasthe potential to exceed its original expectations. Inessence, each classroom equipped with two-wayvideo becomes a fully functioning television studio,complete with capacity for a studio audience, thatcan go live to other schools and/or be recorded forvideotape distribution. And once a two-way videosystem is in place, linkage into such distributionmodes as community cable systems becomesrelatively affordable, creating the potential forshared community meetings, guest lecturers for theschool or community, adult education, live schoolnews production, dramatic presentations, andmuch more.

167


Figure 1 Two-Way Interactive Classroom Model

Video Monitors

[-Local Remote Remote Remote

classroom 1 2 3

Camera onchalkboard

FAXmachine

Teacher's work area

Electronicchalkboard

Controlpanel

Camera onstudents

Student work areas with microphones

Cameraon

teacherLocal Remote Remote Remote

classroom 1 2 3

Video Monitors

8 1 7

Local Heroes,The Typical Classroom

The typical classroom is equipped with three videocameras: the first is an overhead camera that can displayteacher and student work and serve as an electronic chalkboard or overhead projector, the second electronicallycaptures the teacher (when present), and a third capturesthe class.

All cameras can be manipulated to cover varying fieldsof view. For example, a camera can change from a widecoverage of the classroom to a closeup of an individualstudent. Generally, the field of view can be controlledelectronically from the teacher's desk with a multiple-source control panel, although in some instances camerashad to be adjusted manually. The control panel alsoenables the user to switch from one camera to another,depending on which of the three cameras he or she wantsto be accessible for network distribution. The controlpanel can also activate other multimedia devices such asvideo feeds from satellite downlinks, computers, CD-ROMs, laser disc players, and VCRs.

Two banks of three to five monitors are situated toprovide both students and teacher visual access to otherclassrooms in the cluster, as well as to the clectronicchalkboard. Monitor racks are usually located at the frontof the room (for students to watch) and in the center orrear of the room (for teachers). The two banks of monitorsdisplay the same images. One monitor shows the teacheror the image th.e teacher has selected by using themultiple source control panel. The other monitors displaythe students at remote sites. The difference between theteaching classroom and the remote classrooms is that thestudents in the teaching classroom see the their teacheron the classroom monitor and in person at the same time.

Audio is captured by placement of multiplemicrophones throughout the classroom and an attachedmicrophone (lavaliere) worn by the teacher. In newersystems, wireless lavalieres allow the teacher morefreedom of movement. Camera housings that can actually

9

Southwest Educational Development Le.horatory

follow the teacher as she/he moves about the classroomare now available. Most classes are equipped with a faxfor distributing materials and assignments, butfrequently, a teacher or staff member living in aneighboring community may personally delivermaterials to a linked school while commuting.

All video cabling within the classroom and school iscoaxial, carrying an analog signal at the site. Transmissionbetween the sites is digital by means of fiber-optic cable.The video and audio signals generated by classroomcameras and microphones are routed to a control consoleand split, one set of signals routed to the originatingclassroom and the other converted to digital informationfor transmission to other classrooms by fiber-optic cable.

Fiber-optic Technology and BandwidthTransmission OptionsFiber-optic cable has several significant advantages overthe conventional copper cable that has been used sincethe dawn of telecommunications. Fiber-optic's mostnoteworthy feature is its ability to transport any type ofsignal, be it voice, video or data, over long distances withlittle degradation of signal. Once information has beentransmitted through guided light waves in a nearlymicroscopic optical fiber, it can travel vast distanceswithout the assistance of a repeater or signal booster. Full-motion video, in particular, requires an extraordinaryamount of bandwidth for transmission (approximately700 times more than a digital phone call). Optical fibersand their attendant electronics have that capacity. Fibersare also highly durable and resistant to electricalinterference, which makes them ideal for the transmissionof video signals and computer data. In spite of theirincreased capacity, fiber cables are smaller in size andless expensive than (traditional) copper cable (Greenfield,1993).

Transmission of video and audio signals is achievedby the digital conversion of conventional analog

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Local Heroes

information, such as a video image captured by aconventional classroom camera, using a codec (coder/decoder unit), which passes the digitized signals at 45megabits/second (DS-3, a nominal 2:1 compression rate)to a fiber multiplex terminal. The terminal then combinesthe digitized signals and transmits them over a pair offiber-optic strands to other locations, permitting full-motion, multiple site (continuous presence) video, withsimultaneous audio and computer data signals amongnetworked Fites. The glass fiber traps a beam of lightproduced by an optical source (transmitter) such as anLED or semiconductor laser diode, then guides it throughthe fiber to the detector (receiver) located at the oppositeend. During transmission, all signals remain digital,which ensures clarity, regardless of distance or numberof times multiplexed (Northern Telcom, 1991).

Another digital system uses a T-1 transmission ratewhich passes the digitized signals at 1.5 megabits/secondand requires ordy 1/28 of the bandwidth of a DS-3 signal.However, T-1 transmission requires a compression rateof at least 60:1. This compression factor (30 times that ofDS-3), which essentially deletes a significant portions ofthe video artifacts being transmitted, tends to result in adegraded video image, particularly noticeable whenthere is movement on the screen. Two advantages of thesmaller 1-1 bandwidth transmission are that the signalcan be transmitted at a lesser cost and via traditionalcopper wiring, thus obviating the need for fiber-opticinstallation. Current research is dedicated to improvingthe quality of the T-1 video signal by further identifyingredUndancies in images by improving coding methods,as well as increasing the compression rate to furtherreduce bandwidth requirements (Brooksby, 1992). Oneof the projects cited in this guidebook is planning toimplement a T-1 system. The other projects are currentlyusing or planning to implement DS-3 systems.


Getting Started: From Vision toImplementation

This section outlines steps necessary for theimplementation of two-way full-motion interactive videoin small rural schools.

Defining the Need

The projects that were included in SEDL's study ofinteractive video technology in small rural schools hadexperienced specific educational needs that were notbeing addressed. Two areas of almost universal needemerged: 1) schools could not offer all the state-mandatedcourses necessary for high school graduation; and 2) theywere unable to deliver the coursework necessary for theirstudents to meet rigorous collect entrance requirer..ents.

Although they knew that the technology was able todo much more than bring specific classes to students,curriculum was always the priority of those involvedwith the initiatives. Any other use of the technology wasconsidered a fringe benefit.

Emergence of the Local Hero

During the formative stages of implementation, the needand subsequent vision to meet the need was usuallycommunicated by an individual or group of individualswithin the community who had an extraordinary graspof the problem and a relentless tenacity in resolving it."Local heroes" came from the educational arena, thebusiness community, and the community at large. Thesite studies that follow this section, as well as theaccompanying videotape, Local Heroes, portray in detailthe efforts of these visionaries.

Find Your Partner

In order to engage in a collaborative effort such as two-way interactive video, linkage with other entities is

12 21 .

Local Heroes

necessary. An isolated school district often needs to shareresources with other school districts or higher educationentities but is unclear as how to proceed. The first priorityis to locate other institutions with a strong need forlinkage and the ability to share a vision that willultimately require a herculean effort to realize.

Generally, SEDL's investigation indicates that smallrural schools have greater success linking with schooldistricts that have similar curriculum deficits to their ownthan with schools that already have complete programs.Larger school districts, have been less inclined toparticipate simply because there is less immediate needto justify a significant contribution of both financial andstaff resources. All participants have to benefit equallyfrom the implementation of the technology, and allparticipants must have a strong sense of need and sharedvision.

Entities other than small rural schools that have anatural interest in linkage are community colleges witha mandate to serve the community and a desire forincreased enrollment, and colleges and/or universitieswith such agendas as expanding enrollment,improvement of teacher training, or research needs.Generally, the more established and entrenched theeducational institution, the less flexible it will be inimplementing innovation.

The addition of other partners to a network clusteroften adds an element of confusion to the implementationof the network. School districts and higher educationgroups, for example, frequently do not have the sameplanning agenda or purposes for the network. The keyto creating equitable and sustainable partnerships amongK-12 school districts and higher education lies ininformed compromise. Each partner must understandthat the network is a shared resource in whichcontributions and benefits must equal out for all partners.

r-1.

A..

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The Shared Vision

During the formative stage of any local interactivetechnology cluster involving partners in the community,the most critical indicator of eventual success lies inidentifying the common need or needs drivilig theimplementation of the project. Without a shared visionfor use of the network, the necessary impetus to planand launch the network will rarely prevail. Finding thiscritical level of agreement can be a difficult process, sincemany of the partners, including neighboring schooldistricts, are frequently unaccustomed to working closelywith one another. Additional confusion arises when theeducational partners are faced with the layering of exotictechnologies into a unique cooperative endeavor whosegoals are often not clearly stated.

A critical error made by groups planning an interactivenetwork lies in proceeding with implementation of aproject when the reason for its existence has not beenmade clear to all involved. Perhaps the most commonerror seen in educational networks involving interactivetechnologies is the creation of networks for the sake ofthe technology, rather than to address real needs of theparticipants, although this was not found to be the casein projects included in this study. Most often, a technicalpartner is enlisted by a governing body or local officialto install the network. If the network is installed prior toactual understanding and assignment of roles andresponsibilities on the parts of the users (schools,universities, training institutes, etc.), the usual result is afailure of the network to thrive.

A network's failure to thrive simply means that whilethe technical interconne, itself may function perfectly,the actual use of the network is sub-standard. Teachersand other practitioners who are not invested in thenetwork, either as part of their job or because of a personalconsideration, will not extend themselves to make surethe network is employed at maximum potential. Lack ofinformation and support from the partners employing

1 4

2 3

Local Heroes

and managing the network will result, at best, in apatheticperformance from teachers and students. At worst,designated practitioners will tend to avoid the networkand leave it idle rather than face the frustration andconfusion of trying to work with the networkunsupported (Lloyd, 1993).

Formation of a CoalitionOnce the need, vision, and partners have been identified,it is necessary to organize the leadership structure forthe long-term management of the project. In most cases,it was desirable for participants to create a legal bond inthe form of a nonprofit organization or joint powersagreement in order to make collective purchases andapply for grants. Ideally the planning committee of sucha coalition comprises an equal and fair representation ofthe committed partners in the network.

As will be seen in the site studies, it is frequently onekey figure or occasionally two, either from theeducational or business community, who becomes thefocus of the development of the project. This person, or"local hero," becomes essential to the successfulconstruction and implementation of the technicalinterconnect. This trend is not necessarily a bad one; asingular focus during the developmental stage of thenetwork is usually necessary. However, once a committedcoalition is in place and the "vision" has beencommunicated to others, the leadership andresponsibilities of leadership must be shared.

It is recommended that planning groups attempt todelegate responsibilities and share aspects of the creativedevelopmental process among members of a coreplanning committee, prior to any actual purchase orimplementation of the technical network. Otherwise, thedeparture or unanticipated absence of the "local hero"who implanted the vision can be disastrous to adeveloping network. In most cases studied, the "localhero" had moved or retired from the community where

15


his/her efforts had been concentrated; vet the vision hadbeen so well communicated, and the organization so wellestablished, that networks continued to grow and thrive.

Some general guidelines for assigning roles ofparticipating partners are outlined below.

Role Assignment. It is usually up to the initiator totake charge of assigning roles and responsibilitiesamong the potential network members. It isnecessary that the initiator be in a position todelegate portions of the network development, andthat the formative group be capable of acceptingtasks and carrying them out. .

Membership Management. The process of developinga network is fragile and interconnected, to the pointthat even one missed or disputed step in theplanning or implementation scheme can arrest ordestroy the entire process. Thus, the manager of theplanning process must be a position to ensurecompliance within the planning group. Thatmanaging entity should, if possible, have an equalinvestment in the daily operations of the networkin relation to that of the other partners.Shared Authority. No one partner on any networkcan or should "run the show" alone. The largestand/or most influential partner in the networkmembership will sometimes try to take over theprocess, perhaps out of habit, perhaps because offrustration over the speed or direction of theplanning process. The introduction of a "BigBrother" element into the planning group almostalways brings resentment and resistance from theother partners.Limits of Authority.lt is very important that decisiveplanning authority reside within a partner or entityremoved from the actual daily operation of thenetwork's on-line activities. In some cases, thepartner with the least investment in dailyoperations (content and curriculum issues) is the

16

Local Heroes

telephone company providing the service to theschools or an outside consultant who is employedto make sure that all parties are represented equally.

A practical recommendation to planning groups is toconsider collaboratively hiring a manager or consultantwho will represent all parties within the network. Thatperson might have an office within the community: atthe telephone company, the Chamber of Commerce, acoydmunity service organization, a business, or even atthe school district offices. He or she should not, however,be an elected official. It is further recommended that long-term arrangements be made by the planning group toemploy a full-time director for the effort.

In addition to the players mentioned above, the rolesof the local school board and other governing bodies inthe partnership are important to the integrity of thenetwork. It is absolutely critical that local school boards(in the case of a local interactive video connect involvingprimarily K-12 districts), as well as governing groupsfrom other network partners, clearly understand the needfor and the responsibilities attending the developmentof a network. Boards must be responsible for settingcertain policies up front in the integration of the network.Issues for consideration will arise in such areas as teachersalaries, rights of teachers and others under contract tothe school district, maintenance contracts for equipment,insurance and liability, and coordination of activities withother schools and partners on the network.

Th e Right Choice

It is important for school districts to be aware of the widerange of choices available to them toward the goal ofmeeting their curriculum needs. There is often more thanone solution available to a district, and two-way full-motion interactive video may not be the most practicablefor all districts. Consolidation, although typically metwith resistance and hostility, has long been an option;traveling teachers is another possibility. Other options

217


involving telecommunications are courses by satellite,compressed video, audiographics and other computerlinkages. Districts desiring to increase educationalopportunities for their students must explore allpossibilities and stay current with inevitable newdevelopments. The sites featured in the story of "LocalHeroes" went through this process and only after anexhaustive study concluded that two-way interactivevideo was the most feasible technology to meet theirneeds.

Dealing with Vendors and ManufacturersThe choice for technology has to take many other factorsinto consideration. Those who are considering it shouldbe aware that there is a dearth of education-orientedtechnology on the market, as well as a lack of reliableinformation and technical support from vendors.

Education is a "stepchild" in the realm of technologydevelopment. The majority of devices and systems weredeveloped for use in environments other than schools.An occasional exception exists perhaps notably atAppie Computer, where a significant focus of itscomputer development is directed at the educationmarket. However, in large part, technology andtelecommunications developments are aimed at industryand other for-profit environments whose needs andfinancial options are very different from those of theschools. Schools that choose to be progressive are forcedto deal with the existing and evolving technologies andadapt them as best they can for educational uses.

Directly related to the dearth of education-orientedtechnology tools is a lack of information and marketingspecifically targeting schools. Schools turn to a numberof traditional reference points for assistance withadvanced technologies. One of the most logical sourcesis the vendor community who typically sell directly tobusinesses and not to the general public. A limitationinherent in working with vendors is that while the

18

Local Heroes

product representatives may be very knowledgeableabout the items they sell, they may know little aboutcompatibility with other technical devices or networkingtools. Also, because of the rapid evolution of tee-- ,ology,vendors simply may not be aware of the latest trends,particularly if those trends have been developed bycompetitors. This is an important factor to consider ifthe planners intend to create a network capable ofsupporting multiple technology platforms. The phrasecaveat emptor is applicable here.

Interoperability (the ability of various technical devicesto communicate with one another) will become more ofan issue in the near future, as the "electronic informationhighway" continues to advance into homes and schools.Schools should be wary of falling into the trap of creatinga network plan that includes only one brand oftechnology to the exclusion of other options.

Retail sources and outlets that market.to the generalpublic for technical devices are another reference pointfor details about educational technologies. Again, thesales staff may be well informed about the devices theyare selling but may not be able to offer assistance withother aspects of the network design. Support for existingtechnologies is sometimes equally spotty and unreliable.Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of dealing with avendor or retail source during the planning phase lies inlimiting the network to those technical devices that are"on the shelf" and may already be outmoded by the timethe schools purchase and install them.

Long-distance video equipment, needed to connectlocal clusters to remote resources, can be especiallyconfusing. The facilities and equipment needed toaccomplish the interconnects described in this guidebookall use digital, high bandwidth transmission systems. Thedevices used in these networks are not marketed toschools and would not in any case be something theschools might normally purchase. In fact, in all of theoperational networks described here, the telephone

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company partner owns and maintains the digital videodevices (called codecs, or coder-decoders) and othercomponents of the system which are expensive andrequire specially trained technicians for daily and long-term maintenance.

A number of devices for transmitting video signalsnow on the market employ much lower bandwidths forvideo and audio signals than do full-motion videosystems. These video conferencing units are genericallyreferred to as "compressed video" systems and usuallyoperate at a fraction of the bandwidth used in full-motionsystems. The resulting video signal tends to be noticeablyjerky and often out of synch with audio signals (i.e.,voices of speakers may not match lip movements on thescreen, due to a lag caused by lack of bandwidth). Alldigital systems are technically using "compressed"signals, including the high bandwidth networks usingDS3 (or 45 MB /s) transmission. The compressionalgorithms used in high bandwidth codec units producea video signal with synchronous audio, operating at arate where the compression is not noticeable to the humaneye.

Video-conferencing equipment from a number ofvendors is beginning to find its way into public schools,usually in relation to a research project with a local highereducation partner. These business-oriented video-conferencing units feature portability as a selling point,irrelevant to the permanent installation required in thecase of a full-motion interactive video network like thosedescribed here. Schools need to be educated in the areaof bandwidth acquisition before considering purchaseof any video interactive system. Each video transmissionsystem, regardless of the amount of bandwidth requiredor and the quality of the video signal, has both limitationsand positive qualities.

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On-site Demonstrations by EducatorsConferences and seminars may be a good source ofinformation for schools that are serious about creating aviable network for serving teachers and students. Theinformation presented at technology andtelecommunications meetings is more likely to be"leading edge" material, and the presentations oftechnologies will generally be more appropriate andunderstandable in the context of a demonstration orvendor workshop aimed at education.

Most useful are seminars and conferences focusedon networking and targeting school groups who use thetechnology. It is, however, important to keep in mind thatmost of these gatherings are based on one particulartechnology and may exclude other relevant technologiesin which the sponsoring entity is not invested. Fewdemonstration sites feature multiple technologynetworks.

Perhaps the best source of real information aboutinteractive networking options is an existing interactivecluster of schools. Although arranging trips to experiencean operational network can be expensive and time-consuming, and most schools engaged in operating atwo-way interactive network do not have the time orresources to act as more than a casual advisor to visitingschools, they are generally a good source of information,provided the visitors know the right questions to ask.

In assessing the technologies related to interactivevideo networks, one crucial question must be answereddefinitively: is two-way interactive video necessary tomeet educational goals? This question spawns a welterof other issues to address. Schools must ask if potentiallyless expensive options available in the educationaltechnology market are approoriate or acceptable. In therealm of bandwidth and access for video services, whatamounts to overkill and what is unacceptable? Is truefull-motion video necessary or would compressed videowith a lesser bandwidth and less than full-motion be

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acceptable? Many questions remain unaddressed atpresent, including the eventual effects and effectivenessof video interactive systems of all descriptions. Schoolsand local partners can assist the educational communityat large by taking steps to educate themselves and thetechnology vendors about the needs and requirementsof the educational marketplace for video services (Lloyd,1993).

InterconnectivityOne of the greatest challenges to school districts that wantto link with other districts or othe- entities by means oftwo-way interactive video is the means of achievinginterconnectivity. Fiber-optic linkages are available toschool districts through:

local telephone cooperatives or companies,the eight Regional Bell Operating Companies(REBOC's),major independent telephone companies such asGTE or Century Telephone,state implementation,an independent contractor, andself implementation.

The above interconnectivity models are not necessarilymutually exclusive, and it is expected that as thetechnology matures, one or more of the providers willbe involved with the linkage of a given network.

All of the projects studied for this guidebookcontracted with a local telephone cooperative or localtelephone company in order to connect schools by meansof fiber-optic technology, to configure the classrooms, andto train personnel. Most of these local telephone entitiesinitially provided this service at a tremendous discountand in one case covered startup costs with the expectationof eventual reimbursement by the state department ofeducation.

The local telephone cooperative or company model,however, although currently the dominant model in the

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Southwest, is not applicable to all rural school districts.Not all small rural phone cooperatives or companies arewilling or able to link schools with the technology;furthermore, many rural school districts wanting toconnect are served by several different phone entities,and coordination among these has proven difficult.Finally, many small rural school districts are not evenserved by local telephone cooperatives or companies.Sometimes the only possibility for bringing an ITVnetwork to these areas is working with the servingREBOC or other major independent telephone company.Below are examples of alternative models to linkinginteractive video sites.

Working with REBOCS. Although there areapproximately 1,400 local telephone companies in theU.S., many small rural communities are served byREBOC's or other major independent telephonecompanies (Parker & Hudson, 1992, pp. 36-38). Untilrecently the larger companies have been disinclined orunable to offer affordable linkage rates to small ruralschool districts in their southwestern service areas;however, recent developments in south central Oklahomaindicate a willingness by the REBOC serving that area toprovide linkage of the technology at affordable rates. Inconjunction with the serving REBOC, four schools inGrady County formed the Grady County IETV Networkin fall 1991 and were in operation by fall 1992. TheNetwork offers a full day schedule with academic classesoriginating from the four county schools, and vo-techclasses originating from an arca junior college.

A school district superintendent participating in theproject reports that interaction with the REBOC has beenvery positive, and the rates proposed by the telephonecompany were quite reasonable. Schools were chargedneither up front for the installation of the fiber-optic cablenor for connection into the system. They arc charged amonthly fee of $1,400 ($16,800 annually), which isconsistent with the rate charged to most of the other

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projects studied. Grady County schools did pay for theirown classroom studios and contracted with the servingtelephone company for the installation. This procedurewas also common among projects studied. The cost of astudio classroom for this network was reported to beabout $32,000. This cost was somewhat above classroomstudios in other projects studied, but superintendentswanted special features such as an echo noise-suppression device that facilitated clear audiotransmission. Good audio that can be clearly understoodby all participants has been a problem among schoolsstudied.

Participating school district superintendents state thatthe network has been extremely successful and thatstudents are learning by means of the technology, whichhas, for the most part, been free of technical malfunctions.All schools have agreed upon common school calendarsso that classes can be efficiently scheduled. Future plansthat will expand the use of the network includeconnecting with an area junior college, offeringcollaborative opportunities for local businesses, offeringmedical services and additional vo-tech courses. TheREBOC is talking to approximately 15 other potentialnetworks in Oklahoma.

Self implementation. A linkage model being consideredin central and southern Oklahoma and East Texas is foraspiring educational interactive networks to install, own,and operate all of the fiber-optic lines and connections,rather than leasing from a telephone company orcooperative. Participating schools are forming consortiato finance, install, connect, and ultimately own allcomponents of an area network.

Although implementation of this model is justbeginning in the Southwest, it has proven practicable inother areas. In rural Michigan, for example, a consortiumincluding the Shiawassee Intermediate School District inconjunction with seven neighboring districts, as well aslocal universities and hospitals, has installed 65 miles of

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fiber-optics for approximately $95,000 per district forstartup and $7,000 annually for maintenance andoperation of the network. The consortium justified thisinvestment by reducing costs of bussing, which requireda forty-mile round trip each class day. Also, districts arehoping use the fiber-optic system for all data transmissionwhich is currently being done on leased phone lines(Satterlund & Knox-Pipes, 1993).

In Oklahoma, two projects, the Connors State CollegeArea Interactive Television Network (CSA I-TVN) andthe Johnston County I-TVN, are in the planning stagesof owning and operating their own systems. The projectdirector for both networks is an educator who hasextensive experience in educational technologies and isworking out of Connors State College. Much planningand coordination has already taken place. The projectdirector has used the videotape Local -Heroes: BringingThecomtnunications to Rural, Small Schools extensively inmeetings in order to communicate the potential of thetechnology to school district superintendents, schoolboard members, and the community at large. While thetwo projects have similar objectives and planningstrategies, the CSA I-TVN project is particularlyintriguing because of its extraordinary scope.

Ultimately, CSA I-TVN intends to link by means offiber-optic 40 school districts, institutions of higherlearning, medical and business entities, and a statecorrections facility. Although the scope is large, schooldistricts will be organized into eight smaller local areanetworks (LAN's) so that interaction among schools willeffective. Although the LAN's will be relativelyautonomous, the project director wants to beginconstruction and implementation concurrently to enablea more efficient and cost-effective installation. Financingthe network, including classroom construction, fiber-optic installation, switching, and project management,will be accomplished by underwriting a long-term loanwhereby school districts will pay back their portion of

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the loan over a period of time. It is expected that the debtobligation would be about $8,000 a year, substantiallyless than for other projects cited, and the cooperativemembers of the network would own the system asopposed to leasing it. This ownership could conceivablyproduce other revenue in the future (Rampp, 1993). Atthis point, plans are in the early formative stage.

Cost Issues Relating to a Two-WayInteractive Video SystemTechnical and managerial issues involved in thedevelopment of interactive networks often pale incomparison with the financial and funding issues relatedto these projects. In projects featured in the Local Heroesvideo and guidebook, financial facilitators included localtelephone companies as major players. This situation isnot a shared feature of networks nationally, but the trendappears to be more common in networks that haveevolved during the past five years.

The technical elements involved in interactivenetworks and telecommunications infrastructure almostrequire the involvement of a telephone company ortelecom-munications expert if the schools are to get thebest arrangement of networking and equipment at themost reasonable price. Numerous options exist for thelocal school cluster, options that may or may not involveuse of the existing communications lines. When possible,it is generally cheaper and more logical for the schoolsto partner with a telephone company or other utilityprovider, rather than to build a parallel private fiber-opticnetwork or to use another option such as microwavetransmission. However, as noted above, initiatives inOklahoma and East Texas are beginning with theobjective of putting in their own fiber-optic lines. Theseinitiatives will bear watching. More linkage models willresult in greater implementation opportunities and thusgreater diffusion of the technology.

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Educators approaching a telephone company forassistance should realize that the majority of local andregional providers do not view the local schoolenvironment as a customer for anything other than basictelephone service. The customer service representativesand sales staff (if there are any) at the local telephonecompany office are unlikely to know what the schoolsare asking for when they request assistance with a two-way interactive video network. Most telephonecompanies, while vitally interested in new lines ofbusiness dealing with video, data, and wirelesstechnologies, are not in the business of anticipating thetechnology needs of the schools in their service areas. Infact, without a reason to do so, phone companies willrarely develop strategies for dealing with interactivenetworking for education as a line of business.

Even when asked specifically by the local educationalentities for assistance, the telephone company may notbe able to respond immediately. Potential partners needto understand the relationship of the local telephoneprovider to the schools and other partners in the network.Most often, interactive clusters with a telephone companyacting as a "hands-on" partner are situated in territoryserved by an independent telephone company orcooperative. Each of these companies has the interest andability to donate time, equipment, expertise, research anddevelopment, and funding needed to facilitate thedevelopment and installation of the local network cluster.Larger, regional telephone companies often are less ableto collaborate directly with the schools, due to differentregulatory environments and other factors. A networkin central Oklahoma has just been implemented with thecooperation of a major telephone company. It is the firstsuch alliance in the Southwest and if successful willprovide a model for the wider dispersal of the technology.

The pricing and availability of the types of lines andbandwidth required for interactive projects like thosedescribed in this guidebook are not always in the hands

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of the telephone company, but may be restricted by stateand federal regulatory guidelines. This is not to say thatthe guidelines cannot be changed or adapted to betterserve the needs of the schools. However, the process isnot a simple one. It is also unlikely to occur without theinstigation rf the schools or an agent representing theschools. A critical mass of the educational populationneeds to become informed and ready to testify as toexactly what types of changes are needed in theregulatory environment in order to encourage school useof the infrastructure. Requests from such a group wouldfacilitate action at the state regulatory agency.

Direct funding for the specific purpose of developinga two-way interactive video network for education isscarce. Private funding from a partner is sometimes seenduring the pilot and start-up years of interactivenetworks. With a few exceptions, state-directed moneysare rarely earmarked for local development of interactiveclusters. The lack of state funding for networkdevelopment can be directly attributed to the general lackof knowledge among state agencies and state officialsregarding the option of locally controlled interactivenetworks for schools. Again, it is helpful if the schoolsrequesting the funding spend time educating theappropriate policy 'makers and officials regarding thetechnology funding desired.

Costs and financial management at the district andlocal levels also present some unique problems forplanners and implementers of interactive networks.Schools that are already involved in some type ofcooperative purchasing arrangement tend to do betteras partners in an interactive network than those whosebudget processes are typically more isolated andindependent. A critical step for schools seriouslyconsidering the development of a shared network is theestablishment of a joint powers agreement or some othertype of formal arrangement for cost-sharing. It isimperative that partners account for shared costs and

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refine independent budgets. In the building of interactivenetworks, unlike entities must often learn tocommunicate with one another on a fiscal basis.

The process of developing financial arrangementsrepresents a step toward creating an appropriate culturefor the network's growth. It is very important that allinvolved parties understand that buying and installingthe equipment needed to create the physical interconnectis only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Money forsupport of the network, expanded technical tools, andother long-term commitmelts will be major factors inbudgeting for years following any pilot or demonstrationsituation. Stipends and teacher attitudes toward thenetwork are directly related. Advanced and specializedtraining for teachers, staff, administrators, and boardmembers should also be considered as ongoing costs forschools involved in interactive networking..

Cost categories vary but basically include:The original installation of cable. This can include thecost of the fiber-optic cable, installation of the cable,securing rights of way, and bringing fiber-optic tothe school door. These costs have often beenabsorbed by local telephone companies orcooperatives. Generally, participating telephonecompanies or cooperatives have been willing toconnect schools to their fiber-optic cable whenschools were located near existing or planned fiber-optic lines. Upon occasion, local telephonecompanies or cooperatives and their subsidiarieshave been willing to extend lines substantialdistances to connect educational entities, sometimesto the point of paralleling existing cable laid bynonparticipating telephone companies. Localtelephone companies or cooperatives hope torecover costs by also making fiber cable availableto government entities, local businesses, medicalfacilities, and other commercial carriers. As oneconsultant for a small rural telephone cooperative

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put it, "We tend to go wherever the big boys don'twant to."

Certainly, small telephone companies orcooperatives eventually hope to recover costs ontheir investment, but they also make a convincingargument for wanting to improve the community.Local telephone company or cooperative managersor owners live and frequently have grown up inthe community, as opposed to larger telephonecompanies whose management may be locatedthousands of miles away. Their children and theiremployees' children attend local schools. From apragmatic perspective, the success of their businessis directly related to the vitality of their comrreinity.Furthermore, telephone cooperatives are mandatedby law to recycle profits back to members, whichcan be done by direct rebate to customers or byimproving the community structure, i.e.,educational opportunities. The appeal of the latteralternative is that a strengthened communitystrengthens the subscriber base. Two of the sixprojects discussed here are supported by for-profit,small, rural telephone companies. Although profitbased, these companies are strongly motivated toplow a portion of their profits back into thecommunity for the reasons mentioned above.Installation and maintenance of telecommunicationseqa:pment. This equipment converts the analogvideo and audio signal generated by the studioclassroom to digital. Components are a coder/decoder (codec), transmitter and transformer.Typically, the telephone company or cooperativeunderwrites this expense initially with theexpectation of being reimbursed at a later date.Some telephone companies or cooperatives haveworked out five-year payback plans withparticipating school districts.

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Local Heroes

The cost of classroom studio equipment. This is typicallyborne by each participating school, although somemotivated telephone companies or cooperativeshave been willing to assume this cost in order tofacilitate implementation. Generally, the cost toequip an existing classroom is between $20,000 and$28,000. Typically, one classroom is equipped ineach participating school.Line usage fees. All telephone companies orcooperatives expect to be reimbursed for the useand maintenance of their fiber-optic lines andau Ixiliary equipment. The cost is negotiable, andonce again some motivated tel.,,hone companiesor cooperatives will defer costs to facilitateimplementation. Generally speaking, annual costsbeing quoted are somewhere between $15,000 and$25,000 per school.

Network Staffing, Management, Training andSupportThe most critical element of any school-based interactivenetwork is the teacher. Two-way interactive networks areunlike any other technology in use currently in a school.Educational technologies generally perform somedemonstrable function, such as playing back a videotape,creating a file or chart, or displaying on demand someinstructional material for use by a teacher or student.Two-way interactive video networks only function if theteachers understand their roles and are invested in theproject. In fact, multiple site interactive networks areutterly unique in the level of interactivity available(everyone on-line can see and hear everyone elsesimultaneously) and in their ability to serve as "virtualclassrooms" for the exploration of new ways of teaching.It is the open nature of the system that makes itparticularly at risk of failure if the faculty running it donot understand the network and the behavior requiredto make it functional.

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Planners and implementers of high-end technicalsystems such as the interactive projects in this guidebookrealize very quickly that teachers are not afraid oftechnology per se, but rather of receiving moreresponsibilities and fewer resources, more jobs, and lesssupport. Technologies are an expensive form ofinterventior and innovation. Interactive networks aretherefore especially threatening if they are unsupportedby training, due to the fact that if the teacher does notproperly facilitate and use it, the teacher not thetechnology has failed in the role of innovator. If theviewpoints of the teachers and staff using the networkare limited by lack of information and professionalsupport, the vision of the network will be similarlyrestricted.

The Local Network DirectorWhile a local network director exists in only one of thefour functioning networks studied, such a person can bean asset to the eventual health and advancement of thelocal network. Networks involving "school-to-school"arrangement tend to fare better than interconnectsinvolving disparate partners, simply because ofsimilarities in general daily behavior. But even the mostharmonious interconnect can experience a flattening outor plateau of use if no one is in charge of supporting thenetwork operations. Someone within the partnershipgroup should be selected to "nurture" the network. Thedirector is a single source of information, support,scheduling, and management of the network. The personin this position should be a full-time employee of thenetwork consortium and have at least some of thefollowing characteristics:

Background in several areas of education (morecrucial in school-to-school networks) and/ortraining experience. It is a logical pattern for ateacher or other staff member within one of thepartner schools to transfer to the job of director.

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Formal training in educational and networktechnologies is generally not required of thedirector, but a very high interest in discovering,adapting, and modifying technologies within thenetwork is essential. The director must be willingto try and sometimes fail at innovation if thenetwork is to advance.Experience with managing people andorganizational structures is useful. Although themanagement of a local two-way cluster is uniquein the extreme, a working knowledge of the changeprocess and the ability to deal with a variety oflevels of concern from teachers, parents, and otherpartners in the network is crucial.The job of the director must be accepted as a full-time position. Very involved and innovativesuperintendents and principals tend to take ondirecting the network as a "second job," especiallyat the inception of the network. If the person fillingthis role wishes to continue as director after theinstallation of the network, he or she must do sofull-time, relinquishing any other existing rolewithin the school district. Experienced leaders ininteractive video networks generally agree thatrunning a multiple-site interactive network is not apart-time endeavor and cannot realistically bewoven into an existing job description (Lloyd, 1993).

Guidelines for Implementationof Two-Way Interactive Video

Jolly and Deloney (1993) in Guidelines for CooperativeArrangements suggest a checklist for cooperativearrangements that provides a basis for the developmentof guidelines for the implementation of two-wayinteractive video in rural schools.

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Formative Stage1. Identify other school districts and other

organizations (colleges, universities, other publicservice organizations, and local businesses suchas telephone companies and telephonecooperatives) that may have interest inimplementing the technology, and identify keyplayers within those organizations.

2. Communicate the vision to these players, exploremutual benefits, and enlist dedicated supportand commitment.

3. Establish efficient lines of communication amongplayers.

4. Openly and candidly discuss the knowledge,skii.; and resources required for successfullyimplementing the technology, and arrange fortraining.

5. Identify policies, practices, and assumptions thatmay imOede implementation, and explorepossibilities for removal of barriers and/orstrategies for circumventing them.

6. Identify state/federal policies or programs thatmay facilitate or impede implementation.

7. Identify agencies or nongovernmental entitiesthat can provide convening/mediating/supportive roles.

8. Identify common needs, visions, and expectedbenefits to be gained by all participants.

9. Secure a tentative "agreement to cooperate" fromparticipants and establish basic groundrules forplanning and development of programs (e.g.frequency of meetings, expected levels ofinvolvement, initial data gathering, etc.).

Planning Stage1. Come to accord on a "consensus vision."2. Share the vision with everyone who might be

impacted by the technology, including local

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school boards, community members, and localbusinesses, and seek to enroll everyone in thevision.

3. Clarify and thoroughly explore participants'needs and their expectations of the technology.

4. Create a cooperative organization that consid-ers the needs and expected contributions of allparticipants and defines roles and responsibili-ties.

5. Create a cooperative organization that has thelegal right to seek and accept contributions, writegrant proposals, and accept funds.

6. Acquire commitments from all partners for ad-equate involvement of key personnel and for ad-equate time to allow the technology to proveitself.

7. Carefully research and make arrangements forthe acquisition and implementation of all neededmaterials, human resources, and equipment.

8. Plan an efficient communication system includ-ing all participants.

9. Plan monitoring and evaluation timelines andresponsibilities.

10. Assign responsibility for documentation of co-operative implementation and operation.

Implementation Stage1. Periodically check equipment quality and func-

tionality during the installation process byvendor(s).

2. Allow sufficient time for staff development,training and familiarization; bring in experts toassist with this phase.

3. Maintain a high community profile by exposingthe community to the technology during thetraining period and allowing them to use itthrough prototype community programs.

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4. Have administrators in small rural schools ac-quire expertise with the technology through staffdevelopment and through familiarizing them-selves with the installation and minor mainte-nance of the equipment.

5. Give clear guidelines to students and their par-ents about equipment access, academic expecta-tions, and comportment when participating inclasses using the technology.

6. Expose all teachers to the technology regardlessof their participation, and encourage them toexperiment with it when not in use.

7. Hold periodic network meetings by means offiber-optic connection, attended by administra-tors, teachers, telephone company or coopera-tive representatives, students: and otherinterested parties to discuss potential improve-ments, teaching techniques, and problems.

8. Assign a committee of users from each schcol tokeep abreast of innovations and explore newways to enhance the potential of the medium.

9. Implement a monitoring procedure to track stu-dent performance and student attitude towardthe technology.

10. Support administrator and teacher attendanceat conferences relating to the technology.

11. Present with teachers and the community extra-curricular possibilities for expanding usage andfamiliarization.

A Prototype Based on ResearchFindings

Jolly SE (Money (1993) present a framework of conditionsthat facilitate new program development for interactingeducational entities. .1-heir framework, a compilation ofseven criteria, was modified to serve as a prototype for

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the cooperative implementation of full-motion,interactive video among small rural school districts. Theircriteria include the context, concerns/needs, sharedvision/commitment, community/administrativesupport and assistance, planning/resource allocation,monitoring/problem solving, and ongoing assistance.The following section contains a brief discussion of eachcriterion and details findings derived from SEDL'sresearch that are applicable to each criterion and to thesuccessful implementation of the technology.

The ContextThe context comprises the area in which all other criteriafunction. Boyd (1992) defines school context as consistingof two dimensions: ecology (inorganic elements, such asthe resources available, the policies, rules, and schoolsize), and the culture (informal side, such as observedbehavioral norms, dominant values, philosophy). Asimilar context exists for technology innovation. Thiscontext must be conducive to positive change andsupportive of cooperation between organizations in orderfor implementation to occur.

In almost all locations studied, the ecology wasunfavorable: i.e., a dearth of physical resources,funding, space, complicated by regulations andscheduling problems that were obstacles to theimplementation of the technology. On the otherhand, the school and community cultures werebenevolent, allowing for an environment ofinnovation and risk-taking.Where no preexisting relationships and regulationswere found to accommodate implementation, suchrelationships and regulations could be forgedthrough rigorous self-discipline and strong desireto implement the technology; however the formingof alliances and the establishment of guidelineswere not always easy.

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Because of the proximity of players within a givennetwork, participants had already established anorm for cooperation through athletic events,district overlaps, etc. These cooperativearrangements were superficial in comparison to theamount of coordination necessary to implement aninteractive television (ITV) network, but they didserve as a positive first step.Although the novelty of the program could be asignificant element in the early success of a project,the most mature program (five years in duration)has grown stronger with time and is currently anintegral part of the school and curriculum.In order to accommodate the introduction of thetechnology, adjustments to rules, regulations, andschool policies have been necessary at both the stateand local levels.More coordination and flexibility in terms of federaland state regulations is necessary to accommodatenew communications technologies. Withoutadjustments, widespread use of networkedtechnologies cannot occur.

ConcernsINeeds

The transition from concern/need to action is significant,particularly in the arena of such established entities asschool districts. Articulating the specific concerns/needsthat ultimately result in change is essential. Without clearobjectives that address clear concerns, implementationwill be either aborted or flawed. The following is a listof major concerns or needs SEDL found to be drivingthe acquisition of a two-way interactive television systemin the school environment:

Increased curriculum demands stemming from vari-ous state level initiatives and more rigorous collegeentrance requirements.The threat of consolidation because of curriculardeficiencies and low attendance.

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Local Heroes

A well-defined need or set of circumstances for thetechnology to address. Repeated emphasis was placedon the precise articulation of the need, rather thanunfocused excitement about the "potential" of thetechnology. This specificity so necessary for successcan also have a downside, in that once the originalobjec'dve has been met, there may be littlemotivation to explore further potential.The desire to provide the best possible education for thechildren of the community and "and bring them into the twenty-first century."

In two instances, the technology was made availablebefore action was taken or the need was evident toeducators. Once the advantage of the technology becameapparent, however, clear objectives were identified.

Shared Vision/CommitmentAccording to Senge (1990), a shared vision answers thequestion, "What do we want to create?" People who sharea vision are bound together by a common caring. Thisshared vision expands the group's creativity and changesrelationships. Leaders who have developed a sharedvision with their faculty will also create common groundthat serves to facilitate or compel action to the realizationof this common vision (Mendez-Morse, 1992).

Current leadership literature characterizes the leaderas the vision holder, the keeper of the dream, or theperson who has a vision of the organization's purpose(Mendez-Morse, 1992). In Leadership Is an Art, DePree(1989) asserts that "the first responsibility of a leader isto define reality" (p.9). Bennis (1990) writes that leaders"manage the dream" (p.46). Vision is defined as "the forcewhich molds meaning for the people of an organization"by Manasse (1986, p. 150). Leaders who are successfulwith implementing innovations communicate the visionclearly to all involved. Failure to share information cancause a loss of commitment and momentum.

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Numerous researchers have found that sharing acommon vision increases the likelihood that schoolimprovement efforts will succeed (Beer, Eisenstat, andSpector, 1990; Deal, 1990; Carlson, 1987; Miles and Louis,1990).

The vision was initially perceived by anindividual(s), a "local hero," who saw a need toimprove educational opportunities for thecommunity. This person became the champion ofthe cause, driving the adoption and implementationprocesses. Ironically, in some instances championswere only tangentially impacted by the technologyonce in place. Their commitment stemmed fromtheir passion and belief in the potential of thetechnology for the common good. As one reluctant(at first) superintendent put it, "Altruism wasrampant."In all cases, school district participation in ITV wasvoluntary. The complexity and the difficulty of theundertaking served to eliminate participants whodid not share the excitement of the vision.Considering the time and commitment necessaryto implement the system, it would have beencounterproductive to require a professional toundertake the task.There were degrees of commitment amongparticipants, but among the primary initiators,commitment went well beyond professionalexpectations. One visionary referred to herself as a"monomaniac on a mission."Technology cannot be implemented without thesupport of an extremely dedicated local visionaryor visionaries. In all cases cited, the visionoriginated with one or two individuals whotenaciously persevered until the technology wasimplemented. All visionaries tended to beextremely persuasive and were successful incommunicating the potential of the technology toother players and policymakers.

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Once the technology was implemented,participants, including students, teachers andadministrators involved with the technology,tended to be strong advocates, even those whooriginally had strong reservations.

CommunitylAdministrative Supportand AssistanceStrong support from school administrative andcommunity leadership (technical support, infrastructure,public relations, and public support by communityleaders) is essential to the effectiveness and longevity ofinnovations. Deal (1990) states, "nothing will happenwithout leadership from someone or someplaceenergy needs to be created, released, channeled ormobilized to get the ball rolling in the right direction"(p. v). Glatter (1987) states: "There has too often been anassumption that you only need to introduce aninnovation for it to be effectively absorbed by theinstitution" (p.61).

Typically, members of communities where thetechnology was implemented became advocatesonce the technology was understood anddifferentiated from other less successful distancelearning applications.Most participating local school districtadministrators were highly supportive of thetechnology and of the entire technologyimplementation process. Some administrators wereapprehensive at first, but generally becameadvocates when the technology was implemented.Although expensive, the technology is affordable,especially with support from the businesscommunity (typically a local telephone cooperativeor company).All projects had enthusiastic support from smallrural telephone cooperatives or telephonecompanies who perceived that support to be in their


best interest. Larger telephone companies with lessinvestment in specific communities did notparticipate in the studied projects. However, as thetechnology becomes more diffuse, larger companiesare beginning to express more interest.While most projects started out with specificclassroom courses, all viewed the technology as acommunity resource. As projects matured,community offerings increased, particularly in thearea of adult education.Invariably the primary "linking agent" in all caseshas been the visionary or the "local hero." .Thisperson provided knowledge, information, andcontinual support needed to secure additionalsupport from school, business, and communityleaders.There was open and frequent communicationamong participants which nurtured further supportand assistance.Rural community members view the school as thehub of their community, and necessary to thesurvival of the community. School icons arefrequently seen on community property such aswater towers, walls and other large surfaces.Schools are often categorized as the "biggestbusiness in town." Once the technology wasunderstood, community members tended to besupportive. It must be noted, however, thatimplementation of the technology did not requireadditional community resources.Community support grew as reports from thechildren validated the success of the technology andas community services were made availablethrough the technology.

PlanninglResource AllocationPlanning is defining all the structural and resourcerequirements for program implementation. In addition

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Local Heroes

to the traditional planning steps that a single organizationmight take to develop an innovation, technology effortsrequire such special considerations as technical expertise.Resources include everything that is needed to bring aprogram into existence (facilities, equipment, supplies,staff, skill acquisition, the time and energy of supportivestaff, etc.) It also includes the individuals (human capital)who can ensure the allocation of resources needed forprogram operation and staff responsible for programimplementation.

All programs studied required extensive planning,from linkage of participating entities to acquisitionand installing the technology in classrooms, toscheduling, to training teachers, to preparingstudents. Indeed, the nature of the interactiveprocess mandates a precise planning procedure.Resources were not ava ilable within the schoolbudget allocation. This forced innovators to seekoutside help. As mentioned above, in two projectsunsolicited help came from local telephone entities.In general, the major costs of implementation wereoriginally undertaken by the local telephonecompany or cooperative with partialreimbursement by the school districts or statedepartments of education occurring over time.In most cases, preliminary funding through grantsand interest-free loans provided seed money thatengendered credibility and enabled the onset ofserious planning, which generally includedextensive travel to existing sites. These resources,however, were insufficient to actually implementthe technology.

Monitoring/Problem SolvingSystematic monitoring of the ongoing operation of theprogram is essential so that problems can be identifiedand resolved as quickly as possible. Successfulimplementation of innovations is dependent upon the

43


ability of leaders to constantly search for, acknowledge,and confront problems when they appear and act rapidlyto make major adjustments (Hord, 1992).Superintendents play an active role in monitoring changeand improvement (Pollack, Chrispeels, Watson, Brice, &McCormack, 1988). They use school and classroom visitsto observe curriculum and instruction and to monitorthe progress of the implementation of new curricula.They collect school and classroom products associatedwith the clnge (Hord, 1992).

Very little formal monitoring of the effectiveness ofeducation delivered by the technology has beendone at sites studied, the exception being the studyby Lawyer-Brook (1991). However, anecdotalevidence by participants at the supervisor, teacher,student, and commtmity levels suggests that thetechnology has been extremely useful in expandingeducational opportunities.Although most projects don't have classroomfacilitators at remote sites, activities are monitoredby either the principal or superintendent using alinked television receiver installed in the office.Students and parents are required to sign contractsoutlining the performance expectations andresponsibilities of participants.The rural nature of projects studied requireddecisionmakers to be directly involved with alloperational aspects of their schools from servinglunch, to maintaining the technology, to gettingfeedback from the community, to driving schoolbusses. Also, superintendents must coordinateclasses with other schools and oversee classroomcomportment. Such activities keep administratorsin touch with the technology and allow them tomake informed judgments as to its efficacy andimprovement.Distribution of materials is still problematic. Faxmachines are present in all classrooms, but when

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Local Heroes

large quantities of materials have to be sent, the faxis inadequate. Transfer of information by computerwould be much more efficient and is possiblethrough the technology. Computer interaction thatwould allow the electronic conveyance of materialshas not yet been implemented.The technology tends to make teachers moreorganized and more conscious of the teachingprocess.Education by meons of the two-way interactivevideo, when properly implemented withappropriate staff development, was reported to beas effective as conventional education.Typically, the interactive video system was resistedby many of the teaching staff who feared that theirjobs would be phased out. The technology itselfappeared to answer their objections in that itenabled the offering of more courses, whichreduced the threat of consolidation.ReFistance both in the community and in the schoolwas a factor, but not significant enough to deterimplementation, and as the system matured,resistance tended to erode.The technology was used for a variety ofeducational configurations. Many advocates saidthat use of the technology "was only limited by theimagination."

Ongoing Assistance and SupportThe survival of innovation requires continuity ofsupport,from initial set-up to maturity.

Staff development is very important to the successof implementation. Delivery over the technologyis substantially different from conventionalclassrc rt- teaching; however, good classroomteachers usually make good teachers over thenetwork. Teachers must be given time to developskills and curricula for their ITV courses.

45


46

There were enough enthusiastic teachers to fill theinteractive television schedule, and as otherteachers began to be exposed to the system throughstaff development, miniclasses, or teacherconferences, they became less intimidated by thetechnology.A major factor to overcoming resistance was carefulplanning that made the technology work from theonset, resulting in the technology's becoming amatter of course and consequently widely acceptedand supported.Teachers using the system are typically given morepreparation time, but are not trained to fullymaximize the system. Conferences involvinginteractive teachers should be developed to shareinformation and design models for futurepossibilities. At present, there seems to be a levelingoff of innovation because the needs for which thesystem was implemented are being met.In almost all cases, participants involved with theprojects considered them successful and likely tocontinue.In many cases, state and federal support grew asthe project matured and its success became widelyknown. It was the objective of all participants firstto build a credible model, gain support from stateand federal decisionmakers, and then encourage thespread of the technology

t-

Figure 2. Two-Way Interactive Video Sites in theSouthwest

mawMHO

TeleCommUNITYNetwork

This section describes six two-way, full-motion video andaudio projects in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas thatare in varying stages of development as of this writing.A detailed description of SEDL's research methodologyis contained in Appendix A. In order to avoidredundancy, the description of the first sites will be muchmore detailed than subsequent ones. Only events uniqueto a specitic project will be dealt with in detail insubsequent descriptions.

Projects in varying phases of the implementationprocess were selected in order to give the reader/viewera comprehensive overview of the implementation


process. Three sites have been on-line for varying periodof time, the shortest being almost two years, and thelongest being five years. One site is in the intermediatestage, having made agreements with participants, and isin the process of installing equipment in those schools.Two sites are in the formative stage, i.e., forming alliancesand securing funding for the project.

In addition to temporal distinctions, the threerelatively mature projects were chosen because each hasunique characteristics that give us special informationon the two-way interactive video process. The matureprojects are among the few in operation in the Southwestand have been visited by many other educational entitiesinterested in considering this technology.

All schools in the project were considered at riskbecause they were not able to provide educationcomparable to larger and less isolated schools. Sites wereselected from the southwestern states of New Mexico,Oklahoma, and Texas, all hit hard by economic setbacksin the oil and/or agricultural industries. Sites had littleif arty governmental funding at national, state, or locallevel for implementation of innovative technologies.Selected projects were conceived and funded (at least inthe pilot phase) from within the community, primarilyfrom nongovernmental sources.

The partnership between local schools and indigenousprivate businesses provides a unique perspective in termsof the implementation of innovative technologies ineducation. These "grass roots" initiatives contrast withprojects in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, Iowa, andMississippi that received a significant portion of theirfunding from public sources such as tax bonds, statedepartments of education, and/or district funding.

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Figure 3. The Oklahoma Panhandle Shar-Ed VideoNetwork

Twelve High Schoolsand One University

Program DescriptionBegan:Number of Schools:Initial Funding:Local Visionaries:Industry Participant:

Lip and Running

Fall 198813Grants, Industry SupportSchool SuperintendentsRural Telephone Cooperative

THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE SHAR-ED VIDEONETWORK

This project is the most mature network, having comeon line at the beginning of the 1988-89 school year tolink four schools in one county. Although the currentconfiguration of the Shar-Ed Network involves 12 schoolsand one regional university across a three-county area,the original initiative involved only the four schools inBeaver County, the easternmost county in the Panhandle.Generally, the trend among projects has been to start witha cluster of schools and then expand as a projectdeveloped. Initiatives for Beaver County began in 1985

, 0 49

to.


in response to funding cutbacks as a result of decliningtax revenues, as well as state mandates to provideadditional courses. Also, the Oklahoma College Board,which establishes college entrance requirements, cameout with minimum competencies for six subject areas thatrequired additional courses for college-bound students.County schools were advised by the dean of educationat Oklahoma State University (OSU) that their college-bound students were not fully prepared for highereducation.

In response, Beaver High School developed aninnovative "School Before School" program wherecollege-bound students would arrive at school an hourbefore regular classes began to take college preparatoryclasses. A curriculum was developed and classes taughtin conjunction with OSU faculty. Because of this program,the school gained national recognition as one of fifteenexemplary U.S. schools. Although this innovativeprogram did not use new technologies, it gave localeducators the confidence and community support to tryother educational innovations.

Beaver High School began receiving foreignlanguages, as well as other courses from OSU via satellite.While county students tested well and the initiative wasconsidered successful, area educators felt that inabilityof students to interact directly with teachers failed toprovide the best learning environment possible. Therewere good teachers in the county who could providecollege preparatory classes, but not enough for all fourschools. Ideally, the school districts would share foreignlanguage and other teachers within the county, thusproviding courses tailored to the specific needs of theirstudents.

The four county superintendents attended ademonstration in rural, western Wisconsin relating tointeractive television distributed by micro ave. TWo ofthe superintendents were impressed by thc: interactivenature of the system and students' ability to accept the

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technology and respond to teachers as if both teachersand students were in the same room. Their first sellingjob was convincing the other two superintendents to jointhe quest. The result was the formation of the BeaverCounty Interactive TV Cooperative.

Upon returning from Wisconsin, the Beaver countysuperintendents reasoned "...if they can do it, why can'twe?" and began the long odyssey of getting support andfunding for the implementation of two-way interactivevideo in their county. Gaining local support for theprogram was not difficult since the county schools hadalready gained considerable credibility from the "SchoolBefore School" and the satellite programs. However,support for the interactive video initiative did not extendto financial contributions, budgets were already stretchedtight.

Originally, a distribution system involving microwavetechnology, modeled after the Wisconsin project, wasplanned. Beaver county superintendents forged arelationship with oil companies in the area to assist withaccess to existing microwave towers and technicalexpertise. Even with the support of oil companies,however, costs in the area of $700,000 were expected, andlittle if any would come from local school district moneys.Months of knocking on doors, meetings, presentations,and grant writing ensued. Some efforts were successful,others less so. Money began to trickle in from limitedstate assistance and grants, but not nearly enough to fundthe project. To make matters worse, oil companymicrowave engineers were growing pessimistic about thefeasibility of a microwave system in the Panhandlewithout the construction of additional and extremelyexpensive rnicrowave towers.

The superintendents kept knocking on doors. Fiber-optic cable was beginning to be installed by phonecompanies and was being heralded as a revolution inthe field of communications. The superintendentsdecided to call on a major telephone company. One of

51


the county's high-school graduates was an executivethere, and they reasoned that such a connection wouldavail them a sympathetic ear. Approaches to the phonecompany did, indeed, yield a sympathetic ear, but littlein the way of tangible support.

A Beaver County school board member was also aboard member of the local telephone cooperative, whichis a rural cooperative that provides telephone service tothe Panhandle and surrounding areas. He suggestedapproaching the local telephone cooperative for thefollowing reasons:

The local telephone cooperative, although relativelysmall, was progressive and had been installingfiber-optic cable in the area, as well as upgradingmany of its other services.The cooperative, operating under federalguidelines, was required to reinvest profits backinto the community or to issue capital credit refundsto customer-members. Supplying the schools withinteractive television made sense, because fiber-optic lines could be used to carry signals other thanthose necessary to link the schools.The local telephone cooperative had a vestedinterest in the survival of the schools because itbelieved that the school was essential to the survivalof the community, and that without the communityits subscriber base would dissipate.The local telephone cooperative had an opportunityto implement "a cutting edge technology" thatwould place it in a strategic position when broaderapplications of the technology were sought.The telephone cooperative generated good publicrelations, both within and outside the communityto the point of receiving national recognition for itsinitiative.Local telephone cooperative employees and boardmembers were part of the community with familymembers attending local schools.

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The relationship between the Beaver County educatorsand the local telephone cooperative proved to be fruitful.Indeed, this liaison between county school districts andthe small, rural telephone cooperative proved to be amodel for all projects described herein. Small telephonecompanies or cooperatives typically have been muchmore responsive to the needs of their communities thanlarger telephone companies. Generally when smalltelephone companies or cooperatives have attempted toextend an educational network into areas controlled bylarger companies, they have had little success arrivingat affordable transmission costs for that extension.

Meetings ensued and an accord was reached. The localtelephone cooperative, serving a three-county area whichmakes up the Oklahoma panhandle, wanted to providethe same educational opportunity, in addition to Beavercounty, to the schools in Texas and Cimarron countiesthat wished to participate. But it was agreed for the firstphase that the local telephone cooperative would connectthe four schools in Beaver County with 52 miles of fiber-optic cable and provide maintenance, transmittingequipment, and transmission access. The Beaver CountyITV Cooperative, through its accumulation of grantmoneys, would partially reimburse the local telephonecooperative over a five-year period at the rate of $45,000a year, and would cover the costs of furnishing medialabs with cameras, TV monitors, microphones, etc., inthe four schools, costing about $20,000 per lab. Currently,each school in the network is paying the local telephonecooperative $11,000 per year for maintenance andtransmission access.

In addition to reaching an accord with the localtelephone cooperativ 2, Beaver schools had to reach anaccord among themselves in terms of aligning classschedules and calendars. This turned out to be one ofthe more difficult obstacles to overcome. In order forschedules to match precisely, school days had to beginand end at the same time. Class periods and school

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calendar had to be aligned. This "electronicconsolidation" ran counter to the independent nature ofthe Panhandle superintendents and school boards.However, with a lot of "hair pulling," concessions, andcajoling, a unified schedule was hammered out thatwould allow courses to be taught over their interactivesystem.

Another obstacle they encountered was a state regu-lation requiring a certified teacher to be physically presentin every classroom. The model for Beaver County andsubsequent expansion was to have one teacher for allfour sites. There was also some skepticism in the com-munity regarding control of students and cheating inremote classes. State authorities and the communitiwereultimately satisfied by the requirement that each studentand his/her parents would sign a contract according towhich the student had to maintain a certain standard ofbehavior and satisfactory academic progress. The studentwould be removed from the class for violating the con-tract. Also, classrooms were monitored by school princi-pals or superintendents who had connected televisionsin their offices. Surprisingly few disciplinary problemshave been reported since the inception of the program.

Courses began to be exchanged over the BeaverCounty two-way ITV network in fall 1988. Classes of-fered were advanced placement (AP) English, Spanish,art, and accounting. Classes originated from differentschools; instructors selected to teach the ITV classes wereamong the best in the county and were enthusiastic aboutthe possibilities of teaching over the network. The tele-phone cooperative's installation of the complex systemfunctioned well from the onset, and few technical orprocedural difficulties were encountered.

The new technology posed some problems for teach-ers. Sonic of the teachers who were not involved withthe ITV classes expressed fears that the sharing of teach-ers might phase out teaching positions. Training wasminimal, generally limited to familiarizing the teacher

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with equipment operation. Very little information wasavailable about teaching on this new technology.

Teachers who pioneered the system, however, havebeen able to help train and advise educators implement-ing other networks, as well as the other teachers on theirown network. Continued exposure to the technology re-duced apprehension among faculty, particularly whenthey perceived that rather than replacing teachers, thetechnology would make available course that the exist-ing faculty could not provide because of lack of trainingor low enrollment.

During the 1990-91 school year, three schools in TexasCounty, Beaver's western neighbor, were added to thenetwork to form a second cluster of schools. The cost toconnect to the network was $17,000. These schools sharedtheir own classes, including AP English, Spanish, collegelevel general psychology, and advanced mathematics. Atthis time there was no sharing between the two clustersbecause of technical limitations and the full schedule ofthe Beaver cluster.

Beginning in January 1991, the network offered its firstcourse from an institution of higher learning, a graduateclass in educational administration from NorthwesternOklahoma State University. The class was transmittedfrom one site in Texas County and available in both Bea-ver and Texas counties.

Also beginning in January 1991, Region 5 Rural Tech-nical Assistance Center of Denver, Colorado, undertooka three month study to explore the feasibility of usingdistance learning as a means for providing Chapter I re-medial courses to eligible children. Details of this studyare presented in Appendix A.

During the 1991-92 school year two more schools wereadded in Texas County making a total of five in that clus-ter. A regional university located in Texas County, cameon line in summer 1991. The university began offeringcollege courses in English, history, economics, sociology,and government to qualifying high-school students

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Southwest Educational Development Laboratoryv.'(seniors with a 3.0 or better grade point average). Threeschools in Cimarron County, just west of Texas County,formed a third cluster in 1991 that now offers a nearlyfull network schedule including mechanical drawing,trigonometry/calculus, AP English, Spanish, and speechfrom within the cluster. The cluster also receives an artclass from the Texas County cluster and economics fromthe regional university. The economics course, as well asothers offered by the regional university, is classified asdual enrollment, meaning that passing students will re-ceive both college and high-school credit. These coursesare available in all three counties. However, BeaverCounty has had difficulty in taking advantage of the dualenrollment courses because of an already full networkschedule.

By the 1992-93 school year, all schools in the threePanhandle counties that wished to connect were on thenetwork. Area schools then concentrated on upgradingteaching of existing courses. Sharing of courses amongclusters has increased somewhat, but essentially schoolnetworking patterns have stabilized. Community accesswas expanded in the form of noncredit courses, para-professional training, and intercommunity meetingsduring nonschool hours.

A unique network program was established in BeaverCounty "to encourage rural entrepreneurship," whichcommunity leaders believe to be an essential componentin preserving and improving rural economies andcommunities. REAL Enterprises (Rural Entrepreneurshipthrough Action Learning), a pilot project funded bygrants from the Oklahoma Department of Education andthe local telephone cooperative, is the first such programin the United States to be taught on two-way interactivetelevision.

The program offers rural students an opportunity tolearn to become effective entrepreneurs, with emphasisplaced on developing enterprises in the rural community.Academic work includes courses in entrepreneurship and

Local Heroes

srriall business management. Course work merges with

a business development project in which studentsresearch, plan, operate, and eventually own their ownbusinesses. Throughout the process, a CommunitySupport Team made up of business leaders and otherinterested individuals from the area actively assistsstudents and teachers. To develop an understanding of

the unique conditions of each site and to interface withthe community more effectively, the teacher travels toall sites during the semester, rather than always teachingfrom the same location.

Community expectations are high. The REAL projectis designed to elevate business skills of the students andimprove the business environment of the community. As

one participating school's district superintendententhusiastically put it, "It'll only take one idea to put uson the map. One student with the right idea. With modemtechnologies, we can communicate with anyoneanywhere. Our potential is unlimited. And at the sametime our kids are learning about the real world."

Future possibilities for the network include:Connecting with a southwestern Kansas interactiveTV network, giving them access to Fort Hays StateUniversity, which has a strong graduate program;Connecting with Oklahoma State University and/or the University of Oklahoma;Offering foreign language awareness courses at theelementary school level;Offering vocational training courses in CimarronCounty;Providing computer data transmission, includingstudent access to Internet, and computer trainingfrom Panhandle State University; andExpanding community participation.

57


Figure 4. New Mexico Eastern Plains InstructionalTelevision Consortium

Program DescriptionBegan: Fall 1990Number of Schools: 12Initial Funding: Rurai Telephone CooperativeLocal Visionaries: Rural Telephone Cooperative

ManagementIndustry Participant: Rural Telephone Cooperative

THE EASTERN NEW MEXICO INSTRUCTIONALTELEVISION CONSORTIUM

This project came on line for the 1990-91 school year.Although inspired by the Oklahoma Panhandle Shar-EdNetwork, it evolved quite differently. Rather thanoriginating from educators, the vision andimplementation came from the manager/CEO and theboard members of a rural telephone cooperative whoseservice area covered 2,500 square miles in eastern NewMexico and western Texas.

That original vision included:Linking together twenty schools in New Mexicoand Texas;Providing community health facilities with accessto medical training and technical support from theLubbock Health Sciences Center;

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Making training over the network available toindustries located in networked communities; andDelivering university courses and professionaltraining for community members.

The cooperative's.position was one of pragmatism. Itwas convinced that the viability of the rural school wasessential to the survival of the surrounding population

their subscription base.The cooperative approached schools that were already

access:Ible by fiber-optics and offered them theopportunity to participate in a pilot project. Under thepilot agreement, the cooperative assumed all costs forsetting up the network, including installation ofproduction gear for studio classrooms. The localtelephone cooperative sought support from the statelegislature but was unsuccessful. The only governmentalsupport available was an interest-free loan from the RuralElectrification Administration (REA). Rather than waitfor additional moneys to be allocated, the cooperativedecided to establish a successful program and thenpetition the state legislature for reimbursement.

Unfortunately, Texas schools in the cooperative'sserving area were unable to participate with New Mexicoschools because of the differences in educationalrequirements for both states. Texas schools are stilldesirous of participating, but bureaucratic problemsremain.

The obligation of connected schools would be theimplementation of the network which would require thecoordination of schedules and classes so that the systemcould be effectively used. This was not a simple task sinceschool districts tended to have different schedules.

Two clusters of networked schools were conceived,both in eastern New Mexico. One cluster linked schoolsthat had classes five days a week. The other cluster ofnetworked schools held classes four days a week. Thethree schools that formed the five-day-a-week clusterspanned a distance of nearly 200 miles. Because ofdisparate curriculum needs, participating schools were

) Co

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory _only able to share courses in art and Spanish. This lackof shared course offerings proved to be problematic inthat the technology was not fully used.

The second cluster, with only two four-day schoolsparticipating, shared art, physics, geometry, Spanish andalgebra. A major problem occurred because one schoolwas closed on Friday and the other closed on Mc nday.The schools could not agree to be closed on the sameday, so each had automated taping facilities that recordedclasses transmitted on the day they were closed. Althoughboth clusters had less than an ideal beginning, the projectwas deemed successful and attracted a lot of attention.

The 1991-92 school year witnessed the consolidationof one cluster and the weakening of the other. The five-day cluster lost one of its schools, which converted to afour-day week and joined the other cluster, leaving onlytwo five-day schools at the extreme ends of the network,and only one shared dass between them.

The four-day cluster, in addition to the former five-day school mentioned above, added another school,resulting in a total membership of five. Ultimately, allschools within the cluster agreed to a Monday-Thursdayweek, eliminating the necessity of students having toattend one day of taped classes. Each school suppliedone course for a network schedule that none includephysics, algebra, Spanish, Southwestern literature, anda rt a pprecia tion.

A local community college also joined the networkduring the 1991-92 school year, having been invited todo so by the manager/CEO of the telephone cooperativewith all costs to the college being waived for one year.The college was able to offer a number of dual-enrollmentcourses to qualifying high-school students, includingpsychology, sociology, algebra, English. Spanish, and artappreciation. These courses were particularly attractiveto college-bound students, typically 40-60 percent of theschool population, because course's were offered at nocost to the students and textbooks were provided. Somestudents have been able to accumulate as Many as 24

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hours of college credit prior to graduating from highschool.

For the 1992-93 school year, a third and highly uniquecluster was formed involving a high school and a remoteK-8 school in the same district but located 45 miles apart.Previously, students graduating from the elementaryschool each year had to travel nearly 100 miles a day toattend the high school, which translated into more than18,000 miles a year per student. Prior to leaving for thehigh school, most of these students had to first ride a busto the elementary school, further increasing travel time.Travel was particularly difficult for ninth-graders whowere unaccustomed to being away from home for suchextended periods of time.

This initiative differs from others in the network inthat the vision came from a local resident rather than themanager /CEO at the telephone cooperative, whosecentral office was located about 100 miles from the highschool. Rather than an opportunity to share teachers, thisinitiative sought to set up a remote interactive classroomthat would deliver a full complement of ninth-gradeclasses from the high school to the ninth-grade studentsin their home community. Because students were onlyin the ninth grade, a facilitator would be on the premisesat the remote classroom during classes.

The president of the school board, who was also theoffice manager for the local telephone cooperative in thatarea and a graduate of the distant elementary school, wasa strong advocate of technology in education. He hadassisted in the installation of media labs in other schoolson the network. His initial efforts to persuade the schooldistrict superintendent to install a remote ninth-gradeclassroom were not well received. Other distance learningprograms courses delivered by satellite had beencostly and unsuccessful in the area. However, after somepersuasion, and the visiting of two-way 'nteractive sitesin operation, the school district decided to implementthe program. Not being part of the pilot initiative, the


school district had to bear the cost of equippingclassrooms with necessary video equipment.

The program began in fall 1992 with very little teacherpreparation. However, there were early indications ofsuccess.

Even though students had the option of staying atthe elementary school for the ninth grade or bussingto the high school with older students from the area,eight of the ten students who started the fallsemester elected to continue taking classes over thenetwork.Grades for the ninth-graders at the elementaryschool were as good as or better than those of theirpeers at the high school.The English teacher, who was initially terrified atthe prospect of using the technology, stated that herclass with the network students was one of the bestshe has ever had.

The school district was later connected to the communitycollege, enabling students to take dual enrollment classesand local inhabitants to pursue college degrees.

Another development in the 1992-93 school year wasan increase in the role of the community college in thenetwork. Two schools in the four-day cluster were unableto contribute courses to the network because of facultychanges. The community college was in a position toincrease its participation and did so by offering dualenrollment courses to high-school students over theinteractive network. Some school superintendentsexpressed a preference for courses offered by the collegebecause of the dual enrollment advantages, and they feltthat the accelerated pace of the college level coursesworked well with a television format. Also, thecommunity college began to offer a number of college-level courses in the evening for community members,with as many as 28 students enrolled at a given school.Courses offered included accounting, art appreciation,English composition, American government, and

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psychology. In fal11993, banking and criminal justice wasadded in response to local requests.

The community college is also providing studio spaceto the New Mexico Department of Labor, which uses thesystem during off hours to provide information and clientintake services to community residents linked throughthe network. Additional uses under considerationinclude client services by the New Mexico Departmentof Human Services and in-service training to personnelof the participating school districts.

The community college is writing a grant to upgradeits network facilities in order to further expand courseofferings, and has already approved a budget for atechnology and training center which will include a newITV center, providing two studio/classrooms.

The original vision of the manager/CEO of the localtelephone cooperative has been scaled back for the timebeing. The cooperative had planned to put as many as20 schools on the network, and a number of schools havepetitioned the local telephone cooperative for networkaccess. The local telephone cooperative was partiallycompensated by the state for the network installation. In1991, the legislature appropriated $140,000 to twonetwork schools for implementation costs. In 1992, thelegislature appropriated $300,000 for implementationcosts at five other network schools. One other school wasadded for the 1993-94 school year, bringing the numberof participating schools to ten. At present, the networkreaches over 22,000 inhabitants who are sparselyscattered throughout eastern plains of New Mexico.However, it is unlikely that the telephone cooperativewill make any further large scale investment unless thestate and/or school districts agree to support theinitiative up front.

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Figure 5. TeleCommUNITY Network

Program DescriptionBegan: Winter 1992Number of Schools: 3

Initial Funding: Local Telephone Company,Grants

Local Visionaries: Asst. School DistrictSuperintendent, HigherEducation Faculty,Community Members, LocalTelephone Company

Industry Participant: University, School DistrictEducators, Telco Management

TetcCommUNITYProject0

THE TELECOMMUNITY NETWORK

Located in a small town in Central Texas, this projectbegan operations in January 1992. AlthoughTeleCommUNITY Network came on line recently, it wasthe first fully functioning full-motion two-way video andaudio network in Texas K-12 schools. This project hasperhaps the strongest community focus of projectsstudied in that the first phase of implementation occurredexclusively within one community: the local high school,a regional university, the local independent telephonecompany, and the second largest Job Corps center in theU.S., which is located on the outskirts of town.

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The initial vision came from an assistantsuperintendent and a school psychologist who werestrong advocates of technology in education. The regionaluniversity located in the community became anenthusiastic advocate. Support quickly followed from thelocal telephone company, who hired the schoolpsychologist and a two-way interactive TV specialist,trained in Minnesota, to facilitate the program. This isthe only instance among the projects studied in whichprofessional facilitators were brought in to develop andcoordinate activities. The telephone company alsofinanced the installation of the technical network,including classroom equipment. The three on-line pilotsites agreed to partially reimburse the telephonecompany over a five-year period.

With a 14-member planning team, TeleCommUNITYstarted meeting in January 1990 and implemented itsnetwork in January 1992, linking three sites in thecommunity. Through a series of grants and support fromthe telephone company, the university, and a lot of legwork by all entities involved, TeleCommUNITY began aunique program called Partnerships for Access to HigherMathematics (PATH Mathematics), a two-yearpartnership that was funded by the U.S. Department ofEducation to "... conduct research on mathematicsteaching and learning and research in social services"(Kennedy & Chavkin, 1992-93). PATH Mathematics wasdesigned by two professors at the university, one inmathematics, and the other in social work, incollaboration with teachers at the area high school.

The curriculum combines innovative teachingtechniques to prepare students for higher ordermathematics with a social support strategy involving adedicated PATH social worker, university social workinterns, and other helping professbnals from thecommunity to help students cope with nonacademicpressures. The course was team taught by the above-mentioned university mathematics professor, located atthe university and linked through the network, and by a

./ 65

Southzvest Educational Development LAboratony

school district mathematics teacher on the premises. Morethan 80 percent of the students passed the course.Students' progress will be monitored as they continuewith mathematics and other studies.

The PATH project used the technology primarily as avehicle for field testing and revising curriculum wherebythe designers of the curriculum could participate in theteaching process using two-way interactive video tomonitor the effectiveness of teaching and social servicestrategies. This use of the technology is radically differentfrom other projects mentioned ia which teachers areshared by schools within a network cluster (Kennedy &Chavkin, 1992-93).

In the second year of operation, PATH Math continuedas a regular course offering, with the university /schooldistrict team-teaching model still in place. By thecompletion of the 1992-93 school year, more than 200students had successfully completed the requirementsof the Path Math curriculum. Other unique elementsrelating to PATH Math include:

school social workers interfacing with students andparents to increase contact and positive attitudestoward the school and mathematics;establishment of a homework hotline wherebystudents could access a cable generated TV programproduced by the university and telephone fromhome to ask specific questions; andthe use of graphing calculators, interactivecomputer linkages, and "teacher in window" split-video signals where students could see the teacherin one corner of the TV screen as he explained mathcalculations that were displayed on the rest of thescreen.

In addition to the PATH Mathematics project, theuniversity is offering dual enrollment calculus to high-school and Job Corps students over the network. The JobCorps is offering specialized vocational training to high-school students and residents of the community. Plannedcourses include Russian, Japanese, and college English.

66

7 3

Local Heroes

Also active on the network are two programs thataddress the needs of adult learners. The first is the Worldof Work (WOW) program, in which adults, including JobCorps students and community members, study literacyand job initiative strategies. The classes are deliveredfrom the site at the Job Corps, with instructors and tutorspresent at each on line site.

Another major project underway is the SouthwestTexas Center for Professional Development inTechnology (SWT-CPDT). Currently funded with a $1.1million grant from the state education agency, the Centeris offering instruction to in-service classroom teachers inmethods and techniques for using technologies ineducation. SWT-CPDT is concentrating on advancedapplications of digital fiber-optics including extensiveintegration of the Internet in elementary classrooms, andcreative uses of interactive multimedia networks andworkstations.

Other plans for the network are:to expand the network to outlying areas inadjoining counties, as well as within thecommunity;to construct additional classroom sites at the schooldistrict and university, featuring fully interactivevideo, audio, and data capabilities that will interfacewith other on-line class labs;to support activities, including on-line computingand video for child and adult clients of familyliteracy projects;to connect with an ITV network that is developingin a nearby metropolitan area; andto add other sites to the community networkincluding a church, a library, a resort conferencecenter, and a local detention center for drugoffenders in order to offer wider dispersion ofadult education programs

67

Southwest Educational Development Uboratory

On the Vetge

The following projects are in various stages of planningthe implementation of an interactive educationaltelevision network. Prognosis for successful completion.of all three projects is good.

Figure 6. North Texas Educational Network (NTEN'*)

0-0,0North Texas Educational

Network INTEN)

Program DescriptionBegan: Fall 1993Number of Schools: 3Initial Funding: Local Telephone Company,

School DistrictsLocal Visionaries: School District Supt.Industry Participant: Local Telephone Co-op

" The NTEN project was not included in the video because oftime constraints. However, the authors feel that the project isworthy of discussion in the guidebook. NTEN's initial goal isthe sharing of teaching expertise among the schools.

(18 7 '1

Local Heroes

NORTH TEXAS EDUCATIONALNETWORK (NTEN)

This project is a partnership among three North Texasschool districts and a rural telephone company. The vi-sion came from the owner and general manager of thetelephone company who had seen demonstrations of theOklahoma Panhandle system. He believed that a locallycontrolled network could strengthen area schools,thereby preventing further erosion of the rural popula-tion. At the time of writing the owner is seeking supportfrom additional school districts in the area, as well as anarea college. Contractual arrangements with the on-boardschools include reimbursement for the classroom equip-ment and an annual fee for fiber-optic access.

Fiber-optic cable has been installed between schooldistricts, and NTEN has equipped classrooms at threeschool districts with necessary equipment to begin usingthe system. All equipment for implementation has beenpurchased by the local telephone cooperative. In an effortto enlist support of area communities, NTEN held a two-way video demonstration at an area college in summer1992 where hundreds of citizens actually participated inan ITV classroom setup that connected four locations.NTEN has also participated in technology workshopsand conferences to promote its initiative and to learnabout others. Training sessions to familiarize teacherswith the system took place in the summer of 1993, andthree area schools began exchanging a limited numberof classes in the fall of 1993. During the primary phase ofimplementation classes were offered in reading (juniorhigh), microcomputing, and foreign language.

Expected future benefits are an expanded andenhanced K-12 curriculum, dual high-s,-hool and collegecredit, job training workshops and symposiums for therural communities, programming capabilities for healthcare in rural areas, and other community services.

69

Southwest Educational Development LAboratory

Figure 7. East Texas Learning InteractiveNetwork Consortium

East Texas LearningInteractive Network

Consortium

Program DescriptionTo Begin: Fall 1995Number of Schools: 3-4Initial Funding: Local Telephone Company,

School Districts, UniversityLocal Visionaries: School District personnel,

University administrationIndustry Participant: Local Telephone Co-op, Local

industry

EAST TEXAS LEARNING INTERACTIVENETWORK CONSORTIUM (ET-L1NC)

This project originally comprised two northeastern Texasschool districts, a local telephone cooperative, a locallybased aerospace company, and a regional university.Currently, school districts interested in the technologyand possible participants in ET-LINC number more than15. The first formal initiative came in fall 1991, when aschool district media coordinator recommended sendingan expert to visit the TeleComrnUNITY project. Atelecommunications specialist from a local aerospacecompany, who had a strong interest in educationaltechnologies was selected to go. The visit proved veryproductive, both as an information gleaning experiencefor the ET-LINC project and as vhe groundwork for an

70tti

Local Heroes

alliance with the TeleCommUNITY project that has beeninstrumental in the progress ET-LINC has made up tothis point. The visit also solidified relations between theschool district and the local aerospace company. Thetelecommunications specialist became a strong advocateof the two-way interactive program and a participant inits formation.

A local telephone cooperative expressed stronginterest in being involved and offering support. Aconsultant for the cooperative was already familiar withthe TeleCommUNITY operation and was an enthusiasticadvocate of the technology. The project gained furtherstrength in fall 1992 when the assistant superintendentof the school district involved with the TeleCommUNITYproject moved to a school district in northeastern Texas,bringing her expertise and enthusiasm. She soon enlistedthe support of her superintendent.

Formal meetings that included visionaries frcm thetwo school districts, the telephone cooperative, and theaerospace company began in fall 1992 and continued ona monthly basis. Soon thereafter, the local telephonecooperative established a liaison with the dean ofeducation at a regional university who also joined theeffort. The dean had been involved in distance learningtechnologies in another state and was interested inreaching out to area schools in northeastern Texas withsimilar technology.

Many school districts currently involved in the projecthave relatively complete curricula and are not primarilyinterested in the project for the purpose of sharingteachers at the high-school level, which has been typicalof other projects. However, potential participants areextremely interested in making university-level coursesavailable to their students and community, and theparticipation of the university has been essential ;orparticipation. The school districts and the university seelinkage by two-way interactive video as a benefit for thefollowing reasons:

71


Classroom enrichment for school district studentswith participation of university professors servingas "master teachers";Dual-enrollment courses for high-school studentstaught by university faculty;Graduate courses for in-service teachers;Undergraduate courses for school districtparaprofessionals and place-bound communitymembers;Sharing of actual classroom practices withpreservice teachers at the university;Monitoring of preservice teachers while studentteaching; andDemystification of the university environment, thusmaking higher education more accessible.

Also strengthening the project was a recent donationto a private foundation aligned with ET-LINC of broad-band switches from a major long distance carrier. Eachdigital cross-connect switch costs more than $200,000 andis capable of linking at least 60 sites with full-motionvideo. While a donation of switches and light-waveterminals that have the potential of interconnecting asmany as 540 sites seems to be "overkill" in a projectbeginning with a few schools and one regional university,it significantly strengthens the credibility of the project.Furthermore, the switches may grea tly reduce theinstallation cost per site and will offer an incentive forother schools to join the project. Ultimately, projectplanners from the foundation hope to disperse theequipment throughout the state of Texas, linking manysmall rural schools with each other and with institutionsof higher learning, medical centers, and other appropriateentities. The equipment is being received by theTeleCommUNITY Foundation, since it is a legal nonprofitentity and ET-L1NC has not yet attained that legal status.

Demonstrating a strong commitment, the regionaluniversity has recently hired a program coordinator tofacilitate the implementation and management of the

72 8 1

Local Heroes

system, as well as other outreach programs in area K-12schools. The university plans to be fully functional withits own interactive teaching studio by summer 1995. Thecoordinator is currently organizing meetings withinterested school superintendents in the area andshowing the video Local Heroes in order to communicatethe potential of the technology. She is also making copiesof the video available to superintendents so that they mayshow it to school board and community members. Thecoordinator's activities has been influential, along withabove-mentioned visionaries, in accelerating momentumtoward the implementation of the technology.

The confluence of diverse influential entities, includingongoing support from the TeleCommUNITY Project andthe addition of a professional organizer, is anomalousamong the six projects studied and bodes well for thesuccess of the project. ET-LINC participants are busilywriting grants for additional support, forming alliancesin Northeastern Texas, and seeking firm commitmentsfrom a small number of school districts to forge aheadwith the hard planning and resource allocation necessaryto begin the first phase of implementation.

73

Southwest Educational Deofoment Laboratory

Figure 8. The Dell City Initiative

----Itell City Initiative

Program DescriptionTo Begin: Fall 1992Number of Schools: 3-4Initial Funding: Local Telephone Company,

School Districts, State GrantLocal Visionaries: School District Supt.Industry Participant: Local Thlephone Co-op

THE DELL CITY INITIATIVE

This proct originated in a remote, sparsely populatedschool district in far West Texas, about 90 miles east of ElPaso, that is facing the specter of consolidation. The visionto reach out with technology to strengthen the school andthe community was first articulated by the Dell Cityschool district superintendent who had seen and studiedsome of the programs mentioned above. Thesuperintendent has spent the last two years forgingrelationships with other area schools, and her efforts i.,renear fruition. The manager of the local telephonecooperative has promised support and is in the processof connecting schools in the cooperative serving area.

Initially, the project had hoped to link three schooldistricts and a community college in El Paso. Allinstitutions have access to fiber-optic cable; however two

_

74 8 3

Local Heroes

of them, located in El Paso, are served by a larger, regionaltelephone company which makes coordinationproblematic. Discussions with the larger telephonecompany have not met with success to date. In order toconnect the network school districts with El PasoCommunity College, the regional telephone companywould charge the network approximately $17,000 amonth using DS-3 transmission rates, obviously aprohibitive cost.

Late last year, the state-supported, regionaleducational service center in El Paso, in conjunction withthe regional university located in El Paso, won a grantrelating to in-service training for teachers throughtelecommunications. The university already had in placethe less expensive T-1 interactive video system, whichlinks the numerous regional universities throughout thestate, and invited Dell City schools to join the consortiumalong with another rural school east of El Paso. The T-1transmission technology is inconsistent and of lesserbandwidth (not currently enabling full-motion video)with the DS-3 full-motion fiber-optic system that Dell Citywas planning. However, the prospect of being up andrunning within less than a year and receiving dualenrollment courses from the university, in-servicetraining from the regional service center, affordablelinkage, and connection with outside world was an offerthe Dell City community was prepared to accept. As theDell City ISD superintendent put it, "There's no point inhaving the Cadillac of ITV systems (DS-3) if you don'thave anybody to connect with."

Dell City has secured community funding for a mediacenter that is near completion. The superintendent hasalso been instrumental in forging an alliance with aconglomeration of rural and small community telephonecompanies or cooperatives that extends from Lubbockup to El Paso. The ultimate strategy is to connect smallrural schools in the region with The University of Texasat El Paso and El Paso Community Co llcge. Plans alsoinclude connecting with the University of Juarez in

75


Figure 9. Two-Way Interactive Educational TelevisionSystems in the Southwest

ProjectTitle

ff Ut

Units,at Start

BeganPlan

ImplementationEfforts

StartupDate

LengtnProjectmonths

oklahe,,,PanhandleShar.Ed

4 1985 ( rant writingstate 'foundation/mdusd-y support

Fall 1988 51

Nrtteork

NM La:tern 5 1989 Industry support Fall 1990 27

Plainsln,trin i tonalTVConsortium

hit:molt W TINetwork. SanMateo, TX

3 1990-91 lndustm university.lob dorps.15D

partnership/grantwriting

Winter1992

12

North Few.Edu,atIonal

3 l'441 Loral teleo and :chooldistrict partnership

Fall 1993 N/A

Networi

Den ON2 l anInte.a. tnr TVProm I

4 1991 l'artner with local Ink°.regional service center,

university, grantwriting

Fall 1994(pull)

N/ A

Fast frurs',wiringlntero. t we,:il icOrk

in nut 1491 Telco, 1SD's,ludw h industry,

higher ed pArtnership/gi..nt writing

Winter1495

(roll

N /A

1-0,14 Man

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

71)

Local Heroes

tt ut

1-esentUnits

LocalInstigators

Sources ofInspiration

Higher EdParticipant

IndustryParticipant

FutureGrowth

13 Beaver Co. Wisc. MN 2- OK Panhandle OK Panhandle Link with SWuperintendent Way Video

NetworksState University Tele. Co-op Kansas

networkKansas reg.univeNity

13 ENMR tele OK Panhandle Clovis ENMR Tele Link with otheico-op Shar-Ed I1V Community Co-op higher ni;

management Network College additional TX.NM sLhools,additionalcommunityservices

3 Century Mom. ITV. SW I SL: Century Link withTelephone ofSan Mario.,

SWTS12.San Marcos

MD,Gary Job Corp.

OK Panhandle Telephone ofSan Marcos

adorenischciols, otherhigher ed,using othertelecommuni-cationtechnologies

3 Muenster OK Panhandle none at Muenster Telco Link w/areaTelephone Co Protect,

lelv("enurIUNTP:Network

pres.ent communitycollege, Otherarea schools

4 Dell City !SD r'entury U I -LI Paso Dell City Link from Dellsuperintendent telephone of Telephone City to

San Marcos, OK Co-op Lubbock, TXPanhandle ITV Ware/.

Unit enaty,Mexico

in flux People's Telco. rekcornmUNTlY East Texas State Peoples Add otherISD visionaries,

I,systems.Dean of

Education East

Network Unn ersav TelephoneCo-op

schools;uommunitywrvit es;teat her tramin

Texas State

8677


Mexico, which :3, located just across the border from ElPaso. Such a link would be the first in the United Statesand would provide an international test site. For thepresent, however, the supe:intendent at the Dell Cityschool district will be content to be up and running withthe newly formed consortium. She expects the effort tobe fully functional by fall 1994.

Although the Dell City school district is still in thegenesis phase of implementation, it has already madeenormous progress in getting right-of-way agreementswith many telephone companies and/or cooperatives,and getting authorization, as well as support, for theinstallation of fiber-optic cable necessary to enablededicated signal transmission. The district's vision of anetwork, be it a DS-3 or a T-1 transmission rate, thatextends through much of West Texas and into Mexico

will bear watching.

Conclusion

Everett M. Rogers (1981) states that theimplementation of new ideas, new concepts is not easy,even though such implementation could be beneficial.In many fields the distance between the discovery andwidespread adoption of innovations is considerable.Frequently, years pass before a useful discovery takes itsplace in the mainstream culture. The educational arenais often categorized as being particularly slow to adoptinnovation. However, a number of school districts in theSouthwest have embraced a rapidly evolving, highlydynamic technology that is just becoming accessible inorder to enrich the academic opportunities of theirstudents and communities. Even before the fiber-opticcable necessary to link schools for two-way, full-motionvideo interaction had been put in place, school districtswere aggressively positioning themselves to implementtl le new technology.

78

Local Heroes

Rogers (1981) calls this phenomenon the "spontaneousdiffusion of innovation" whereby local inhabitants serveas change agents, visionaries, champions or local heroesto implement the technology. Our research supp, s theRogerian paradigm in that the innovative coneptoccurred to one or two individuals in a community who,with apparently boundless energy, attracted keysupporters within the community and without toeventually effect change. In all cases the process ofimplementation was arduous, but tenacity and early, clearidentification of the goal enabled success. Projects thathave already been implemented through the technologyhave been deemed successful, and the prognosis is goodfor those in planning and implementation stages.

A secondary level of spontaneous diffusion hasoccurred in that existing projects have providedmotivation and expertise for the development ofsubsequent projects. In all cases, visionaries reported thattheir initial inspiration came from an existing project. Asmore projects come on line, and as the technologybecomes more available with decline in costs, thediffusion of the innovation could well becomeexponential, ultimately pervasive, and reach critical massin the very near future.

79


Bibliography

Barker, B. (1991). Technological delivery systems andapplications for K-12 instruction in rural schools.In A. De Young (Ed.), Rural education: Issues andpractice (pp. 203-237). New York: Garland.

Beer, M., Eisenstat, F.A., & Spector, B. (1990). Why changeprograms don't produce change. Harvard BusinessReview, 68(6), 158-166.

Bennis, W. (1990). Managing the dream: Leadership inthe 21st century. Training: The Magazine of HumanResource Development, 27(5), 44-46.

Bilow, S. (1986). Long term results of centralization: A casestudy of a large rural Nezv York school district. Ithaca,NY: State University of New York, College ofAgriculture and Life Sciences.

Bogdan, R., & Biklen, S. (1982). Qualitative research ineducation. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Boyd, V. (1992). School context: Bridge or barrier to change?Austin, TX: Southwest Educational DevelopmentLaboratory.

Brooksby, R. (1992). Two-way interactive video. In P.S.Portway & C. Lane (Eds.), Technical guide toteleconferencing and distance learning (pp. 61-74). SanRamon, California: Applied BusinessteleCommunications.

Carlson, R.V. (1987). School assessment and schoolimprovement: An organizational culture analysis.Educational Planning, 7(1), 3-14.

Deal, T.E. (1990). Foreword in T. Sergiovanni, Value-addedleadership: How to get extraordinary performance inschools (pp. vix). Orlando, FL: Harcourt BraceJovanovich.

Denzin, N.K. (1970). The research act: A theoreticalintroduction to sociological nwthods. Chicago: Aldine.

Denzin, N.K. (1989). Interpretive interactionism. NewburyPark, CA: Sage.

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DePree, M. (1989). Leadership is an art. New York:Doubleday.

Duttweiler, P.C., & Hord, S.M. (1987). Dimensions ofeffective leadership. Austin, TX: SouthwestEducational Development Laboratory.

Glatter, R. (1987). The role of school leaders in theintroduction of school improvement. In N.E. Stego,K. Gielen, R. Glatter, & S.M. Hord (Eds.), The role ofschool leaders in school improvement (pp. 49-70).Leuven, Belgium: ACCO.

Goetz, J. & LeCompte, M. (1984). Ethnography andqualitative design in educational research. New York:Academic Press.

Greenfield, E. (1993). Evolutions in technology. T.H.E.Journal, 20(6), 10-16.

Guba, E., & Lincoln, Y. (1981). Effective evaluation. SanFrancisco: Jossey-Bass.

Hord, S.M. (1992). Facilitative leadership:The imperative forchange. Austin, TX: Southwest EducationalDevelopment Laboratory.

Joiner, L.M., Silverstein, B.J., & Clay, M.B. (1981).Independent study: Route to academic equity forrural high schools. Educational Leadership, 38(7), 578580.

Jolly, D.V., & Deloney, P. (1993). Guidelines for cooperativearrangements. Austin, TX: Southwest EducationalDevelopment Laboratory.

Kennedy, P.A., & Chavkin, N.F. (1992-93). Interactivetechnology brings algebra to all. EducationalLeadership, 5u(4), 24-27.

Kober, N. (1990). Think rural means isolated? Not whendistance learning reaches into schools. The SchoolAdministrator, 47(10), 16--24.

Lawyer-Brook, D. (1991). The use of distance education todeliver Chapter 1 services. Denver: Region 5 R-TAC.

Lincoln, Y., & Guba, E. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry.Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

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Lloyd, L. (1993) Telecommunications: From vision toimplementation. Unpublished manuscript.

Manasse, A.L. (1986). Vision and leadership: Payingattention to intention. Peabody Journal of Education,63(1), 150-173.

Monk, D.H. (1991). The organization and reorganizationof small rural schools. In A. De Young (Ed.), Ruraleducation: Issues and practice (pp. 177-201). NewYork: Garland.

Méndez-Morse, S. (1992). Leadership characteristics thatfacilitate school change. Austin, TX: SouthwestEducational Development Laboratory.

Merriam, S.B. (1988). Case Study Research in Education. SanFrancisco: Jossey-Bass.

Miles, Ma, & Louis, K.S. (1990). Mustering the will andskill for change. Educational Leadership, 47(8), 57-61.

Northern Telcom. (1991). Distance learning: using digitalfiber-optics (Publication number; ES 9101)Richardson, TX: Author.

Parker, RB., & Hudson, H.E. (1992). Electronic byways: statepolicies for rural development throughtelecommunications (pp. 36-38). Boulder: WestviewPress.

Patton, M. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and researchmethods. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Pollack, S., Chrispeels, J., Watson, D., Brice, R., &McCormack, S. (April, 1988). A description of districtfactors that assist in the development of equity schools.Paper presented at the annual meeting of theAmerican Educational Research Association, NewOrleans, LA.

Rarnpp, L.C. (1993). CSA l-TVN Information Book.Materials presented at 1993 meetings with potentialparticipants of the CSA l-TVN, central Oklahoma.

Rogers, E.M. (1982). Diffusion of innovations (3rd ed.). NewYork: The Free I'ress.

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Rutherford, W.L. (1985). School principals as effectiveleaders. Phi Delta Kappan, 69(1), 31-34.

Satterlund, S., & Knox-Pipes, B. (1993) Fiber goes thedistance. Electronic Learning, 13(1), 46-47

Yin, R. (1984). Case study research: design and methods.Newbury Park, CA: Sage.


Appendix A

Existing Research

To date, little research has been conducted on theeffectiveness of telecommunicated distance education ascompared to other methods of instruction. Studiesrelating to effects and effectiveness of interactivetelecommunications networks for education tend to belimited in scope, focusing on local school results andlimited use of control groups. Yet, most authors appearto be convinced that these technologies are promising.Barker (1991) concludes that the research base suggeststhat "...students who study via telecommunicateddistance education approaches perform as well as theircounterparts in traditional classroom settings." (p. 235)Barker further notes that the success of the technologydepends more upon the quality of instruction deliveredthan on the type of technology used. Kober (1990) alsosuggests that this technology can be as effective astraditional instruction.

Most of the scant research relating to telecom-munications and education has dealt with secondarycourses for college-bound students. Little is known aboutits effectiveness with elementary students or at-riskstudents. One study, however, deals specifically withelementary age students and two-way interactive video.In January 1991, the Region 5 Rural Technical AssistanceCenter of Denver, Colorado, undertook a three-monthstudy (Lawyer-Brook, 1991) to explor:. the feasibility ofusing distance education as a means for providingChapter I remedial courses to eligible children. Interactivetelevision was used to provide mathematics instructionto third and fourth-grade students with one teacher atthe sending site and facilitators at the three remote sites.Four schools in the Oklahoma Panhandle Shar-EdNetwork (one of the six projects presented in thisguidebook) were selected for the first phase of the study.

849 3

Local Heroes

For the second phase in summer 1991, four sites insoutheastern Kansas were selected. The selectednetworks feature multiple sites with fully interactivevideo, where each site can see and hear all others.

The author made the following observations:Chapter I instruction could be effectively deliveredusing two-way interactive video.Classes were at least as effective as traditionalinstruction delivery systems in producing studentachievement.Interactive television was successful in activelyengaging the students for the entire program.Since the technology was already in place, ChapterI delivery was no more expensive than the cost of atraditional Chapter I program.Advantages of using two-way interactive videoincluded sharing of human and material resources,increased teacher support through networking,visual clarity of objects, and staff developmentthrough modeling.Teleteachers, facilitators, superintendents, andparents responded positively to the distanceeducation project in surveys and interviews(Lawyer-Brook, 1991).

Lawyer-Brook also identifies problem issues such asthe commitment of time and money; the need for specificteleteaching training; the difficulty of establishing aschedule; the possible limitations of the classroomenvironment; and differences in classroom managementamong schools.

Several authors advise that facilitators be available atremote sites to offer support and guidance to students,especially in large classes. Joiner, Silverstein, and Clay(1981) found that students at remote sites were lessindependent than first thought. The authors concludedthat the facilitator is critical to the success of independentlearning. Kober (1990) cites a study conducted by RobertThrelkeld at California State Polytechnic showing that

9 't 8 5


"high interactors," students who interacted with theinstructor two or more times a week, did betteracademically, had more affinity for classes, and had moresense of involvement than low interactors.

In terms of the implementation of the technology,references to the "facilitative leader" (Hord, 1992) neededto drive the implementation of an innovation arepervasive in the literature (Deal, 1990; Glatter, 1987;Duttweiler & Hord, 1987; Rutherford, 1985).

Bilow (1986), whose study dealt with theimplementation of two-way interactive video in ruralNew York State, made the following observations:

More preparation time was needed, since materialswere delivered to the participating schools byshuttle.Since direct contact with students in other districtswas considered important, teachers were requiredto leave the home district occasionally.The districts had to develop common scheduling.Discipline presented the biggest problem. It wasrecommended that no more than four students bein a classroom in the remote sites. Honors studentscreated fewer problems.Teachers worried about the elimination of positions.

Monk (1991) advised that cooperative arrangementsinvolving telecommunicated distance education willrequire formal organizations because of the complexityof the programs and their resource requirements. Barker(1991) suggests that administrators who are consideringdistance education programs pay close attention to thefollowing twelve issues: extent of course offerings;selection of teachers for distance education delivery;teacher training; local control; classroom management;scheduling; levels of interaction; remote site visits byteachers; the "personal touch;" technical breakdowns;materials transfer; and class size

The results of SEDL's resea rch on six sites in theSouthwest (please see Appendix B), which form the

86 9',i

Local Heroes

foundation for this guidebook and videotape, aregenerally consistent with the findings cited above.However, despite the lack of a classroom facilitator atmany remote sites few problems regarding discipline oreffectiveness were reported.

Reasons cited for success were:Classes were almost always small;Entry into an interactive television (ITV) class wasgranted only by permission;Students had to sign contracts regardingexpectations and comportment prior to beingadmitted to the class; andStudents had at least one year of high school andwere college-bound.

All interactive television classes studied involvingyounger students had facilitators present or were teamtaught, with instructors or facilitators at eachparticipating site.

9 6, 87

Southroest Educational Development Laboratory

Appendix B

SEDL's Descriptive StudySince little research exists involving the iniplementationof full-motion interactive video in schools, SEDLconducted a study (1992-93) of six sites in New Mexico,Oklahoma, and Texas, using a descriptive, multiple-casestudy design (Yin, 1984). The case unit was composed oftwo-way interactive video projects that linkedparticipating schools as far apart as 200 miles within agiven region.

Structure of the Research ReportThe research report was written to inform an audienceof citizens and educational professionals interested inimplementing interactive two-way video systems in theirown schools. Before writing, an outline was developedto include the following components: purpose of thestudy; methodology, presentation of the data; validationand verification of the findings; and conclusions andrecommendations (Patton, 1990).

Research questions

The following questions are categorized within aframework that serves as prototype for implementationof the technology. Discussion of the categories andoutcomes derived from research methodology will bepresented in the section entitled "A Prototype Based onResearch Findings."

THE CONTEXT

How does the school setting support technologyinnovation?What were the basic attitudes and beliefs about theinnovation before, during and after it was in place?Is there an atmosphere of risk taking?

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Local Heroes

Were adequate time and resources devoted initiallyto the innovation?Was the actual physical structure of the schoolconducive to the innovation?Were other aspects of the school, such as scheduling,school size, working conditions, etc., conducive tothe innovation?Did the innovation require departures from districtor state policies and regulations?

CONCERNS/NEEDS

What was the concern, need, or problem that led tothe acquisition of a two-way interactive televisionsystem?Who saw the needs? Who didn't?What needs are being met? How well?Has anyone worked closely with you to accomplishyour goal of implementation? Who? How? When?

SHARED VISION

What was the vision?Who first envisioned the technological innovation?Where did the vision come from?Did the vision evolve or spring full-born into themind/minds of the local hero/heroes?Who or what contributed to the vision?Were there competing visions? If so, how was thedecision to develop the current innovationresolved?Is the vision still expanding?Is the vision shared by everyone who is involved?(mid-management, faculty, students, andcommunity)Has the community at large (or the schoolcommunity) made a commitment to the vision?Have the faculty and students supported the vision?How was the vision communicated, and with whichlocal constituencies?

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How did participants at different locationscommunicate?How did planners share their vision with statedepartments of education and other regulatoryentities in order to accommodate existingregulations to this new technology?

COMMUNITY/ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

How was the project supported by schooladministration?Where did the local support come from and howwas it developed? (phone company, other localbusiness and industry, schools, churches, localgovernment, community leaders, medical, legal/law enforcement professions, banking)Was there state or regional support? (gtants, money,legislation, mandates, regulations, knowledge,technical assistance, evaluation)Was there foundation support? (grants, money,guidance)Was there federal support? (grants, money,legislation, mandates, regulations, knowledge,technical assistance, evaluation)Was there any other type of support?Who has been the "linking agent" in the process ofimplementation?

PLANNING/RESOURCE ALLOCATION

How were schedules synchronized amongparticipating schools?What steps were taken to ensure the selection ofappropriate technology?What steps were to taken to ensure success?What resources were in place to support project?What resources were lacking?

MONITORING/PROBLEM SOLVING

How did technology play a role in the monitoringfunction?

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Local Heroes

How did the community monitor the project?How structured was the monitoring process?

ASSISTANCE/ONGOING ASSISTANCE

How were assistance and support provided to thosedirectly involved with the innovation?Did initial support continue over time?Did support for the project grow?W}"Illt were the financial, technological,infrasrructural, knowledge/informational, political,and regulative impediments to this project and theuse of advanced telecommunication in thecommunity? (Training, scheduling, ongoing costs,technophobia, policy disincentives, technicalsupport, infrastructure)What resistance was met, and how did it affect theproject?

Data CollectionData sources for each case study included:

face-to-face interviews during site visits, recordedon video- and/or audio-tape;observations and video :_cording of interactivevideo classes during site visits; andcommunity, school, telephone companies orcooperatives, and government documents andrecords.

Documents included newspaper articles, memos,letters, minutes of meetings, and financial reports.

Interviews were conducted with such individuals assuperintendents, principals, school board members,telephone company or cooperative liaisonrepresentatives, interactive video coordinators, parents,teachers, and learners who had used the technology.Participants were selected through a process of snowballsampling (Patton, 1990) by which intervieweesnominated others to be interviewed. To help ensure thatmultiple viewpoints were represented, the principle of

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maximum variation sampling was observed in selectingfrom among nominated individuals (Lincoln & Guba,1985).

Although formal interviews were conducted on sitewith key individuals, additional data were collectedthrough informal discussions and conversations withother community members, and follow-up interviewswere conducted by phone.

Data were collected by three investigators during aminimum of two site visits of two to three days each. Inlight of the distance between the research center and thesites, as well as the number of sites, additional site visitswere impractical. Numerous phone interviews weremade before and after site visits.

Data AnalysisEach site's development of interactive technologycapabilities occurred in ways both unique to the specificlocation and common to other locations. Although allprojects began by local initiative, federal and stateparticipation emerged (to varying degrees) during thecourse of implementation of the technology, allowing forfurther description and clustering of variables. Commonfactors have been synthesized and presented in theimplementation prototype, as well as in an editedvideotape.

Data were analyzed throughout the data collectionprocess to monitor their sufficiency and focus (Bogdan& Biklen, 1982). Data collection was considered completewhen continuing efforts produced very small pieces ofinformation in proportion to the energy expended, andregularities began to emerge in the data (Lincoln & Guba,1985).

Since the purpose of the study is a descriptive accountof how citizens implemented two-way interactive videosystems in small rural schools, deiinitive analyses orinterpretation of data were avoided. Ra ther, the datahandling process focused on compressing and linking

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Local Heroes

the data into a narrative form that conveys informationneeded to understand the implementation process at eachsite (Merriam, 1988).

The following steps structured the analysis process:Data were initially sorted to form a case record ofeach project site.The data within each case were then sorted intosimple categories, guided by the questions in theinterview protocol.Additional categories were developed toencompass issues frequently mentioned byparticipants or information of particular interest tothe audience for whom the research was written(Lincoln & Guba, 1985).To support the concrete descriptive purpose of thestudy, more rather than fewer categories wereformed, since fewer categories tend to lead to higherlevels of abstraction during the reporting phase ofthe study (Merriam, 1988).Finally, the cases were compared to identifysimilarities and differences. Recurring patternswere assumed to have a high likelihood ofapplicability to similar settings.

In 'order to strengthen internal validity, the followingsteps were taken:

Triangulation of data sources and investigators wasundertaken (Denzin, 1970).Data and interpretations were checked withresearch participants to verify plausibility (Lincoln& Guba, 1985).Data were gathered repeatedly during site visitsand through telephone interviews over an eight-month period.The findings were examined and critiqued by peers.The researcher's assumptions, world view, andtheoretical orientation as they relate to the researchtopic were clarified before the study began(Merriam, 1988).

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Applying the concept of reliability to the humaninstrument, the following techniques were used tostrengthen reliability:

Triangulation;Clarification of assumptions and theory behind thestudy; andMaintenance of an audit trail by the principalinvestigator describing in detail how data werecollected, categories derived, and decisions madethroughout the inquiry (Cuba & Lincoln, 1981).

To help apply the findings to other situations, thefollowing steps were taken:

Thick description was provided (Lincoln & Guba,1985);The typicality of the sites and projects was described(Goetz & LeCompte, 1984); andCross-case analyses were conducted.

Structure of the Research ReportThe research report was written to inform an audience

of citizens and educational professionals interested inimplementing interactive two-way video systems in theirown schools. Before writing, an outline was developedto include the following components: purpose of thestudy; methodology, presentation of the data; validationand verification of the findings; and conclusions andrecommendations (Patton, 1990).

Data are presented in three parts:A description of the technology with some technicaldata provided;The story of each site's efforts to implement thetechnology; andA comparison of the similarities and differencesamong the sites on issues salient to the intendedaudience.

Included in the presentation of data are:A thorough description of the setting for each case;

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Local Heroes

A description of the key elements studied in der th,both case-by-case and comparatively; andA discussion of the "lessons to be learned" f Tanthe study (Lincoln & Guba, 1985).

Specific issues under investigation are:Technical description of the telecommunicationprocess as it relates to small rural schoo!s;Coordination between small rural school districtsand local telephone companies or cooperatives;Coordination (or lack of it) among involvedtelephone companies or cooperatives regardingsignal transmission;Federal, state, and local support for educationaltwo-way interactive video; andTechnical and cost description of implementationof two-way interactive classrooms.

In composing the report, a preference has beenobserved for writing thick description rather than highlyabstract and inferential analysis by the researcher, so asto allow the study participants to tell their own story asmuch as possible (Denzin, 1989).

Findings from this research have served to form thefoundation of this guidebook, as well as theaccompanying videotape, Local Heroes.

1 0 95

"Local Heroes" are the implementors of advanced

telecommunications. They're the dedicated,

motivated citizens who work to better serve their

rural, small schools and communities. These local

heroes realize that telecommunications can play

an important role in maintaining the integrity

of education. This guidebook tells their story along

with details for successful implementation in rural,

small schools.

/0ERISOUTHWEST EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LABORATORY

211 East Ith Street

Austin, Texas 78701

512/476-6861

This guidebook is based on work sponsored wholly,

or in port, by the Office of Educational Research and

Improvement, U S. Department of Education, under

Contract Number RP91002003 The contents of this publication do

not necessarily reflect the views of OERI, the department,

or any other agency of the U S Government

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