Feature

Introduction
The role of science and technology has always been phenomenal in moulding the society throughout the human history. Today, modern science and advanced technology are responsible for changing any nation's economy and the life style of people in the world are changing at a speed often too fast to comprehend. The fast-advancing Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are influencing daily life at an unexpected rate and with tremendous changes in every aspect of human life. The electronic media playing an important role changing the mindsets of people, their attitude, their view of life and what not; no wonder the impact of television and radio is felt in the world of education also. Of the electronic media available, television is the most potential and preferred in terms of reach, richness and impact.

Bangladesh Television
Bangladesh Television has been running since 1964 with the aim of improving the national culture with information, education, motivation and entertainment. About 2 million televisions receive transmissions from the network's 17 relay stations. Most of the programs are locally produced mainly in Dhaka. Channel - I runs 24 hours a day and launched the first digital Bangla channel in 1999. Since then it has grown in popularity as one of the best educational and entertainment TV channels in Bangladesh. This live Bangladeshi TV channel is mainly aimed at Bangla speaking individuals and provides programs that the entire family can enjoy. One of the newer Bangladesh TV channels to come onto the scene is Bangla Vision. The objective of the private channel is to build up the nation by means of wholesome entertainment (Source: www.bangladesh.com/tv). Ekshuey Television is another highly rated entertainment television of the nation, according to a study conducted by Center for Communication Network (Source: www.bangladeshshowbiz.com/news/bangla_channels). The report of a study conducted by Forum of Development Journalism and Communication Studies (FOCUS) observes “When satellite television made its journey in Bangladesh nearly a decade ago, nobody could really foresee that it would have a tremendous impact on our everyday life, the report revealed. Presently speaking style of a whole generation of young Bangladeshis is being shaped up by the programmes aired by nearly fifty channels of different cable network” (Source: ww.bangladeshshowbiz.com/news/sat_tv.htm). The report of the joint research conducted by the Journalism Department, Chittagong University and Department of Mass Communication and Journalism of Dhaka University observes “the advent of satellite television in Bangladesh, which is changing the behavioural pattern of city dwellers, threatens the age old values, enriched culture and tradition of the country” (Source: ww.bangladeshshowbiz.com/news/sat_tv.htm). The first, second and third National Media Surveys (NMS 1995, 1998 and 2002) record a persistent increase in the television viewing among the citizens of Bangladesh (31 % in 1995, 42% in 1998 and 61% in 2002). The NMS Report (2002) also reports that TV viewership among 15-49 age group was quite high. In the absence of any recent NMS reports, a careful analysis of the growth pattern in the past reveals that the TV viewership would be almost one hundred percent at present.

Educational Television (ETV)
Educational Television (ETV) is a system that presents learning content in various subjects produced by an agency. It is a means of providing direct instruction (formal) as well as continuing education (non-formal). It has the capacity to bring the world into a class room and a class room into a home. “Televised education is far from being education of the cheap. Because, it is mass-produced, television can allocate incomparable material and human resource to a single programme transmitted to millions of viewers. If educational television were accepted, not as an extra but as the basic instrument for education, there would be no obstacle to a still further improvement of the programmes. Many innovations in curricula and methods, which it is difficult to introduce in traditional education, could be adopted in televised education”, according to UNESCO. According to Wayne Coy who described ETV as the Electronic Black Board, “ETV combines both sensory and auditory experiences; is an extension of radio broadcasting ; offers uniformity of communication; is a versatile educational vehicle; stimulates and reinforces ideas; provides live broadcasts of 'on the spot' events; provides a powerful visual medium; and is a means for leisure time activities”. ETV programmes are made available to the students in a variety of modes. Some of the most important types of ETV programmes are Monologue (A subject expert, a teacher or a narrator explains or narrates the aspects, interlacing it with visuals the illustrations), Dialogue (Conversation between two experts, teachers, students, a student and teacher or two teachers), Interviews, Panel Discussion, Quiz, Dramas, Simulated Classrooms and Virtual Classrooms. In many countries, the main vehicle for achieving educational goals has been a TV based instructional system. Such systems are distinguished not by their format or purpose but by their mode of development. The programmes are developed keeping in view and incorporating student needs assessments, a lesson design, formative evaluation, product revision, summative evaluation and the revision of objectives and strategies. ETV is imperative for any developing nation which depends for its growth on the education of its youth for the following reasons:

Ideally, the ETV programmes represent best educational efforts of curriculum specialists, program designers, audio-visual artists and broadcasting specialists, the programmes incorporate the best, most up-to-date thinking in the field, and the content is presented in an attractive and stimulating format.

ETV can also stimulate educators to reconsider curricular options, to evaluate the methods of pedagogy now in practice and to see new relationships among discrete curricular areas. It provides a source of ideas for teachers and can catalyze their development of more vivid, more motivating and more contemporary practices.

The ETV programmes allow students to transcend the boundaries to space and time and to see society in new and diverse ways. The rural child sees life in the city and the urban child sees life in the country, various patterns of consumptions and economic structure, alternative religious forms, cultural patterns and sexual role models are made available on the television.

ETV has been instrumental in introducing affective education into classrooms. TV programs that provide shared and relatively universal experiences have given teachers and students the opportunity to examine their feelings about themselves and their environment.

ETV can promote the concept of equivalisation of educational opportunities by providing instructional actions that are so universal that they become specific to every viewer and are effective regardless of sex, race, ethnic background or economic condition.

When ETV adds to the number of possible approaches to instruction, stimulates improved class interactions, initiates and reinforces cognitive learning or motivates better classroom behaviour, it is providing better, more efficient education, thus ensuring better preparation of students to be effective and fulfilled members of the community at large.

Educational Television (ETV) in Bangladesh: Visions and Challenges

Mohammad Moniruzzaman Mia Commission (2003) recommended “there is no alternative to exploring the full utility of modern technology for quality improvement in primary and secondary education. In this regard a TV channel could be engaged for this purpose”. The Commission also recommended that through using technology (Radio, TV, Computer, Internet etc.) a continuous education system be introduced to educate and provide scientific thoughts to the whole nation.

According to newspaper reports, the second channel of the state-run Bangladesh Television (BTV) is to be converted into a 24-hour educational channel with a view to boost distance learning. The Education Adviser, Hossain Zillur Rahman announced on 20th May 2008 that the information ministry would be starting the channel 'as early as possible'. This would be the first educational channel in Bangladesh that has had a plethora of private entertainment channels in recent years. (Source: www.indiaenews.com/bangladesh/20080521/119452.htm).

According to 'The Independent' dated 29th March 2008, the Information Secretary, Jamil Osman directed the officials concerned to quickly prepare an amended project proposal for opening a terrestrial education channel by Bangladesh Television (BTV). It is further reported that the directive came at a meeting to review the progress of different projects under Annual Development Programme (ADP) of the Information Ministry and the meeting decided to hold discussions with the Education Ministry and the Open University within next week to prepare the project.

Well, this is a clear indication that candid and concerted efforts are being taken by the government to have a 24 hour ETV channel and thus providing 'anytime anywhere education to anybody' in the country. It is indeed good that the government is taking steps on a war-footing to launch the ETV channel. At this planning stage, it may be considering the models of the developed and developing nations as well, including the one, practised in India with a handful of ETV channels Gyan Darshan (for General Education), Vyas (for Higher Education) and Ekalavya (for Technical Education), all in the network of an exclusive satellite for education, namely Edusat, perhaps the only and the first-of-its kind satellite in the world. As the government is seriously at the vision of providing edutainment (fusion of education and entertainment) to its population whose TV viewing is fast increasing, it would be better if it takes cognizance of the challenges ahead as well. The following are the visions and challenges of launching an ETV channel in Bangladesh:

* Establishment of policies with regard to the launching, management and monitoring of ETV channels.

* Creation of future-proof infrastructure for the proposed general ETV channel as well as suggested ETV channels, specific to levels of disciplines of study.

* Development of human resource viz., content developers i.e., subject experts capable of providing educational video programmes (for classroom teaching is different from developing ETV programme) and technical personnel capable of creating educational video (for entertainment video production is different from production of ETV programmes).

* Launch of exclusive channels for school education, higher education, technical education, medical education, agriculture education, etc.,

* Establishment of Media Production Centres (both broadcast and non-broadcast) and bringing them under an agency, just like India's Educational Multimedia Resource Centres (EMMRCs) which work under Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC).

* Establishment of Centre for Advanced Studies in Media-based Education to monitor the impact of ETV channel(s), conduct research and develop new media-based models and instructional strategies for televised education.

* Establishment of a mechanism for continuous In-service Training of teachers in the art and science of educational media production and use.

* Creation of infrastructure for broadcasting through satellite and terrestrial modes, besides trying for providing Direct-to-Home facilities.

* Creation of grassroots level infrastructure in schools and colleges with clear well-conceived mechanism to ensure proper utilization and maintenance of the facilities.

* Establishment of a mechanism to ensure continuous production, delivery and evaluation of ETV programmes.

* Preparation of a clear road map regarding where to fit the ETV programmes in the different curricula at different levels of education in Bangladesh.

Of course, there are no two separate lists visions and challenges, because the visions are the challenges and the challenges are the visions not only for the envisioned ETV, but also for any human endeavour at the beginning stage. All the best, Bangladesh !

(Lecturer Department of Educational Technology Bharathidasan University Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India. E-mail: edutechsenthil@gmail.com)