Instructional Media for Continuing Education

The problem is to identify the existing and prospective components and systems of instructional media in order to match the needs of continuing education. A general statement of need relative to continuing studies in engineering education was expressed four years ago in the Journal of Engineering Education (58: 367-446, 1968). It was recommended that increased attention be paid to strengthening functional relationships between continuing education and the programs of engineering schools, industry, government and the engineering societies. The present paper attempts to describe in general terms the appropriateness of specific kinds of instructional media to the particular needs of engineering education, whether primary or continuing. For purposes of discussion "instructional media" is defined to mean all equipment and materials traditionally called "audiovisual materials" and all of the newer media such as television, overhead projectuals, programmed materials and any form of computer-assisted or computer-mediated instruction. Efficient and effective communication requires an appropriate match between medium and message. This necessarily means a sophisticated understanding of the educational needs, the nature of the information to be communicated and the functional capability of the various educational media.