Project Outcomes

Important aspects of the operations of the Distance Education via Satellite Project between 1994-1999 can be summarized as follows:

1. The establishment of a television station and installation of a television signal transmission system via satellite

The Educational Television Station or ETV was established at the Center for Educational Technology on Sri Ayutthaya Road, Rajathevi District, Bangkok Metropolis, for the broadcasting of educational television programs. The first session was broadcast on August 12, 1994. ETV is the first television station in Thailand that transmits digital signals in Ku-Band frequency via satellite. Due to the unique features of on-spot reception of video signals from the satellite, the station was initially known as the Direct-to-Home (DTH) television. It is presently known as Digital Satellite Television or DSTV according to its advanced technology features.

2. Educational television programs via satellite viewing

Special satellite signals receptor equipment is needed for the viewing of educational television programs via satellite transmitted in Ku-Band frequency. One set of this equipment consists of a 60-80 cm. solid satellite dish, an Integrated Receiver and Decoder (IRD), and a standard color television set. During the experimental period, the project planned to acquire a total of 6,000 sets of the equipment; 3,000 sets were purchased from the budget provided by the Department of Non-Formal Education, another 3,000 sets were donated by Thaicom Foundation. At present, a total of 15,590 sets have been obtained and installed.

Details regarding procurement of equipment for the viewing of educational television programs via satellite appear in Table 3.

Table 3

Number of satellite signals receptor equipment television sets, and video player, and recorders during the 1994-1999 fiscal years

These items of equipment were distributed to various educational institutions, particularly to schools in remote areas with teaching personnel problems. They are, for example, schools under the responsibility of the Border Patrol Police, elementary schools in the Educational Opportunity Expansion Project, and elementary schools under Princess Sirindhom Royally Initiated Project. Also included were other units in networks for the increase in educational opportunity and quality of life of socially disadvantaged people in corrective institutions, prisons, and other welfare institutions. Details of distribution of the equipment appear in Table 4.

Table 4

Number of units with satellite signal receptor equipment during the 1994-1999 fiscal years by organization

Note: Number of equipment obtained by other organizations is not included here.

3. The transmission and broadcasting of educational television programs via satellite

The project educational television station or ETV is located at the Center for Educational Technology Building, on Sri Ayutthya Road, Rajathevi District, Bangkok Metropolis. The station transmits digital satellite signals in Ku-Band frequency, which are linked up with Thaicom satellite station on Rattanathibet Road, Muang District of Nonthaburi Province. From there, the signals are consolidated and transmitted to the satellite and broadcast to viewing stations over the country. The programs are broadcast daily from Monday to Sunday. The programs are mainly educational during school time and teaching personnel development related during school vacations. Previously the maximum and minimum broadcasting time have been 16 hours and 10 hours, respectively. At present, the station has an average daily broadcasting time of 12 hours. As a result of advanced digital satellite signals transmission technology, the reception of both video and audio signals have been clear and sharp.

 
4. Production of educational media for distance education via satellite

It is the project intention to use integrated mixed media which are mainly television programs and printed materials, for its distance educational programs. Instructional materials have been produced to supplement different curricular requirements of 89 subjects/sections resulting in a total of 1,382 television programs. Various divisions in the Department of Non-Formal Education were responsible for the procurement of 75% of these materials; the Department personnel produced some of them while others were purchased or produced by independent agencies on a sub-contract basis.

The rest of the materials were obtained as a result of assistance from other organizations, especially from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction Development, Office of the National Primary Education Commission, and the Religious Affairs Department. Three publishing companies in the private sector have been very supportive to the Department. They are Thai Wattana Panich Publishing, Nanmee Books, and Kurusapha Printing Press. Furthermore, approximately 4,000 other general educational programs were produced or obtained with the support of agencies in both the government and private sectors.

Specifically, the instructional process for each lesson includes the following activities:

1. Introduction and orientation by the teacher/facilitator to ensure the readiness of students before the television broadcast (approx. 8-10 minutes), using the guidelines in the printed material.

2. Students study from the television program to learn the concept presented by the distance teacher (approx. 12-15 minutes).

3. Teacher and students carry out question-answer session, group discussion and other follow-up activities as suggested by the printed material (approx. 10 minutes).

5. Educational programs via satellite usage

1. For Instructional purposes

Television programs were used as instruction materials in different manners depending on the existing conditions and arrangement of each institute.They were used as teaching supplement and class revision materials for formal and non-formal curricula. Programs for the preparation of university entrance examinations were also designed as a combined effort of the Department of Non-Formal Education, the Thaicom Foundation, Chulalongkorn University and the Center for Continuing Education, Chulalongkorn University. There were a total of 13,444,326 viewers for these television programs and 9,798,376 of whom were students in the formal education system, and 3,645,950 were those in the non-formal education system.

1. For the promotion of quality of life

This involved the use of general educational programs on such topics as health, hygiene, environment, and politics to improve viewers general knowledge and awareness of current issues. There were a total number of 2,713,890 viewers. Details of viewers appear in Table 5.

Table 5

Details of educational television program viewers by target groups during the 1994-1999 fiscal years

Notes:

• These numbers were compiled from all installation sites in the project as reported in the forms devised by the Department of Non-Formal Education.

• Data for the 1999 fiscal year were projected figures based on number of viewers in the first half of the year (October 1, 1998 ~ March 31, 1999).

1. For personnel development

The programs were used to improve the efficiency of personnel both within and outside the Ministry of Education in the form of distance meetings, training and conferences through the facilities of the educational television station. Notable projects were: The Department of Curriculum and Instruction Development Primary English TeachersTraining project, the Department of General Education Special Education Teachers Training project, the Office of the National Primary Education Commission Computer Training for Teachers project, the Training of Local Administrators and Leaders project under the collaboration between the Department of Provincial Administration, Department of Community Development, Department of Non-formal Education, Department of Agricultural Promotion and Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, the Civil Service Commission Personnel Development Training on the restructuring of the civil service. A total number of 329,202 personnel participated in these projects.Details of target groups for personnel development appear in Table 6.

Table 6

Details of distance personnel development programs organized in collaboration with other agencies under the Distance Education via Satellite Project