Screen Education for Our Youth

January 25, 2025

This morning, I was reading an article in the Wall Street Journal about how “tech” has affected education from Kindergarten up. Teachers are using “You Tube” and other streaming educational online courses in their classrooms, “ Education by Screens.” Many teachers believe that this is not the best method to educate our youth. I agree!

This article took me back to 1956, when I was a Freshman at Penn State University. Penn State had approximately 10,000 students then, and had embraced the concept of “Education for the Masses.” In order to achieve this concept, they started to use “Close Circuit Television – CCTV” in the classrooms.

There were a number of “TV Studios” throughout the University. A Professor would teach from a podium, in the studio, and it was streamed to multiple classrooms at the same time, where students were sitting. There could be as many as 200+ students in multiple classrooms taking the course. This was prior to the large lecture halls today, where more than 200 students can be accommodated.

Each room had multiple black & white television sets and a proctor. The proctor had a control console where they could push a button, and it would light up in the studio. The Professor could than take questions, as there was a two-way speaker on the console. However, it was the Professor's prerogative to take, or ignore questions. In many cases they were ignored.

There was no interaction with the Professor or other students. You also didn’t know if what you were watching was real, or had been pre-recorded. Obviously, this was not a great way to learn. The precursor to “online courses.”

Courses taught in this manner included R.O.T.C. ,Chemistry, Accounting, Economics, Chemistry, Transportation, etc. A wide range of subjects. I personally had more “TV” courses than I would have liked.

The University’s rationale for this concept was that there were a limited number of Professor’s available, and this was the best way to try to “accommodate education for the masses.” Obviously, over time, they moved away from this concept.

I have always believed that the best way to learn, is to have interaction between your peers and the Professor. I guess I am a “dinosaur.”

Jess Sweely

Madison, Va.