Watch PBS for college credits?

Would you believe that the Kentucky Education Television broadcasts fully accredited college-level courses statewide on their PBS channel? Convenient? You bet! Cheap? Hey, anybody with a TV set can tune in. So why doesn't your PBS offer it?

Open University (OU) has successfully used television to broadcast teaching programs at the college level in Britain since 1971. Their website claims around 150,000 undergraduate and more than 30,000 postgraduate students. It's an interesting story. If you want to check it out, just go to Google and log on to "Open University."

The obvious question is: if television college education works for the British, why don't we give it a try in America? Then I found out; we have -- in Kentucky.

Kentucky Education Television (their website is listed in Google) not only offers what they call "Distance Learning" fully accredited high school classes in foreign languages, the humanities, and physics via videotape/DVD and online delivery, they also offer fully accredited college-level courses. Their students are accorded the convenience of taking their classes at home via KET.

Started in fall 1978, KET College Courses has logged more than 130,000 student enrollments. This successful program has allowed many non-traditional students to go back to school and earn college credit, despite their busy schedules and active lives.

Throughout Kentucky, state universities, community colleges, and independent institutions offer credit to students enrolled in KET College Courses. The current participating universities and colleges are:

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
Kentucky State University
Northern Kentucky University
Owensboro Community and Technical College
Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College
University of Kentucky
Western Kentucky University

Courses offered for Spring and Fall 2007:

Discovering Psychology Spring 2007 | Summer 2007
Dollars and Sense Summer 2007
Exploring Society Spring 2007 | Summer 2007
Exploring the World of Music Spring 2007
Faces of Culture Spring 2007
Framework for Democracy Spring 2007 | Summer 2007
Human Geography Spring 2007 | Summer 2007
Introduction to Marketing Spring 2007
Journey to Health Spring 2007 | Summer 2007
Literary Visions Spring 2007 | Summer 2007
Living Literature (Part II) Spring 2007
Portrait of a Family Spring 2007 | Summer 2007
Taking the Lead Spring 2007
The Power of Place Spring 2007
The Unfinished Nation (Part II) Spring 2007
The Western Tradition (Part II) Spring 2007

What Britain and Kentucky have provided their citizens is not only a matter of convenience, but in essence what they offer is a "free" college education. Sure, their students pay for books and exams if they want the credit, however the televised education programs are there for anyone who wishes to view them.

Wouldn't that same educational opportunity be welcomed by the citizens of your city and your state? Corporations and businesses currently support many worthwhile programs on PBS. Why shouldn't they want their names listed as sponsors of university credited education programs? And why shouldn't your local colleges and universities be as supportive of televised education as those in Kentucky?

Kentucky is leading the way in education. For the last 28 years, they have proved that college education works on television. All the rest of us need to do is follow their example and methods for the benefit of our own citizens.

On another education front, considering the large number of Hispanics now in America, wouldn't a PBS basic English program be helpful in acclimating them into our language and culture?

Check out your local Public Broadcasting Station, and see what they provide. If they don't offer the college level courses, ask them: "Why not?" A letter or two may persuade them to at least consider the idea.

Kentucky's model could help spread the availability of education to anyone who wants it. And, I think you will agree, that's good for our citizens and good for our nation.

Article Source: http://www.my-article-dashboard.com

Jerry Boone, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, United States webmaster@merechristianity.us Mr. Boone is a sailor, author, and webmaster of merechristianity.us His works include: Mere Christianity.us and SAFETY LINE - EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN, an apologetic study published 1998.

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