"In spite of disappointing experiments there is a growing range of examples of systems which exploit educational technologies, including many in the developing world. Some may have been introduced for reasons of fashionable interest — some have certainly been introduced as acts of faith, as communication is a field which attracts very devoted adherents. But experience on the ground has revealed a large number of media possibilities, embracing a variety of educational needs and objectives.
Much of the text is devoted to four short case studies, covering the use of radio for extended learning in the Dominican Republic; qualitative improvement of mathematics teaching in Nicaragua; community action involving radio in Tanzania; and the experimental use of satellite broadcasting in India. Explicit in the booklet's title is the use of communication media for low-income countries, with a critical eye to cost considerations. But it is interesting, and not at all surprising, to see that the focus of the studies, in all cases but that of India, is upon radio rather than television, as a lower-cost broadcasting alternative. More than anything, this reflects a situation in which technological choice is made more directly than hitherto in relation to overall educational planning and financing, paying special attention to criteria of cost-effectiveness, even though these are more flexibly interpreted than in the past. The focus of the booklet is therefore upon the potential of educational technologies as correlated with specific educational policy objectives: in extending educational opportunity; improving the quality of teaching and learning; developing rural areas; and — still a fluid sphere — the increase of participation. What is emphasized, above all, is the need for careful planning and analysis in association with educational specialists from many fields, to envolve media systems and applications which are coherent and which do not exceed the financial possiblities of the country." (Preface, page 9)