RADECO, a distance education project implemented in remote regions of the Dominican Republic, relied on interactive radio instruction to provide basic education to children within these areas. The project activities focused on effective strategies of instruction to allow as much support as possible for the children despite the absence of a well-trained teacher. Furthermore, the constant evaluation and revision of the programs helped to achieve an adequate learning environment somewhat comparable to a formal school education. The design, production, and broadcast of radio lessons involved in the project, as well as the specific exercises performed during class sessions, were important to the success of the project within villages of the Dominican Republic.

The activities described below reflect the use of radio technology in teaching children the basic concepts of various school subjects previously only taught in formal schools, and may be useful as examples for discussion to practitioners and program directors in other regions of the world.

Community Involvement

Prior to establishing a target village or community to receive RADECO, coordinators identified communities that needed and were willing to support the project, and program building began only after community support was secured. Each qualifying community established a school committee composed of parents and other village members. The community then built a shelter with available resources to provide a facility for the classes, and a community member was selected to act as the "auxiliares," or instructional assistant for the RADECO class. The auxiliares was given minimal training in facilitating student learning, and was responsible for:

• monitoring the class,
• handing out worksheets,
• participating in radio activities,
• conducting half-hour "post-broadcast sessions" to extend radio lessons, and
• providing reinforcement for the students.

Building the Curriculum

Program coordinators began by analyzing the ages, cultural backgrounds, and abilities of the children within the specific community. A management plan was then constructed, describing the project tasks and a sequence in which the tasks should be performed. Weeks before the broadcast dates, curriculum designers and writers began to develop lesson segments, artists drew student worksheets, and the scripts were typed, reviewed, and revised. The supervisors then delivered worksheets and lesson guides to the auxiliares. While taping the radio broadcasts in the studio, a producer directed and timed the radio teachers, who were professional actors trained to present lessons. The recording of each 60 minute lesson required 4 hours of studio time and a great deal of preparation by the actors and producers.

Student Activities

The informal one-hour class sessions were held in the evenings from Monday to Friday after the day's work had been done. Children between the ages of six and fourteen gathered to learn mathematics, reading, writing, and some introductory ideas in social studies and science through radio lessons. The content of the lessons were presented in 3 to 5 minute segments over a period of time, a technique called distributed learning. These segments involved a variety of teaching approaches, such as the use of worksheets, games, oral responses, and songs to communicate material.

The radio programs imitated conversations between students and teachers; the radio teacher asked a question, the students responded in chorus, and the teacher announced the correct answer, thereby providing reinforcement. Before listening to the radio broadcast, the children were often given worksheets, drawings of common settings such as a house or a classroom, designed for the particular session. They were asked questions about the specifics of the drawings, requiring them to read text or count objects in order to produce a response. For example, if the drawing were of a house, the radio teacher might ask, "How many windows are there?" or "How many doors are there?" The questions and responses of the radio teachers were carefully timed to allow the children to communicate their responses in unison. The broadcasts required student interaction as much as 100 times every 30 minutes or at least once every 25 seconds. This approach provided an interactive learning environment where the radio teachers immediately reinforced the students.

Evaluation of the Curriculum

During broadcasts throughout the year, trained observers monitored learning in the classroom and tested the students on various skills. Evaluators met regularly to discuss the findings of the observation and testing, and compared the results to those of formal school students, in order to measure radio students' learning. After analyzing the data, curriculum designers and writers used results to modify and improve the radio lessons for more effective distance instruction.