| Abstract | Komuniciranje je suštinsko pitanje u provedbi obrazovanja. U dopisnom je obrazovanju naročito važno rješavanje tog pitanja jer se učenje temelji uglavnom na pisanim, indirektno posredovanim informacijama na distancu. U ovom se radu problematika modela i komunikacija u dopisnom obrazovanju i odgoju odraslih proučava teoretski i empirijskim neeksperimentalnim ispitivanjima. Teoretski su obradjeni: obilježja i suština dopisnog obrazovanja, osnove komuniciranja, informiranja i oblikovanja modela komuniciranja, pretpostavke i razvoj dopisnog obrazovanja, kao i komparativno praćeni modeli dopisnog obrazovanja u suvremenoj praksi. Analizirani su zatim utjecaji faktora i koncepcija tog obrazovanja, prikazana struktura modela komuniciranja na distancu, ispitane relacije izmedju organizacije i procesa komuniciranja te primjena komponenata komuniciranja. Teoretski dio studije završava pregledom relevantnih istraživanja u svijetu i u Jugoslaviji. Empirijski dio sadrži osvrt na postavljeni projekt istraživanja, a zatim osnovne podatke o razvijenosti i strukturi dopisnog obrazovanja u Jugoslaviji, podatke o sudionicima i nastavnicima, prema uzorku ispitivanja u ekonomskim dopisnim školama, o uvjetima u kojima ispitanici djeluju, te interpretaciju tih podataka. U osnovi je ustanovljeno funkcioniranje komponenti pismenog komuniciranja kao što su različite upute, zadaci i testovi, nastavna pisma i ostala literatura, izrada, cirkuliranje i korektura domaćih zadaća. Proučavano je i funkcioniranje komponenti usmenog komuniciranja, naročito konzultacija, kraćih seminara i tečajeva, ali i korištenje ostalih izvora - naročito mas-medija, rad neformalnih grupa za učenje i komuniciranje tokom ispita. Uvrštena su takodjer mišljenja i stavovi o postojećem modelu dopisnog školovanja, a i šire o komuniciranju u dopisnom obrazovanju, te prijedlozi za poboljšanja koje su iznosili sudionici, nastavnici i eksperti. Medju promjenama nastalim u dopisnom obrazovanju uočljive su promjene u strukturi medija pismenog komuniciranja, promjene izazvane širom primjenom specifičnog i povremenog usmenog komuniciranja nastavnika i sudionika, te započetom upotrebom drugih, osobito elektroničkih medija u komuniciranju. Pri proučavanju ovog fenomena stručnjacima se nametnulo pitanje: može li se nakon spomenutih promjena ovaj složeni proces još uopće nazivati dopisnim obrazovanjem? Opredjeljenja su različita. U ovom je radu zastupljeno mišljenje da se svuda u već diferenciranim procesima komuniciranja, u kojima je korespondencija osnovni medij posredovanja poruka treba održati konvencionalni naziv dopisno obrazovanje i proučavati nastale modele takva komuniciranja, koji danas već znatno odstupaju od tradicionalnog elementarnog dopisnog obrazovanja (engl. pure correspondence education). Dopisno je obrazovanje u ovom radu tretirano kao vrsta obrazovanja na distancu, koje izmedju ostalih sadrži i multimedijsko obrazovanje. Kada su kontrolirani efekti, dopisno se obrazovanje ostvaruje dopisnom nastavom i studijem. Dopisna nastava je jedna od vrsta nastave, njena realizacija je pod utjecajima suvremenih nastavnih sistema, kakva je na primjer mentorska nastava ali i tradicionalnih nastavnih sistema, primjerice predavačke nastave. To je evidentno u empirijskom dijelu istraživanja. Dopisno obrazovanje i dopisna nastava distingviraju se od ostalih vrsta neposredne nastave svojim posebnostima, a razlike su vidljive i u odnosu na samoobrazovanje, što je u ovom radu šire obrazloženo. Za proučavanje posredovanja informacija dopisnim obrazovanjem relevantne su šire spoznaje o komuniciranju, naročito o društvenom komuniciranju, a posebno su važna dostignuća teorije informacija, semiologije i drugih znanosti koje se ovom problematikom bave. Za razvoj dopisnog obrazovanja značajne su spoznaje da su informacije, sposobnost njihova pribavljanja, posredovanja, pohranjivanja i korištenja ključni društveni resursi, te da su to politička sredstva, izraz ekonomske snage i obrazovni potencijal. Bitne su i spoznaje o izvoru informacija, kodiranju, cjelokupnom protoku, dekodiranju informacija, smetnjama u prijemu itd. Neprihvatljivo je gledište o transferu kao prenošenju informacija od nastavnika učenicima, a takva se shvaćanja još uvijek održavaju u praksi. U suvremenom se obrazovnom procesu posredovanje informacija ostvaruje uz puni angažman i samoaktivnost učenika; oni su emitori povratnih, a ujedno i novih informacija. Pojednostavnjena je tvrdnja da je u prošlosti cjelokupna praksa odgojno-obrazovnog djelovanja ostvarivana jednosmjernim komuniciranjem,a nije točno ni da se tek u suvremenom obrazovanju teži dvosmjernom pa i višesmjernom komuniciranju. Izuzimajući standardnu školsku praksu već su tada odgojni utjecaji bili složeniji nego što se često misli. Neosporno je ipak da suvremeni procesi komuniciranja u obrazovanju postaju sve složeniji. Procesi učenja i poučavanja usmjereni su i na stjecanje novih informacija jednako kao i na smanjivanje vrijednosti informacija (didaktičke transformacije). U ovom su radu istaknuti doprinosi plejade jugoslavenskih andragoga unapredjivanju komuniciranja u obrazovanju odraslih.
Modeli dopisnog obrazovanja, komuniciranja u svijetu i u nas, nisu u ovom radu tretirani kao nedohvatljivi idealni uzori, a ni kao obrasci za sve odgojno-obrazovne situacije. Praćeno je funkcioniranje tih modela u praksi, te uskladjenost poučavanja i učenja u konkretnoj odgojno obrazovnoj situaciji ili u situacijama na koje isti faktori djeluju slično, a pri tome su u fokusu pažnje bili izbor, medjusobne veze i primjena komponenata komuniciranja. Uvid u retrospektivu dopisnog obrazovanja pokazuje da je njegov razvoj podstican različitim obrazovnim potrebama, da su načini komuniciranja uskladjivani s posebnostima situacija koje su ih izazvale i koje su rješavane, a da su rješenja ovisila i o invenciji stručnjaka kao i o mogućnostima koje su u datim uvjetima bile na raspolaganju. Postupno su se u mnogim zemljama razvila brojna područja djelatnosti, od dopisnog obrazovanja za privredne djelatnosti i stručne službe do obrazovanja za hobi-aktivnosti i to ne samo zahvaljujući novim obrazovnim potrebama i programima ili zbog poteškoća da se realiziraju u neposrednoj nastavi, već i zahvaljujući nalaženju prikladnih modela komuniciranja. Proces osvajanja novih područja djelatnosti i dalje traje u ovisnosti i o inovacijama u komuniciranju. Još prije nekoliko decenija teško bi se moglo pretpostaviti da će uspjeti prodor na neka specifična tehnička područja, a nije se uopće moglo ni prognozirati da će se takvim obrazovanjem, "relejnim komuniciranjem" uz pomoć školovanih mentora i monitora osposobljavati polupismeni alžirski radnici i nepismeno stanovništvo još nekih afričkih zemalja. U Jugoslaviji se dopisne obrazovanje orijentirano na školovanje odraslih počelo razvijati u Sarajevu dvadesetih godina ovog stoljeća, pod okriljem Vidovićevog prosvjetno-etičkog pokreta. Premda današnje ustanove za dopisno obrazovanje nisu nastale kao produžetak takvih predratnih ustanova, održan je kontinuitet u koncepcijama i pravcima razvoja - i dalje je vidljiva orijentacija prema školskim oblicima dopisnog obrazovanja, iako se pojavljuju i dopisni tečajevi uglavnom obrazovanja za profesionalne i hobi-aktivnosti. Modeli komuniciranja pored pismenog sadrže i povremeno usmeno dvosmjerno komuniciranje putem mreže centara dopisnih ustanova osnivanih pri drugim školama, radničkim i narodnim sveučilištima i poduzećima. Sa stajališta komuniciranja zanimljivi su i različiti oblici obrazovanja andragoških kadrova za obavljanje organizatorskih i nastavničkih poslova u ustanovama za dopisno obrazovanje. U ovom je radu komparativno proučavanje modela dopisnog obrazovanja pokazalo tendencije širenja tog obrazovanja u sve većem broju različitih zemalja. Može se konstatirati da se dopisno obrazovanje razvija i pored razlika u društveno-političkim sistemima, ali pod utjecajima tih sistema. Dopisno se obrazovanje nigdje ne razvija autarkično, ali veze nacionalnih kultura i sistema obrazovanja djeluju snažnije od širih regionalnih utjecaja. Pokušaji preuzimanja neizmjenjenih modela od drugih zemalja ne daju trajnijih rezultata: pri preuzimanju su neophodne adaptacije i preinake, a znatniji se uspjeh postiže ako su strani uzori samo podsticaji za kreativne razvijanje vlastite prakse. Uočeno je djelovanje različitih faktora u dopisnom obrazovanju i praćeno je reflektiranje koncepcija o tom obrazovanju na razvoj pojedinih tipova dopisnih institucija, na njihovu djelatnost i provedbu komunikacija. To je dalje potaklo bavljenje morfologijom dopisnog obrazovanja u nas pa je prikazana struktura modela komuniciranja u rasponu od jednopredrnetnih tečajeva do strukture u modelima srednjoškolskog dopisnog obrazovanja. Dopisno je obrazovanje i komponenta složenih modela multimedijskog obrazovanja. Ustanovljeno je,prije svega, da se multimedijsko obrazovanje nije pojavilo,kao što se ponekad tvrdi, tek sedamdesetih nego krajem dvadesetih godina u komunikacijski složenom i dopisnim materijalima podržanom obrazovanju grupa slušalaca radija. Suvremenija Telescuola, Unescov projekt obrazovanja radnika u Alžiru, Quadriga, Telekolleg, Televizijska poljoprivredna škola u Poljskoj, Delta-project, Teleac i Open University - dakle realizirani projekti multimedijskog obrazovanja komponirani su različito s obzirom na načine primjene,na raznovrsnost pisanih dopisnih materijala i na relacije upotrebljavanog pismenog i usmenog komuniciranja zajedno sa korištenjem elektroničkih i ostalih medija. Po tome su zanimljivi i multimedijski ciklusi realizirani u Jugoslaviji, naročito multimedijski ciklusi Škole samoupravljača "Mi lenti je Popović" u Beogradu i "Svi upravljamo" u Zagrebu. Daljnja su proučavanja pokazala neraskidivu vezu izmedju koncepcija o dopisnom obrazovanju, organizacije tog obrazovanja i provedbe procesa komuniciranja. Pitanja centralizirane ili decentralizirane organizacije dopisnog obrazovanja, dakle neposrednog komuniciranja sa svakim sudionikom ili "relejno" putem regionalnih centara, provodjenje unutarnjih i vanjskih komunikacija dopisne ustanove, ostvarivanje andragoškog ciklusa od ispitivanja obrazovnih potreba do evaluacije rezultata kao i standardizacija u tom obrazovanju nisu samo tehnička ili usko stručna pitanja već imaju šire reperkusije. Valja odbaciti iluzije da se organizacijom dopisnog obrazovanja mogu riješiti problemi komuniciranja; na taj se način mogu ostvariti samo uvjeti za procese komuniciranja.
Prije pristupa daljnjim empirijskim istraživanjima proučena su dostupna ranije provedena istraživanja o dopisnom obrazovanju u drugim zemljama i u nas. Može se reći da danas ne stoji konstatacija,izrečena prije petnaestak godina,kako je takvih istraživanja malo. Sada je teže prikupiti podatke o korištenoj metodologiji znanstvenog rada u brojnim istraživanjima, ustanoviti valjanost nekih od njih, a ponekad i veze izmedju podataka, interpretacija i postojećih teoretskih spoznaja. Neka od prikazanih istraživanja samo marginalno zahvaćaju problematiku komuniciranja, a druga načinju pojedina otvorena i relevantna pitanja. Dat je i pregled desetak empirijskih istraživanja u Jugoslaviji, koja su unatoč malobrojnosti raznovrsna i širokog raspona: od proučavanja slučajeva dopisnog obrazovanja invalida u bolnicama do razvojno-istraživačke orijentacije u proučavanju multimedijskog ciklusa. Projektom empirijskog dijela ovog istraživanja predvidjeno je prikupljanje podataka o razvijenosti dopisnog obrazovanja u našoj zemlji. Izmedju ostaloga je ustanovljeno da u ustanovama koje su pružile podatke na uvid, broj sudionika u promatranom razdoblju varira i nije veći od osamnaest tisuća pa se procjenjuje da ukupan broj upisanih sudionika u čitavoj zemlji ne prelazi dvadeset i pet tisuća, uzimajući u obzir poznate kriterije koji odredjuju dopisno obrazovanje. Bez ulaženja u interpretaciju svih podataka iz teksta može se konstatirati da dopisno obrazovanje ostvaruju ustanove specijalizirane za to ali i druge, da prevladavaju oblici dopisno-konzultativnog i konzultativno-dopisnog obrazovanja (što odredjuje veći ili manji udio pismenog ili usmenog komuniciranja), te da je najviše sudionika upisano u školske oblike dopisnog obrazovanja. Daljnje je istraživanje obavljeno u ekonomskim dopisnim školama specijaliziranih ustanova za dopisne obrazovanje: u zagrebačkoj "Birotehnici" i ljubljanskom "Univerzurnu". Anketirano je 288 polaznika viših razreda škola, a zatim je intervjuirano 6% od ispitanika tog uzorka. Anketirano je i 126 stalnih i vanjskih suradnika tih ustanova, a nakon toga je intervjuirano 20% od anketiranih nastavnika i
pet jugoslavenskih eksperata za obrazovanje na distancu. Umjesto iznošenja dobivenih i već iznesenih podataka i interpretacija ističemo samo neke od uočenih otvorenih problema. Ustanovljena je znatna heterogenost u sastavu sudionika, različitost u uvjetima života i rada te u provodjenju slobodnog vremena. Otvoreno je pitanje kako ostvariti primjerenost komuniciranja raznolikosti sposobnosti i uvjeta učenja sudionika. Procesom pismenog, a naročito usmenog komuniciranja, te selekcijom i redundancijom smanjuje se opseg i sadržaj nastavnih informacija, a i rezultati na ispitima tendiraju prema ocjeni dobar. Iz toga proizlazi da je cjelokupni proces nastavnog komuniciranja reguliran i upravljen prema tzv. "osrednjem učeniku" i potpomaganju slabijih. Valja proširiti i obogatiti dijapazon andragoških mjera pomoću komuniciranja.
Pismeno se komuniciranje zasniva na raznovrsnim materijalima, ali se pored dopisnih materijala koriste i tekstovi pisani za neposrednu nastavu, što otežava komuniciranje. U pismenom komuniciranju prevladavaju zajednički pisani materijali, namijenjeni svim sudionicima, a znatno je manje individualizirane uspješne korespondencije. Slično tome, u neposrednom usmenom komuniciranju prevladavaju raznovrsne grupne konzultacije i jednosmjerno komuniciranje, manjkaju bilateralne i multilateralne komunikacije, a malo je i individualnih konzultacija. Dakle, prevladava komuniciranje sa svim sudionicima i grupama, a zapostavljeno je osobno komuniciranje za koje je neophodno znatnije ulaganje nastavničkog rada, osposobljenost
za takvo komuniciranje i nadasve materijalna sredstva za ostvarenje. Tijekom višegodišnjeg dopisnog školovanja sudionik prihvaća, odbija ili transformira poruke emitirane iz raznih izvora. Nastavnici se nalaze pred novim zadacima: ojačati intencionalno odaslane, a upućivati i na neintencionalno emitirane poruke (npr. posredstvom televizije) koje mogu proširiti nastavne informacije i utjecati na razvijanje afiniteta za njihov prijem. Pored nužnosti da nastavnici prate relevantne nove stručne informacije zahtijeva se da potonje potječu iz različitih izvora, a ne samo iz stručnih knjiga. No zapaža se tendencija da se dio nastavnika u svom poslu na dopisnom obrazovanju uze specijalizira. Teško je uskladiti potrebe za proširenjem nastavničke kulture i potrebe za specijalizacijom. Tome može doprinositi permanentno obrazovanje nastavnika čijoj realizaciji ima još brojnih zapreka. Proces komuniciranja u dopisnom školovanju je trosmjeran i ostvaruje se posredovanjem poruka od obrazovne ustanove prema sudionicima, zatim povratno od sudionika prema dopisnoj školi, te ponovno prema sudionicima. U dopisnom je školovanju najviše učinjeno na posredovanju nastavnih poruka sudionicima. No ni to nije uvijek racionalno jer se prečesto posreduju poruke istog sadržaja različitim medijima, a premalo su te poruke nadopunjujuće, komplementarne i s premalo uputa o učenju. Znatno je slabije pravodobno i potpuno informiranje u dopisnoj školi o napredovanju sudionika i njihovim problemima u
učenju. Najmanje je učinjeno u pogledu trećeg pravca, povratnog komuniciranja prema sudionicima i poduzimanja andragoških individualiziranih interventnih mjera za uspješno učenje. Mnogo je još otvorenog prostora za unapredjivanje dopisnog školovanja, naročito za stjecanje dijagnostičkih informacija i za poduzimanje interventnih komunikacija. |
| Abstract (english) | Communication is a fundamental problem in education. This problem is even more important in correspondence education, as learning is mainly based on written, indirect information at distance. The problems of models and communications in adult correspondence education are in this work studied theoretically and by empiric non-experimental investigations. The following problems are theoretically treated: the characteristics and the nature of correspondence education, the fundamentals of communication, the formation of communication models, correspondence education development, and comparatively followed correspondence education models in current practice. Then there is an analysis of factors influencing this education and the concept of this education, a description of the structure of communication models at distance,and an examination of the relations between the organization and the process of communication, and the application of the communication components. The theoretical part of the study is brought to an end by surveying relevant research in the world and in Yugoslavia. The empiric part contains an outline of the research project, basic facts concerning the extent and structure of correspondence education in Yugoslavia, data on participants and teachers - according to the sample of an investigation in middle correspondence schools of economics - schooling conditions of the participants, and an interpretation of all these data. The functioning of the component parts of written communication has been established, such as different instructions, assignements and tests, correspondence lessons and other teaching materials, and compilation, circulation, and correction of homework. The functioning of the component parts of oral communication is studied, especially consultations, short seminars and courses, but also other sources - mass- media, informal group work in learning and communicating during examinations. Opinions and attitudes concerning the existing model of correspondence education and more general ones regarding to communication in correspondence education have been included as well as suggestions for improvements presented by participants, teachers, and other specialists in this field. There have been noticeable changes in correspondence education, and, among these, the changes that should be mentioned are: the changes in the medium of written communication, the changes caused by a wider application of specific and periodical oral communication of teachers and participants, as well as the new possibilities of using other media in communication, especially electronic media in communication. The specialists, when studying this phenomenon, kept thinking about the question: may this process, after all these changes, be still called correspondence education? The opinions differ. The opinion expressed in this work is that the conventional term, correspondence education, should be retained everywhere in already differentiated communication processes in which correspondence is a fundamental medium of transmitting messages, and that new models of such communication, which differ considerably today from the traditional "pure correspondence education", should be studied. Correspondence education has been treated in this work as a kind of distance education, which also includes multi-media education. Correspondence education is realized through correspondence instruction and correspondence study, when the effects are controlled. Correspondence instruction is only one kind of teaching, and its realization is influenced by contemporary teaching systems, for instance tutorials, but also by traditional teaching systems, for instance lectures. This is evident in the empiric part of the research. Correspondence education and correspondence instruction differ from other types of indirect teaching by their special characteristics, and the differences may be seen also in regard to self-education, which is explained more extensively in this work. The knowledge about communication and especially about social communication is relevant for studying information transmission in correspondence education, and the achievements of the theory of information, semiology, and other sciences treating this field are particularly important. It is of great importance for the development of correspondence education that information and the capability of obtaining transmitting, storing and using it are fundamental social resources, and that it is a political means, an expression of political power, and an educational potential. The knowledge concerning the sources of information, coding and decoding of information, disturbances in reception, and so on, are of fundamental importance too. Treating transfer as information transmission from teachers to learners is not acceptable today, although such views may still be found in practice. The transmission of information in the contemporary education process is achieved by a full engagement and self-activity of learners; they are senders of return information nation and, at the same time, of new information. It is a simplified statement that educational activity in the past was one-way communication, and it is not true that only contemporary education strives for two-way or multiway communication. With the exception of standard school practice, the educational influences in the past were more complex than it has been usually thought. There is no doubt that contemporary education processes are becoming increasingly complex. The process of learning and teaching is not only directed towards acquiring new information but also towards minimizing inforrnation value /didactic transformations/. This work emphasizes the contribution of a number of Yugoslav adult educators in advancing communication in adult education. The models of correspodence education and communication in the world and in Yugoslavia are treated in this work neither as unattainable ideal standards nor as patterns for all educational situations. The functioning of these models in practice has been followed, as well as the coordination of teaching and learning in an educational situation or situations where the same factors are in action; and the selection, interconnections and application of communication components were in focus. The correspondence education survey shows that its development was stimulated by different educational needs, and that communication was adapted to the particular situations which caused them, and that solutions depended on the invention of specialists as well as on the possibilities which were at their disposal in these conditions. Numerous areas of activity were gradually developed in many cantries-from professional correspondence education to hobby-activities education - and all this not only on account of new educational needs and programs or on account of difficulties to realize them in direct teaching, but also on account of finding appropriate communication models. The process of acquiring new areas of activity is still depending on innovations in communication. A few decades ago it would have been difficult to assume that the penetration into some specific technical areas would be successful, and it was not possible to forecast at all that by means of such education - "relay communication" by means of educated tutors and monitors - semliterate Algerian workers and illiterate population in some other African countries would be trained. In Yugoslavia correspondence education for schooling adults began developing in Sarajevo in the 1920s under the protection of Vidović's educational and ethical movement. Although the present institutions for correspondence education did not originate in such prewar institutions, there has been a continuity of development conceptions and direction - it may still be noticed an orientation towards school forms of correspondence education; though correspondence courses mainly for professional education and hobby activities appear too. Communication models contain not only written but also periodical two-way oral communication by the way of a network of centers of correspondence institutions at other schools, and workers' and peoples' universities, and different enterprises. From the standpoint of communication different forms of educating adult educators for orqanizing and teaching jobs in institutions for correspondence education are interesting too. A comparative study of correspondence education models has shown, in this work, the tendency of spreading this type of education to an increasinqly larger number of different countries. It may be stated that correspondence education is developing not only in spite of the differences in social and political systems :but also influenced by these systems. Correspondence education does not develop self-sufficiently anywhere, but the connections between national cultures and education systems operate more powerfully than wider regional influences. Trying to take over unaltered models from other countries does not give permanent results: adaptions and alterations are necessary when taking over and a considerable success is achieved if foreign models are only a stimulus for creative development of one's own practice. It has been noticed that different factors are active in correspondence education, and the reflexion of concepts in this education on the development of different types of correspondence institutions, their activity, and communications execution has been followed. This has prompted further engagement into the morphology of correspondence education in Yugoslavia, and the structure of communication models - from one - subject courses to secondary school correspondence education models - has been described. Correspondence education is also a component part of complex multi-media education models. It has been established that multimedia education did not appear, as sometimes claimed, in the 1970s but in the late 1920s in communicationally complex and by correspondence materials supported education of radio listening groups. The more recent Telescuola, Unesco's project for workers' education in Algiers, Quadriga, Telekolleg, TV Agricultural School in Poland, Delta-project, Teleac, and Open University - realized projects of multi-media education - have been differently created according to the ways of application, variety of written correspondence materials, and according to the relations between written and oral commnunication used together with electronic and other media. On account of that multi-media series realized in Yugoslavia are interesting too, particularly the multi-media series of the "Milentija Popović" School of Self-rnanagement in Belgrade, and "We all manage" School in Zagreb. Further studies have established a close connection between correspondence education concepts, correspondence education organization, and communication process execution. The problems of centralized or decentralized correspondence education organization, that is direct communication with every participant or by "relay" through regional centers, the internal and external communications execution of a correspondence institution and the realization of an adult education circle from the education needs study to results evaluation and standardisation in this education - are not only technical or very professional problems, but also problems having wider repercussions. The illusion that the correspondence education organization may solve communication problems should be discarded; in this way only the conditions for the communication process may be achieved. Earlier accesible researches on correspondence education in the world and in Yugoslavia have been studied before carrying out further empiric researches. It is obvious that the 15-year old statement saying that there are very few such researches is not valid any more today. Now it is much more difficult to gather data on the methodology used in scientific work in numerous researches, to establish the validity of some ones, and sometimes even the relations between the data , interpretations,and existing theoretic knowledge. Some of the researches treat only partly the communication problems, and some just begin solving some open and relevant problems. It has been given a survey of a dozen examples of empiric researches in Yugoslavia, which, though not numerous, are varied and very extensive: from studying cases of correspondence education of disabled persons in hospitals to researches in multi-media series. The empirical part of this research is concerned with the gathering of data on correspondence education in Yugoslavia. It has been established that the number of participants in the institutions which have given available data in the period under observation varies, and it is about 18,000, and that the total number of participants in the whole country, it has been estimated, does not exceed 25,000, taking into consideration well-known criteria which determine correspondence education. We may conclude, without trying to interpret these data, that correspondence education is not realized only by institutions specialized for this area of education but also by other institutions, and that education by correspondence and consultation, and vice versa (determined by a greater or smaller amount of written or oral communication), prevails, and that the largest number of participants has been enrolled in school forms of correspondence education. Further researches were carried out in business correspondence schools of specialized institutions for correspondence education: "Birotehnika" in Zagreb and "Univerzum" in Ljubljana. An opinion poll was conducted among 288 participants of higher grades of the school, and 6% of these where then interviewed . An opinion poll was also conducted among 126 full and part-time collaborators of these institutions, and 20% of these teachers, as well as five Yugoslav specialists on distance education, were then interviewed. We shall just emphasize some problems instead of presenting data obtained and giving interpretations. Considerable differences have been established in the make up of participants, e.g. differences in the conditions of life and work, and spending free time. It is a problem how to achieve communication adjustment to various abilities and learning possibilities of participants. The range and content of teaching information is reduced by a process of written and, particularly, oral communication, and by selection and redundancy; and examination results tend to be marked as good. The whole process of communication used in teaching, as a result of this is directed towards the so-called "average learner", and helping the weak. The range of teaching possibilities in adult education should be enriched and enlarged by communication. Written communication is based on varied materials, but in addition to correspondence materials there are also materials written for direct instruction, making communication difficult. Written materials intended for all participants prevail in written communication, while there is far less successful individualized correspondence. Various group consultations and one-way communication prevails similarly in direct oral communication, while bilateral and multilateral communications are missing; and there are very few individual consultations. This, communication with all participants and groups predominates, and personal communication, which requires more intensive work from the teacher as well as good qualifications for such work and resources, has been neglected. Participants accept, reject or transform messages emitted from different sources during correspondence schooling lasting several years. The teachers face new tasks: to strengthen intentionally sent messages a~d to point out non-intentionally emitted messages (e.g., by means of television), which may widen instruction information and influence the development of the affinity for their reception. It is not only necessary that teachers follow relevant new professional information but also that this information comes from different sources; and not only from professional books. But there is a tendency that some teachers specialize in their work on correspondence education. It is difficult to reconcile teacher needs for a wider culture and their needs for specialization. Permanent teacher education may contribute to this, but there are many obstacles for this to be realized. There is a three-way communication process in correspondence schooling, and it is realized by transmitting messages from educational institutions to participants, then from participants to correspondence schools, and then again to participants, .Most work in correspondence schooling has been done in the field of the transmission of messages to participants. This is not rational because messages of the same content are too often transmitted by different media, and such messages are very often not complementary but with too few instructions concerning learning. Full informing in correspondence schools at the right time, concerning the participants progress and their problems in learning, has been quite defficient. It has not been done much work in the field of the third direction, return communication to participants, and in taking individualized intervention measures in adult education for more efficient learning. There is still much work to be done in advancing correspondence schooling, particularly in acquiring diagnostic information, and in undertaking intervention communications. |
