Interactive radio instruction : impact, sustainability, and future directions

This study of Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) presents the accessibility and effectiveness of radio as a tool for active learning inside and outside of the classroom. It synthesizes the knowledge and experience accumulated over the past twenty-five years in the use of radio for instruction in more than twenty developing countries. In much of the world, computers are not going to become available anytime soon. Thus, radio continues to offer these school-aged students and adult learners the only real possibility of enrichment from the world outside. This study provides a balanced account of the successes and failures of the international experience with IRI. Readers are reminded of the need for a long-range vision toward matters of implementation, ownership, and institutionalization during the length and breath of complex processes of educational reform and innovation.