NCJ Number
49095
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 47 Issue: 7 Dated: (JULY 1978) Pages: 22-26
Date Published
1978
Length
5 pages
Annotation
INSTRUCTIONAL TELEVISION IS DISCUSSED AS THE MOST COST- AND TIME-EFFECTIVE METHOD TO IMPROVE POLICE PERFORMANCE.
Abstract
DUE TO THE CURTAILMENT OF MANPOWER AND THE RESULTING INCREASE OF INDIVIDUAL WORKLOAD BROUGHT ON BY BUDGETARY LIMITATIONS, IT IS STRESSED THAT POLICE DEPARTMENTS MUST FIND WAYS OF IMPROVING POLICE PERFORMANCE AT MINIMAL COST. INSTRUCTIONAL TELEVISION IS BELIEVED TO BE A WAY OF ACCOMPLISHING THIS. AT THE HEART OF THIS INDIVIDUALIZED TRAINING SYSTEM IS AN INSTRUCTIONAL CARREL CONTAINING VIDEO CASSETTE PLAYBACK EQUIPMENT AND A HEADSET. HERE THE TRAINEE CAN VIEW AN ENTIRE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM OR ANY PORTION OF IT. A FRAME CAN BE FROZEN OR REPEATED AS THE TRAINEE WISHES. DUAL AUDIO CHANNELS ALSO PERMIT HIM TO INTERACT WITH SOME OF THE PROGRAMS TO CHECK HIS PROGRESS. EIGHTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE VIDEO FOOTAGE IS RECORDED IN THE STUDENT'S WORKING ENVIRONMENT. GRAPHICS AND SPECIAL EFFECTS ARE BLENDED WITH THESE SCENES TO GIVE THE VIEWER A FRAME OF REFERENCE MORE POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE THAN VIDEO TAPED LECTURES AND STEREOTYPED INTERVIEWS. PERSONNEL ARE SCHEDULED AND TESTED IN SUCH A WAY THAT INFORMATION IS IMPARTED WITHIN A FLEXIBLE TIME SCHEDULE THAT SUITS INDIVIDUAL WORK SCHEDULES. TRAINING TIME IS ALSO REDUCED. STATISTICS COMPILED DURING THE FIRST 3 MONTHS OF A PROGRAM UTILIZED IN NEW YORK INDICATE THAT LEVELS OF KNOWLEDGE ARE BEING RAISED TO A SIGNIFICANT DEGREE, WHILE MORE TOPICS ARE BEING COVERED IN LESS TIME THAN WAS THE CASE UNDER PREVIOUS TRAINING PROGRAMS. (RCB)