Effect of Cable TV on Educational Performance of Distance Learners

چکیده

The era in which we are living can be characterized as the age of message uprising a cycle of profound and accelerating social and cultural changes often recognized to the crash of new media technologies. With the progress in technology, media studies need to be shifted towards those new technological gadgets that seem to become globally popular. Current study was proposed to discover the impact of cable television on the educational productivity of university distance learners. Objectives of the study were to what extent distance learners spend their time in watching TV, to find out the programmes which distance learners keenly watch, to find out the effect of programmes on their academic performance, to investigate the effect of programs on the educational performance of the distance learners, to analyze the effect of cable T.V on the life style of the distance learners. Population of the study comprised of distance learners of three public sector distance learning universities including International Islamic University Islamabad, Allama Iqbal Open University and Virtual University. Ninety distance learners were selected as sample of the study. On the basis of variables self developed questionnaire was prepared for the collection of data. Data were analyzed through percentages. Major findings of the study were most of the distance educational learners accepted that Cable TV effect their performance positively and in some cases negatively because it depends on use of viewers. Most of the learners agreed that the programmes they watch on TV will be helpful in their study and grades. The purpose of the respondents’ for watching was greatly based upon relaxation, entertainment and the quantity of time they spend in watching TV effects their learning positively because it gives the information about science and real world. On the basis of current study it is recommended that during the academic year/semester seminars, conferences may be conducted by the university in order to make the learners aware how they could make the use of cable T.V positively in their lives.