TABLE 46.-Number of schools offering credit and noncredit courses in general extension, 1927-28-Continued Offerings through short courses.-It is evident that short courses are regarded as very effective devices for the promotion of general extension activities in the land-grant colleges. This is particularly true of engineering and industry, commerce and business, and education. It is also true of medicine, considering the small number of institutions that include the study of medicine in their curricula. Table 47 indicates the totals for all the institutions reporting. TABLE 47.-Number and sponsor of short courses conducted by general extension service, 1927-28 Offerings through class and correspondence teaching.-The general extension work that is best known and of greatest general appeal is its teaching through extension class work and correspondence study. That this is true serves to emphasize the difference in technique and method in the development of Smith-Lever extension and general extension. Smith-Lever has had a development largely independent of the controls and limitations of resident academic departments. On the other hand, general extension, through both class teaching and correspondence study, has, to a marked degree, transferred to the extension field the subject-matter content and methods of instruction prevailing in residence. This development of general extension along lines closely paralleling regular resident college work constitutes both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. It has succeeded to a considerable degree in maintaining university standards, particularly in the scholarship of instructors and in the quality of its student personnel. It has gained general acceptance, although in many instances grudgingly granted, among colleges and universities of reputable standing. In order to gain this recognition among educational institutions, however, general extension's two foremost activities have had to sacrifice much of the democracy of education that should give university extension its greatest appeal. As a result the number of people served through these media of instruction, while large in the aggregate, compares very unfavorably with the millions reached through Smith-Lever activities. Rules and regulations imposed by deans and department heads have served admirably to maintain university standards. They have served just as effectively to cause millions to enroll in commercial correspondence institutions from which work is available on an entirely different basis. A study of student personnel and of courses emphasizes the fact that general extension through class and correspondence teaching serves chiefly a limited stratum of society. The occupations reached in greatest number, as shown by institutional reports, are in descending order: Through class extension, teachers, students, housewives, and business men; and through correspondence study, teachers, students, and business men. The subjects taken most frequently through extension class instruction are English, history, education, psychology, sociology, trade, and industry; and through correspondence study, English, education, psychology, mathematics, history, and economics. Quality of Extension Teaching It is obviously difficult to compare accurately the quality of work done through extension teaching with that done in residence, as there are so many factors that enter into the problem. To measure the actual mastery of content of certain courses by extension students in comparison with such achievement by resident students, is, however, quite feasible either through standardized tests or examinations identical with those in residence. Only 4 of 28 institutions have attempted a comparison by the former and only 8 by the latter method. A study of the quality of work done by extension students who have enrolled in residence as compared with that of other resident students, although not necessarily a measure of the quality of extension teaching, has value as a means of determining the quality of students transferring from extension study to resident work. Only three land-grant colleges have made such a study. Class extension.-Class extension has always been considered one of the most important general extension services. On account of its parallel relationship to resident instruction it has been developed according to recognized standards of university procedure to a greater extent than is true of any other general extension work. The tendency to adapt the formal standardized procedure of resident instruction to an educational program, which should, as one of its important functions, make a distinctive contribution to education through developing its own appropriate technique, has limited the field of service of class extension. This limitation has operated in two important ways, the extent of area served and the proportion of the population to which the work appeals. All of the institutions reporting on the comparison of extension students and resident students express complete satisfaction with those who have done extension work. Some say that extension students rate slightly higher but the general impression is that there is no appreciable difference in the achievement of the two groups. Practice 1. Calling for judgment factors on assignment--- 2. Calling for comparisons of texts and references_. 3. Calling for opinion of student with respect to developments-- 4. Relating problems of course to situations familiar to students. 5. Oral tests through interview with students__ 6. Occasional supervised tests----- 7. Final examination under supervision--- Number of schools 22 16 16 17 4 7 24 The opinions of those reporting on the advantages and disadvantages of correspondence study are interesting as shown by the following table: ADVANTAGES 1. Clear thinking, because thoughts must be written_ Additional advantages not called for in the questionnaire were suggested by one or more institutions as follows: "Correlation of subject matter," "more individual and personal criticism than can be given in classes," "thorough knowledge, because every part of the work is covered," "adapts itself to student's spare time and ability,” and "develops perseverance, accuracy, and initiative." DISADVANTAGES 1. No" face to face" contact with instructor and other students__ 2. Copying from assigned readings---- 2. Lack of sequence in thought resulting from slow progress_ Additional disadvantages were mentioned as follows: "Loss of 'face to face' contact compensated for through kind of lesson." These are not of the conventional formalized type. "Occasional unavoidable delay in returning papers." "Lack of inspiration." "Present social and economic life makes too much demand on time of student and seems to prevent his giving time to his course.' The foregoing comments indicate a keen appreciation of the problems involved in the direction of home study by mail. They also indicate the importance of the need of a special technique for such teaching under the supervision of special correspondence instructors. Under prevailing conditions the problem of class extension can be most satisfactorily solved on a state-wide basis in small com munities in which the population is somewhat compact. Among such States are Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Considerable areas in many other States are included in this category, especially if the educational institutions of the States develop a plan of cooperation in this work. It is clear, on the other hand, that, even under the most favorable institutional conditions, there are certain States, such as Nevada, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, and Montana, each with large areas with a relatively sparse population and few cities, in which the organization of classes can not generally be successfully accomplished. No considerable proportion of the population has been effectively reached through the medium of class extension. Although many vocations are listed among those served, the number enrolling from most of them is not large. Correspondence study.-Correspondence study is a method of teaching procedure accepted by 26 of the land-grant colleges. A total of 26,054 students with class enrollments of 34,615 are reported. The future development of this important extension service will undoubtedly depend upon the success of administrators in developing further the best special techniques for its continued improvement and in bringing about a better public appreciation of its important values as an agency of continuing education for adults. At present there is general agreement with respect to the most important techniques employed. Practically all of these institutions require textual assignments, collateral readings, regular written exercises, and final examinations. Fifteen report that the students' prompt attention to the work is urged by a system of regular reminders of delay, while 14 resort to this procedure occasionally. Twenty-two schools have tried the radio as a supplementary device, but only 4 have indicated that they are sure of its value. It is significant, however, that none has expressed disapproval of its use. Only 6 land-grant colleges report that they have tried extension courses through a combination of group discussion and individual study, while 19 say that this interesting and perhaps valuable method has not been utilized. The general public is looking to higher institutions of learning for reliable information of a nontechnical character on problems of human interest. The land-grant colleges have the resources in their trained faculties for providing this information through the administration of their extension divisions. Such service can be made available only through the proper integration of the general extension staff with the resident faculty. Cooperation should also be extended |