電視與社會教育－－終生教育時代的功能探討

The Functions of Television in the Age of Life-long Education

廿一世紀也將如Raymond Williams所說，與二十世紀同樣，順著工業革命、政治（民主）革命及文化革命三個方向繼續推進。在教育方面，隨著終生教育理念的進一步落實，社會教育很有可能重新回歸教育的主流地位。電視挾其十分卓越的傳播效果以及無遠弗屆的威力，最有可能成為終生教育時期最重要的社會教育媒介。電視具有可將社會變成一所無牆壁的大教室的巨大潛能，而Hutchins的「學習社會」的理想也可通過電視的教育功能得以實現。本文檢討我國當前電視節目內容過度迎合觀眾、偏向娛樂及商業主義的危機，同時也探討電視教育的特性以及其可能產生的問趙。為了使電視能充分發揮其教育功能，完成其社會使命，本文強調電視觀眾教育的重要性。只有具一定文化水準、主動且積極地關懷大家共同的命運的觀眾，才能成為電視製作者的充分伙伴。也只有這種觀眾，才能掌握電視的製作方向，能叫電視為其服務，從而成為其命運的真正主宰者。

It is quite possible that the social change in the 21st Century will follow the same trends as Raymond Williams observed in those of the 20th Century: industrial revolution, political (democratic) revolution and cultural revolution. In the field of education, in accordance with the further development of life-long education, social education (mainly adult and continuing education) might return to the main current status once again. Television broadcasting, with its powerful communication capability, will be one of the most important teaching media in the age of life-long education. It has the potential of changing the whole socity into a big classroom-without-wall. With the help of this excellent communication medium, the idea of a 'learning society' envisioned by Robert Hutchins might get its momemtum of full realization. In this article the author examines the present situation of television industry in Taiwan: such as over emphasis on popular entertainment, profit-making commercialism, neglecting its social responsibility of paying more attention on the social educaion etc.. As one of the remedial strategies to the pathological situation, the author suggests that the education of the mass of people (the audience), leading to an autonomous and wise consummer of mass media information, must be put on priority. It is believed that only the enlightened, critical minded and self-conscious audience could wield the power in influencing the powerful television industry, and by so doing, they are able to become the real master of their own destiny in the age of information.