Agency for Instructional Technology
Encyclopedia
The Agency for Instructional Technology (AIT) is a non-profit organization
in the United States
that produces, sells and distributes educational
and instructional television
programs, and other multimedia
materials, to schools in the United States
and Canada
.
Many of AIT's programs are produced in association with other producers and television stations, and are funded by various state, provincial and local educational-related agencies, with additional support from various corporate sponsors and philanthrophical organisations
.
AIT is based in Bloomington, Indiana
.
in New York City
. NIT was founded as a way to distribute instructional television programming and associated materials to educational television stations throughout the US.
In 1965, NIT would part ways with NET and relocate to its present home in Bloomington, Indiana, where it became the National Center for School and College Television (NCSCT). The NCSCT was operated by the Indiana University
Foundation.
In 1968, the service was renamed the National Instructional Television Center (NIT). NIT would become an independent, self-supporting non-profit organisation in 1970, and would begin distribution of children's educational programming to PBS, the successor to NIT's former operator, NET.
On April 11, 1973, NIT would be incorporated into the Agency for Instructional Television (AIT). It would slightly change its name to Agency for Instructional Technology on July 1, 1984, to reflect other uses to electronically distribute instructional material, such as via videocassette and computer.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that produces, sells and distributes educational
Educational television
Educational television is the use of television programs in the field of distance education. It may be in the form of individual television programs or dedicated specialty channels that is often associated with cable television in the United States as Public, educational, and government access ...
and instructional television
Instructional television
Instructional television is the use of television programs in the field of distance education. Educational television programs on instructional television may be less than one half hour long to help their integration into the classroom setting...
programs, and other multimedia
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
materials, to schools in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Many of AIT's programs are produced in association with other producers and television stations, and are funded by various state, provincial and local educational-related agencies, with additional support from various corporate sponsors and philanthrophical organisations
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
.
AIT is based in Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
.
History
AIT was first founded in 1962 as the National Instructional Television Library (NIT), an agency funded by the U.S. Office of Education and operated by National Educational TelevisionNational Educational Television
National Educational Television was an American non-commercial educational public television network in the United States from May 16, 1954 to October 4, 1970...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. NIT was founded as a way to distribute instructional television programming and associated materials to educational television stations throughout the US.
In 1965, NIT would part ways with NET and relocate to its present home in Bloomington, Indiana, where it became the National Center for School and College Television (NCSCT). The NCSCT was operated by the Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
Foundation.
In 1968, the service was renamed the National Instructional Television Center (NIT). NIT would become an independent, self-supporting non-profit organisation in 1970, and would begin distribution of children's educational programming to PBS, the successor to NIT's former operator, NET.
On April 11, 1973, NIT would be incorporated into the Agency for Instructional Television (AIT). It would slightly change its name to Agency for Instructional Technology on July 1, 1984, to reflect other uses to electronically distribute instructional material, such as via videocassette and computer.