The first of five sections in this paper describes the role of the Agency for Instructional Technology (AIT) in the formation of consortia for the development of curricula and the production of learning materials using electronic technologies in the United States and Canada. The processes of instructional design and formative evaluation adopted by AIT are outlined in the second section. It is noted that programs such as "MATH WORKS" developed by the agency emphasize higher-order cognitive skills and incorporate the learning principles of active participation, sequencing, chunking, and congruency. Formative evaluation is described as a process which focuses on the four criteria of student attention, student comprehension, the nature of classroom interaction, and the appeal of the lesson to students and teachers. Noting that final responsibility for the use of video technology rests with the teacher, the third section describes the features of AIT video programs that make them especially appealing to teachers. The fourth section briefly reviews alternative delivery systems, including broadcast and cable television, microwave, satellite, and videocassette, and presents reasons for the particular success of videocassette recordings. Finally, consideration is given to the cross-cultural adaptation of instructional materials originally developed for U.S. and Canadian schools. (4 references) (GL)