This paper draws attention to the different applications of multimedia. There are various types of media technologies for communication and information. Museums use visuals which combine video, statues, and static pictures to produce a multimedia display. Multimedia applications are also present in education, more specifically in natural sciences.…

Describes a study in which preschool children, enrolled in a Head Start Program in Texas, tested computer-assisted instruction facilitating visual discrimination. The study, in which a TRS-80 Model III displayed alphabetical characters, showed that four-year-olds are able to learn simple visual discrimination tasks from a computer. (JJD)

By combining the use of an existing teleconferencing network with new computer-based video technologies, the University of Wyoming has enhanced its ability to provide distance educational opportunities for students at remote sites across the state. The new computer-based audiographic system was tested during the fall semester of 1988 during the…

Technology, software, and design activities that have been used to create presentations for a class in visual literacy taught to graduate students in the instructional technology program of Northern Illinois University are described. In the past, the language of visuals was introduced through a slide and tape produced for the class. An additional…

Screen design, as an inherent part of the interface within computer-based instructional programs, is a critical component to the communication potential of the medium. This paper establishes aesthetics as an essential and necessary component of screen design and of instructional design. Current screen design guidelines tend to overlook the…

Since visual knowledge of the specialties within graphics and photography is difficult to pinpoint because it is nonverbal and intuitive, graphics educators fall back on teaching technical expertise--the procedures and equipment used for newspapers, magazines, and television stations. For centuries visual knowledge was the realm of the unlettered,…

Two pilot studies probed effectiveness of linguistically controlled, highly visual computer-assisted instruction (CAI) for English grammar instruction with hearing-impaired high school students (N=29 in the first study and N=71 in the second). Results from the first study suggested that state-of-the-art CAI designed specifically for use with this…

The development of a visual literacy facility, the Creative Visual Lab, at the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University (New York) is described. The facility was designed to provide students with the instruction that would develop their computer proficiency and visual sensitivity without being, in itself, completely…

This study investigates children's spatial cognition in the microcomputer environment created by "HyperGami." Two categories of spatial cognition have been described: spatial visualization, which involves mentally rotating, manipulating and twisting two- and three-dimensional objects; and spatial orientation, which involves the ability…

As the number and complexity of required technology-related competencies grow, basic teacher education media courses need to develop alternatives to instructor-led lecture-based formats in order to maintain essential components of course content while incorporating new content in expanding technologies. Creating technology-mediated instructional…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of presentation interference on students' ability to learn from, and their beliefs regarding, computer-generated presentations. Informed by single-element screen design studies and professional practice, this combined-element study compared a contextually based, intentionally interference free…

Quality education is often impeded by lack of instructor time and by a failure to provide instruction that is individualized and at the point of need. Integration technology into course development can alleviate these problems, but only if the technology is easy to learn and supports a systems approach. In implementing a Web-based Technical…

This article reports on two academic courses related to visual literacy: Videology and the Internet. The two projects are examples of how young learners can be educated and prepared for a visual world via courses in visual literacy. The article provides an overview of the impact of television on American society, describes each project, discusses…

Two initiatives to introduce technology into the art curriculum of a school district are described. The initiatives gave permission for money to be spent on third-grade and middle-school programs. Both were designed around the existing art curriculum and attempted to take advantage of hardware the district already owned. In the third-grade…

This study examined the effects of varying instructional strategies on learning in emerging technology-based visual literacy instruction. The study used a completely crossed 2 (organizational strategy) x 2 (delivery strategy) x 2 (management strategy) factorial design, post-test only control group design. Organizational strategies employed…