This paper presents an approach to understanding visual metaphor which uses metaphoric analysis and comprehension by graphic and pictorial means. The perceptible qualities of shape, line, form, color, and texture, that make up the visual structure characteristic of any particular shape, configuration, or scene, are called physiognomic properties;…

This paper discusses current changes in the teaching and learning of artistic rendering in light of technological advances that may cause teachers to rethink both what is taught, and the manner in which the results of the artistic process are valued and evaluated. The two methods of generating a photorealistic computer image are described,…

A recent survey of 60 commercial computer assisted instruction (CAI) programs found that most of the programmed lessons used few or no graphics to communicate the main points. An Instructional Graphics Checklist was developed to reflect the research findings about the use of pictures in instruction and to serve as an informal evaluation instrument…

Three papers focus on applications of computer graphics with deaf and severely language impaired children. The first describes a drawing tablet software that allowed students to use visual and manipulative characteristics to enhance problem solving and creativity skills. Students were thus able to solve problems without the obstacles of language.…

Graduate students often have difficulty understanding the concepts behind the various models of instructional design (ID). In order to help students in an introductory ID course come to a better understanding of the similarities and differences between various instructional models, the models were developed into dynamic computer graphics to use…

A computer-based method of communicating syntactic knowledge to deaf students was designed, building on the visual orientation of deaf students and employing such American Sign Language techniques as visualization and directionality. The computer-based instructional treatments were presented as an educational game called the "Yes-No Game," with…

Digital Chisel is a user-friendly multimedia authoring tool for helping students and teachers to tutor/teach the computer. It can be used as a visual presentation tool, as a tool to provide individualized instruction and as a tool to help students learn using a variety of visual and auditory modes. Interactive presentations can be designed without…

The purpose of this paper is to sensitize instructional message designers to the stereotypical signals which may be inherent in computer clip-art selections. A rationale is presented for the power of message design, and the differences between gender equality and gender equity are discussed. Several computer clip-art libraries were analyzed, and…

The interactive multimedia application described here attempts to provide learners and teachers with a common frame of reference for communicating about visual media. The system is based on a list of concepts related to composition, and illustrates those concepts with photographs, paintings, graphic designs, and motion picture scenes. The ability…

This paper examines variations of text density levels for learning in a computer-based instruction (CBI) tutorial from an integrated perspective, and addresses the following questions: (1) What is the text density? (2) What are the relationships among text density approaches? and (3) What are the contributions of text density for learning and how…

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,…

This paper addresses some design considerations for computer-produced visual displays that are intended for either local or remote audiences of social workers. The project, "Building Family Foundations," expects to design and produce 10 different educational modules, including: child development; family issues--separation and attachment; family…

Computer-based instruction (CBI) has undergone tremendous changes in the past decade. This paper focuses on the following three areas of designing information presentation: (1) screen design literature is dated, and the existing guidelines do not allow for advances in computer technology; (2) open-ended guidelines may offer designers sufficient…

A guide for college instructors and part of an in-progress book, this document illustrates the effectiveness of humor and graphic art in enhancing presentations and promoting learning. Graphic aids and the combination of verbal and visual materials provide excellent supplements to college lectures and discussions, and help communicate concepts by…

The way information is visually designed and synthesized greatly affects how people understand and use that information. Increased use of the World Wide Web as a teaching tool makes it imperative to question how visual/verbal information presented via the Web can increase or restrict understanding. The purpose of this study was to examine…