Designed as a specialized play area for physically handicapped preschool children with perceptual deficits, The Magruder Environmental Therapy Complex (ETC) is described as a means to create an environment in which these children could function freely. Pictures are used to show children using the equipment and the architectural aspects of…

This booklet was conceived and developed in response to the many questions asked of the AIA about architects and architecture by those contemplating a construction project. Questions answered concern reasons for retaining an architect, selection of an architect, methods of paying an architect, client responsibility, the building design process,…

The school furniture of tomorrow will be formed and shaped by design analysis of the learning process rather than by a discipline or maintenance function design. Three of the most significant characteristics of future school furniture will be multiple use, flexibility, and mobility. An interior componentized system will provide spaces for work and…

Guidelines are presented for achieving the human factors inputs to the TA (Technical Approach) in the design process. (For each Navy training device, a TA determination provides for the evolution of the necessary technology.) A method is described which allows correlation of instructional requirements with engineering design solutions. The three…

Explored in this special issue of "Design Quarterly" are some of the existing data systems which describe, in visual terms, various urban entities: transportation systems, roadways, public buildings, land patterns, historical structures, as well as some new methods for developing physical information that will be widely used in the future. Through…

Television plays an important part in the process of teaching and learning in a number of countries in the Asian Region. Although television can be used in any normal classroom, there are a few aspects of television viewing that, if considered at the design stage, will result in greater convenience. This digest sets out the main points that should…

The building planning policies and suggestions of the University of Chicago focus on three types of goals: conservation of resources; innovation in restructuring the internal environment to improve the functioning of existing facilities and to obtain maximum benefit from new buildings; and the maintenance of both design quality and continuity.…

The conclusion of a six-part series on planning and designing media facilities deals with problems of security. (Author/MLF)

Describes the partnership between high-tech industries and the schools in Orlando, Florida, which resulted in the planning and development of a $30 million high school known as "The Educational City of the Future." (MD)

Research is reviewed on (1) ergonomic factors which affect handwriting performance, focusing on the student's grip on the writing implement, pressure on the writing instrument and surface, types of writing instruments, and writing paper; and (2) assessment of the legibility and speed of handwriting. (Author/JDD)

Hypotheses about the potential educational benefits of interactive video systems (IVS) are described. IVS, if properly designed and applied, has the potential to increase learning, encourage student-initiated learning, and provide a context for what has been learned. A call for research is made. (JL)

Compares the five classic graphic design principles used to construct visual messages--proportion, sequence, emphasis, unity, and balance--with relevant human factors research findings. Compiled by Williges and Williges (1981) these findings focus on the structuring of information for visual displays in interactive environments. (MBR)

Describes a general purpose microcomputer-based system designed to support small-scale experimentation in the physical sciences in student laboratories. System requirements, teacher reactions, and educational implications are discussed; design criteria are established; and examples are given of the system's application to some simple experiments.…

Describes an interactive television system based on fiber-optic communications technology which is used to facilitate participation by University of London medical students in lecture/tutorials by teachers in different hospital locations. Highlights include advantages of fiber-optics, cable manufacture and installation, opto-electronic interface,…

Clarifies appropriateness of certain simulation approaches by distinguishing between different types of simulations--experimental, predictive, evaluative, and educational--on the basis of purpose, assumptions, procedures, and criteria for evaluating. The kinds of questions each type best responds to are discussed. (65 references) (MBR)