Three large, unstructured workshops (500-800 people) demonstrated how large groups of people can participate together and collectively choose ways of action aimed at satisfying all. Particular significance given to participants' shift away from looking for outside sources of answers, values and standards to discovery of strengths and answers…

Using data taken from the National Endowment for the Arts' Surveys of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA) which were conducted in 1982 and 1992, this report looks at the effect of age on adult arts participation in seven benchmark or core art forms: classical music, opera, ballet, musicals, jazz, plays, and art museums. The report examines the…

Examining the factors that influence the distribution of technologies in developing countries should provide new possibilities for organizations engaged in international communication and audience research to understand, and respond, to potential audiences. Five critical elements influence the distribution of media technologies in developing…

A survey of 80 department chairpersons, directors of forensics, and debate coaches indicated an increased use of nontraditional, audience-centered debate paradigms since the National Developmental Conference on Forensics issued its report advancing alternative debate options during the 1970s. Report recommendations on expanding the role of…

Although modern readers often find the interpretation of medieval literature difficult, they should be encouraged to use their imagination to resolve the dilemmas they encounter. Often, these are the same issues with which medieval audiences had to wrestle and which the poets intended to raise. W. Iser's and H. R. Jauss's principles of…

This is the seventh in a series of technical research reports by Harvard Project Zero which study artistic creation and comprehension as a means toward better art education. This study summarizes the content and practical procedures of a series of lecture-performances in different arts performed before a target audience. The lecture-performance…

This guide is designed to give adult educators a brief overview of group methods and techniques. The following 24 are covered: audience reaction teams, brainstorming, buzz sessions, case studies, colloquies, committees, conferences, conventions, demonstrations, discussion groups, field trips or tours, forums, institutes, interviews, lectures or…

A total of 3039 tenth-grade students in seven Pennsylvania high schools participated in an experiment, part of a study to attempt an assessment of the relative contribution to learning from the following: 1. Films of participation (by immediate audience response to inserted questions on salient facts). 2. Films of reinforcement (by immediate…

The Classroom Communicator, an experimental machine built at Pennsylvania State College, is both a research and a mass teaching aid device. It will record and measure reactions of individuals in an audience, almost instantaneously, and will help improve the rate and effectiveness of learning. This report shows in detail that, to a large extent,…

Based on 1982 and 1992 surveys sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, this report examines participation in seven core art forms by baby boomers, individuals born between 1946 and 1965. Art forms investigated were: classical music concerts; jazz concerts; operas; musicals; ballet performances; theatre; and museums. Findings indicate…

The changing age composition of audiences gives an indication of the demand for art forms now and in years to come. This survey report seeks to determine the make-up of audience participants by age and preference of art form. Demographic variables considered include: education; income; gender; race; urban place of residence; marital status; and…

Using data from the 1992 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA92), research focused on the question: "Does arts education make arts participation more accessible to Americans?" The effects of both school-based arts education and community-based arts education were considered and compared. Art forms considered in this…

Although the value of reading to children has been well established, the merit of storytelling has only recently been recognized as a powerful means of developing language skills, self-concept, and self-esteem in children. Interactive, or participative storytelling, enables participants to tap into their creativity, enhance their powers of memory,…

Research presented in this report focuses on data obtained through the 1982 and 1985 "Survey of Public Participation in the Arts" and relates to musical theater, operetta, and opera attendance. The objectives of this study were to focus on those findings which might help opera or musical theater organizations attract and understand…

The Computer-Managed Education Technology (COMET) program was designed to improve group instruction through the use of technological aids in the classroom. Specific objectives included: (1) improving feedback on student comprehension during a class period; (2) facilitating the administration and grading of homework and quizzes; (3) providing for…