We propose a computer-assisted cancellation test system (CACTS) to understand the visual attention performance and visual search strategies in school children. The main aim of this paper is to present our design and development of the CACTS and demonstrate some ways in which computer techniques can allow the educator not only to obtain more…

Two experiments explore the activation of semantic information during spoken word recognition. Experiment 1 shows that as the name of an object unfolds (e.g., lock), eye movements are drawn to pictorial representations of both the named object and semantically related objects (e.g., key). Experiment 2 shows that objects semantically related to an…

Braking to avoid a collision can be controlled by keeping the deceleration required to stop (i.e., ideal deceleration) in the "safe" region below maximum deceleration, but maximum deceleration is not optically specified and can vary as conditions change. When brake strength was manipulated between participants using a simulated braking task, the…

State-of-the-art computers being used today for instructional multimedia products have monitors capable of displaying millions of different colors. Designers are given virtually unlimited control over the factors that govern the display of these colors. This paper examines how color is displayed on computer monitors and interrelationships with how…

Discusses field-dependent and field-independent perception, their link to learning characteristics, Herman A. Witkin's work on individual perception, and how this is instrumental in determining teaching style. A chart displays characteristics of field-dependent and field-independent students and teachers, motivation tips, and what teachers in each…

Describes an experiment enabling students to apply concept of diffraction, determine limits of their color perception, learn how to measure wavelength with a simple apparatus, observe continuous and line spectra, and associate colors with corresponding wavelengths. The homemade diffraction-grating spectrometer used is easily constructed. (JN)

Describes inexpensive method of determining harmonic content of a repetitive signal such as a sound wave and demonstrations of the precession of a bicycle wheel and inversion shadows on the retina. Also describes a resonance demonstrator (made from scrap material) driven by a portable jigsaw. (JN)

This brief survey of successful visual literacy programs designed for students at the elementary and secondary level outlines projects to teach visual communication skills in Ohio, Indiana (Project Visual Understanding in Education/VUE), Virginia, Iowa (Media NOW), California, Canada, England, and Australia (Visual Education Curriculum Project).…

The cloze procedure is a method of systematically deleting words in a selection of reading material and evaluating the success of the reader in accurately supplying the deleted words. One three-phase procedure for implementing cloze includes: presentation and preparation, preview and completion, and follow-up. Other suggestions for using the cloze…

Discusses six principles of visual perception and their cognitive implications for interactive screen design: clear perception determines continuity and flow of information; perceptual grouping establishes screen sequencing; placement of information aids recall; distinctiveness increases retention and retrieval; consistency in the perception of…

Instructional engineering principles were applied to development of instruction in dental mirror skills, and the instruction was validated with 92 students and 25 controls. Measurement of skills over a period of a year and mirror usage during the practical exam indicated instructional effectiveness. Mirror skill instructional tasks are described.…

Reviews literature in the field of human-computer interaction (HCI) as it applies to educational environments. Topics include the origin of HCI; human factors; usability; computer interface design; goals, operations, methods, and selection (GOMS) models; command language versus direct manipulation; hypertext; visual perception; interface…

Adults with Asperger Syndrome (AS) can recognise simple emotions and pass basic theory of mind tasks, but have difficulties recognising more complex emotions and mental states. This study describes a new battery of tasks, testing recognition of 20 complex emotions and mental states from faces and voices. The battery was given to males and females…

In this article, the authors describe Picture Power, a project they implemented during late spring in a full-day Montessori preschool-kindergarten program in Philadelphia. In this project, the authors set out to gather information about children's visual learning. The underlying question was whether artwork could provide useful clues to inform…

Does a drawing embody the form and focus of what the artist actually sees, or instead, is it only after seeing the finished drawing that the artist knows the true meaning of his or her visual experience? It is the knowledge of the visual experience that drives the representation of it. Knowledge of the visual experience is present in varying…