Current issues in educational communications and technology are addressed in this collection of 35 papers, in which research reports predominate. Topics discussed include factors related to the learner, e.g., field dependence/independence, reading ability, learning strategies, and cognitive style. Presentation format and media and stimulus…

Visual recognition, navigation, tracking, and imagery are posited to involve some of the same types of representations and processes. The first part of this paper develops a theory of some of the shared types of representations and processing modules. The theory is developed in light of neurophysiological and neuroanatomical data from non-human…

Focusing on the role of language in learning, this paper discusses schemata and symbolic thinking that help students learn from unfamiliar experiences. The first part of the paper introduces the idea of symbolic thinking by comparing students encountering new ideas with convention-goers making their way around a new city. The section suggests that…

To explore methods of visual communication as a supplement to bilingual education, 200 white male subjects were selected from a public school system in South Florida (100 from the first grade and 100 from the eighth grade) and were allowed to create visual statements from a standardized set of photos. Using primarily Latent Partition Analysis, the…

Includes patterns for and a brief discussion of the polyhedra: octahedron, tetrahedron, dodecahedron, cuboid, prism, and star. (PK)

A study of undergraduate students investigated whether different rehearsal strategies are more effective in facilitating achievement, whether certain rehearsal strategies require learners to spend more time interacting with instructional content, and whether verbal or visual testing requires students to spend more time processing and responding to…

Describes the third in a series of studies investigating effects of psychological variable of encoding specificity on cognitive learning, test design, and visualization during instruction and testing. Encoding specificity, its application to classroom learning and testing, and its significance to educational technology are explained. The first two…

This paper presentation will report on how some science educators at the Science Department of The Hong Kong Institute of Education have successfully employed an array of innovative learning media such as three-dimensional (3D) and virtual reality (VR) technologies to create seven sets of resource kits, most of which are being placed on the…

This study explored computer-based image processing as a study strategy for middle school students' science concept learning. Specifically, the research examined the effects of computer graphics generation on science concept learning and the impact of using computer graphics to show interrelationships among concepts during study time. The 87…

This study tested a causal model of the development of spatial visualization based on a synthesis of past and present research. During the summer and fall of 1999, 117 third- and fourth-year undergraduates majoring in architecture, mathematics, mathematics education, and mechanical engineering completed a spatial visualization test and a…

The Inner-City Arts Training program trains Winnipeg (Canada) teachers in art appreciation, visual awareness, and art production. This training allows them to guide their students through extensive projects that encourage individual contribution while furthering teamwork. The consonance between visual and verbal language is used to develop…

Investigates gender differences and the role of spatial visualization in problem solving in high school geometry. Reports that, whereas males and females differed in spatial visualization and in their performance, they did not differ in logical reasoning ability or in their use of geometric problem-solving strategies. (Author)

Maintains that research indicates that age is the primary factor influencing aesthetic response. Reports on a study of aesthetic preferences among 24 students at ages 8, 10, and 12. Finds that response style was a more significant factor than age. (CFR)

Trends in the use of visualization (computer graphics) for instructional purposes are analyzed in three segments: (1) current classroom activities; (2) technically possible but not prevalent classroom activities; and (3) the future classroom. The discussion draws on University of Iowa efforts, national curricular innovations, and presentations and…

The results of an experiment in teaching engineering graphics using the traditional lecture-homework-laboratory technique are compared to a newer lecture homework proposal. Although the newer method reduces professor-student contact, it may prove to be as effective as the older method requiring laboratory instruction. (KR)