VISUALS

      A.    NONPROJECT VISUALS

      Nonproject visuals are easy to use because they do not require any equipment. They are relatively inexpensive. Many can be obtained at little or no cost. They can be used in many ways at all levels of instruction and in all disciplines. Some nonprojected visuals are simply too small for use before a group. It is possible to enlarge any visual photographically, but that can be an expensive process. For example, research on newspaper readers’ interpretations of editorial cartoons indicates that a large proportion of viewers may draw conclusions that are opposite of what the artist intended. Psychologists find that people tend to project their own hopes, fears, and preconceptions into images or verbal messages that are ambiguous.

      There are 6 visuals commonly found in the classroom situation :

                1.      Still Pictures

       Still pictures are photographic(or photograph-like) representations of people, places, and things. The still pictures most commonly used in instruction are photographs; postcards; illustrations from books, periodicals, and catalogs; and study prints(oversized illustrations commercially prepered to accompany specific instructional units).

      Still picture are readily available in books(including textbooks), magazines, newspaper, catalogs, and calendars. Photographic study-prints enlargements printed in a durible form for individuals to use or for display-also have many applications in the instructional setting. For example, or the operation of the internal combustion engine. They are also very useful in teching the social sciences. In geography they may help illustrate relationships between people and their environment that, because of space limitations, couldn’t be depicted easily in textbook pictures.

               2.     Drawings

     Drawing, sketches, and diagrams employ the graphic arrangement of lines to represent persons, places, things, and concepts. Drawing are in general more finished and representational than sketches, which are likely to lack detail. Drawing are readily found in textbooks and other classroom materials.

         3.       Charts

             Charts are visual representations of abstract relationships such as chronologies, quantities, and hierarchies. A chart should have a clear, well-defined instructional purpose. In general (especially for younger students) it should express only one major concept or configuration of concepts. A well-designed chart should communicate its message primarily through the visual channel. The verbal material should supplement the visual, no the reverse.

         4.      Graphs

BAR GRAPHS

PICTORIAL

CIRCLE(PIE) GRAPHS

LINE GRAPHS

               Grapsh provide a visual representations of numerical data. Data can be interpreted more quickly in graph form than in tabular form. Graphs are also more visually interesting than tables. There are 4 major  types of graphs :

       a.      Bar graphs are easy to read and can be used with elementary age students.

       b.    Pictorial graphs are an alternative form of the bar graph in which numerical units are represented by a simple drawing.

     c.    Circle(or pie) graphs are relatively easy to interpret. In this type of graph, a circle or “pie” is divided into segments, each representing a part or percentage of the whole.

      d.       Line graphs are the most precise and complex of all graphs.

        5.      Posters

             Poster incorporate visual combinations of images, lines, color, and words. Poster can be effective in numerous learning situations. For example, poster can promote good health practices such as not using drugs.

        6.      Cartoons

              Cartoons(line drawing that are rough caricatures of real people and events) are perhaps the most popular and familiar visual format. Cartoons are easily and quickly read and appeal to children and adults alike.

      B.      PROJECTED VISUALS

    Projected visuals are defined here as media formats in which still images are enlarged and displayed on a screen. Such projection may be achieved by passing a strong light through transparent film, magnifiying the image through a series of lenses, and casting this image into a reflective surface. Newer techniques include storing the images electronically and projecting them in a digital or analog format such as Power Point. Digital storage mechanisms include CD-ROM, the photo CD, digital cameras, DVD, and the scanner.

            ·         Integration

     Projected visuals are suitable for use at all grade levels and for instruction in all curriculum areas. In general, the fine arts, geography, and the sciences ate especially well represented with commercially distributed visuals. Following are some typical subjects among the myriad possibilities for visual presentations :

            a.       Provide a tour for new employees of a local businesss without walking through the plant.

            b.      Make a visual history of your community, school, or organization.

            c.       Illustrate lectures about art history or art technique.

            d.      Show people at work in various jobs, for career awareness, etc.

      C.    DOCUMENT CAMERAS

     Document camera is a video camera mounted on a copy stand, pointed downward at documents, flat pictures, or graphics and small objects(like coins). The image may be projected into a large screen within the room or it may be transmitted to distant sites via television.

            ·         Advantages

            a.       No production required. A document camera allows on-the-spot projected of readily available classroom materials, such as diagrams, newspapers, and illustrations from books and magazines.

            b.      All students have equal view.

            c.       Allows group viewing of student work s. Such as drawing, students compositions, solutions to math problems, and the like.

            ·         Limitations

            a.       Bulky hardware.

            b.      Monitor or projection required.

            c.       Additional lighting.

            ·         Integration

        a.  All subject : Group critiques of student work and review of test items.

        b. Art : Group discussion of reproductions of paintings and architectural details; study of advertising layouts.

       c. Business : Group work oon business and accounting forms or close-up viewing of such documents as orgaization charts, sales territory maps, and parts of a product.

      d. Home economics : Group viewing of sewing patterns, textiles, recipes;close-up views of fabrics and weaving styles.

    e. Industry : projection of blueprints for group study; description of assembly line flow with production diagrams.

         f.    Language arts : Group critique of student compositions, picture books, or reference books.

        g. Medicine : Group critique of anatomical drawings; discussion of diabetic diets and food exchange charts.

         g. Military : Review of maps and official documents; illustration of flight plans.

         h. Music : Group reading of musical scores.

         i.  Religion : Religious story illustrations; group examination of religious documents.

         j.  Science : magnification of speciments; group study of maps and tables.
      k. Social studies : Map study; viewing of artifacts from other cultures, postcard, and atlas illustrations.

     D.    OVERHEAD PROJECTED

   Overhead projected system has become the most widely used audiovisual device in North American classroom and training sites.

             ·         Advantages

            a.       Brightness. Its bright lamp and efficient optical system generate so much light on the screen that tge overhead can be used with normal room lighting.

            b.      Eye contact. Can operate the projector from the front of the room while facting the audience, allowing you to maintain direct eye contact.

             c.       Ease of use. Most overhead projectors are light-weight and portable its simpe to operate.

            d.      Abundance of materials. Can project a variety of materials, including cutout silhouettes, small opaque obejcts, and many types of transparancies.

             e.       Manipulable. Can manipulate projected materials.

             f.       Availability of materials.

             g.      Self-prepared materials.

             h.      Advance preparation.

             i.        Impact on attitudes.

             j.        Organization and discussion.

             ·         Limiattions

         a.       Not preprogrammed. The effectiveness of overhead projection presentations is totally dependent on the presenter. The overhead projector cannot be programmed to display visual sequences by itself, not is an audio accompaniment provided.

               b.      Not self- instructional. The overhead system does not lend itself to independent study.

          c.       Production process required. Printed materials and other nontransparent items, such as magazine illustrations.

            d.      Keystone effect. Distrotion of images is more prevalent with the overhead than with other projection systems.

             ·         Integration

            a.       Art : use strips of colored acetate to demonstrate the composition of primary and secondary colors by overlapping red, yellow, and blue.

             b.      Consumer science : make thermal transparencies of blank checks and balance sheets.

           c.       Drama : put a floor plan on the base cell and add overlays to show acting circles and how areas are lit.

             d.      Geography : use a clear pastic ruler over a transparency of a map.

            e.       Language arts : use different colored pens to highlight nouns, verb, and other parts of speech.

           f.       Library skills : show a floor plan of the layout of the school media center as part of library orientation.

             g.      Literature : visually compare different forms of peotry and compare meter patterns.

            h.      Music : show a staff with notes arranged in three-part harmony, with different colored notes for each part.

             i.        Mathematics : use circle and squares that are cut into pieces to illustrate different fractions.

            j.        Science : show how iron fillings align to poles of a magnet placed on an overhead projector stage.

       E.    SLIDE

      Slide refers to a small-format photographic transparency individually mounted for one-at-a-time projection. The standard size of slides is 2 by 2 inches( 5 by 5 centimeters) measure  by the outer dimensions of the slide mount.

             ·         Advantages

           a.       Sequencing, because can arrange slides into many different sequences and more flexible.

           b.      Automatic cameras, easy focusing, and high-speed color film have contributed to this trend.

           c.       Automatic projector, the assembly of slide programs is facilitated by today’s projectors, which hold sets of slides in trays and feed them into view in sequence.

          d.      Collection building, general availability and ease of handling make it relatively easy to build up permanent collections of slides for specific instructional purposes.

           e.       Individualized instruction.

             ·         Limitations

          a.       Disorganization, because slides come as individual units, they can easily become disorganized.

          b.      Jamming, slide mounts come in cardboard, plastic, and glass of varying thicknesses.

         c.       Susceptible to damage, slides can easily accumulate dust and fingerprints; careless storage or handling can lead to permanent damage.

      F.    DIGITAL IMAGES

           1.      CD-ROM
        CD-ROM has the capasity to handle not only quality but also large quantities of text and viduals. CD-ROM is a storage system that utilized a compact, rugged, and lightweight disc only 12 centimeters (4.72 inches) in diameter.

           2.      Photo CD

      The photo CD(photographic compact disc) utilizes digital technology to store to photographic images.

CD or DVD Material

           3.      DVD-ROM

     Similar to the CD-ROM, DVD-ROM (Digital videodisc-read-only memory) is also a digital storage format, but with greater capacity. DVD-ROM is an ideal medium for text, visuals, animation, motion video, and audio formats that have large storage requirements. Like CD-ROM. DVD-ROM is a storage system that utilizes a compact, rugged, and lightweight disc only 12 centimeters(4.72 inches) in diameter.

          4.      Digital Camera

                ·         Advantages

             a.      Image are digital. The great advantage of the digital camera is that it enables you to take pictures that are stored as digital images so you don’t have to developed or use any additional devices to capture the images from traditional cameras.

             b.      Vast capacity. Especially the one that uses a floopy disk or smart”flash memory”card, can store a great number visuals.

             c.       Zoom capability. Many models of digital cameras have zoom or macro options that make close-up photographs possible.

               d.      Ease of use. Digital cameras are very easy to use.

               ·         Limitations

         a.      Expense. Digital camera are so expensive to purchase, but don’t require any additional expenditures for film, as traditional cameras do.

            b.      Fragile. Digital cameras can be a bit more fragile to handle than more traditional cameras. Some of the controls are smaller than on traditional cameras.

      G.    DIGITAL IMAGE PROJECTION

      Digital (and analog) images can be shown to individuals using a computer monitor. For showing these images to a group, can also use a large television monitor, an LCD panel on an overhead projector, or a data projector.

    Designed for use with presentation graphics software, liquid crystal display(LCD) projection panels project computer images into a screen-the electronic equivalent of an overhead transparency. An LCD panel is plugged into a computer and placed into the stage of a high-intensity overhead projector.

             ·         Advantages

           a.       image choices. The great advantage of digital image projection is that it enables you to project anything that appears on your computer monitor-text, data, or visual-into a large screen.

        b.      Vast capacity. The computer can store a nearly infinite number of visuals, which you may summon by pressing a key.

           c.       Interactivity.

             ·         Limitations 

         a.       Lack of brightness. The room must be darkened more than for LCD panels and data projectors.

         b.      Legibility. Low resolution makes LCD presentations best suited to small or medium-size groups in which one is seated more than four screen widths from the screen.

      c.  Expense. LCD projectors still have a higher price tag than do LCD panels, however, this is changing. 

             ·         Integration

             a.       Demonstrating computer software functions to a group of students.

             b.      Searching an electric encyclopedia(on CD-ROM) with a whole class following along.

           c.       Conducting a brainstorming session, capturing all suggestions on the computer display(and then printing them out at the conclusion).

             d.      Presenting color animation sequences or viewing a digital video.

            e.       Teaching math or statistics formulas by changing the inputs and watching the output change on the screen graphically.



      Source : Heinich, Molenda, Russell, Smaldino et. 2002. Instructural Media  and Technologies for Learning volume 7. California: The University of California.