This is Volume 44 of the Educational Media and Technology Yearbook. For the past 40 years, our Yearbook has contributed to the field of Educational Technology in presenting contemporary topics, ideas, and developments regarding diverse technology tools for educational purposes. The Yearbook has inspired researchers, practitioners, and teachers to…

When "Sesame Street" launched in 1969, it was the first show to attempt to teach young children school-readiness skills with catchy songs and playful Muppets. Not only did it revolutionize the children's media landscape, the program sparked a love of learning among generations of children all over the world. For "Revisiting the…

In assessing the validity of Clark's (1983) argument that media have no real effect on learning, the fourth of four symposium papers identifies five aspects of media which might affect learning: (1) the technology used; (2) the symbol systems employed; (3) the content conveyed; (4) the setting in which the media are encountered; and (5) the…

Arguing that a well designed graphical display can function as a memory store, this article suggests three principles for the design and use of computer graphics: parsimony, accessibility, and reflection. It is suggested that "progressive graphics" are particularly suited to computer implementation. (Author/MBR)

This introduction to a symposium on the status of research in instructional technology discusses the ongoing debate among developmental researchers as to the instructional effectiveness of media. The controversy dates from the publication in 1983 of an article by Richard E. Clark, who presented the position that media do not really contribute to…

This paper is the introduction to an inquiry into the relationship of post-structural reader theories to cognitive theories in the study of educational media. Basic concepts in reader and cognitive theories are defined, including the notions of "meaning" and "learners." Similarities and differences in the theories are…

Main trends in media research in Western Europe are identified, with emphasis on three successive stages since 1960: tools technology, systems technology, and reflective technology. Previously, the third stage has not been well elaborated, a statement supported by an analysis of the content and context of European media. A critical appraisal of…

The relationship between teacher burnout and the use of various media in teaching was examined with data collected from 545 elementary and secondary teachers in the Fort Worth, Texas public school system. Subscales measured factors indicating teacher burnout, including teachers' perceptions of the degree of administrative support received, career…

This glossary offers definitions of almost 600 terms normally associated with the field of educational technology in brief and easy-to-understand form, all in Spanish (a Portugese version exists). The terms are organized into six major areas: learning, communications, instructional design, evaluation, media production, and systems theory. (Author)

This exploration of the origins of educational communications and technology as a field focuses on the 1920s when the visual education movement first appeared. An explanation of the study precedes separate reviews of 13 primary sources--i.e., visual education textbooks--and draws on them to provide evidence for an analysis of the ideas and forces…

Suggests five criteria (media attrributes, costs, usability, serviceability, availability) to be used to assess justifiability of use of different types of high technology instructional media (HTIM) in Nigerian schools. Principal reasons for HTIM preference are outlined, and development and use of low technology instructional media to supplement…

The Association for Educational Communications and Technology defines Instructional Technology as the "theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning" (Seels & Richley, 1994). From the above definition, it can be seen that Instructional Technology can be…

Conflicting findings on television's impact on reading achievement suggest a need for more sophisticated measurements and methodologies in media research. D. L. Moldenhauer and W. H. Miller's survey of 78 seventh grade students showed no relationship between television viewing and reading skills. These findings were similar to those of J. T.…

This symposium paper is concerned with curriculum theory and development and the place of curriculum theory within the area of instructional technology. It first identifies the central questions of curriculum (e.g., what should we teach?) and discusses the implications of the resulting issues: (1) why should we teach this rather than that? (2) who…

The teaching strategy for one unit of a British Open University educational television series, "Personality Development and Learning," used audiocassettes and printed text as a means of examining broadcast television content. The teaching package contained the audiocassette, which combined academic comment with excerpts from the program…