This is a pilot study which addresses whether teachers should be taught about visual literacy. A preliminary review of the literature revealed that: (1) prospective teachers need training in the skills and knowledge related to visual literacy if they are to develop such skills and knowledge in their students, and (2) visual literacy is not a…

This study explores the interpretation of two types of flow diagrams composed of different visual elements intended to communicate the same meaning. Using linear and cyclical diagrams, the study focused on whether, given a series of diagrams using linear elements and a series using cyclical elements, both types of visuals convey the same message…

The purpose of this study was to measure how well business and professional people from various cultures interpret symbols commonly used in international business presentations. Questionnaires contained 15 black and white symbols, selected from the clip art collection of Harvard Graphics business graphics software. Respondents from the United…

The purpose of the study reported in this paper was to examine the effect of visuals possessing different amounts of realistic detail and the effects of integrating covert and overt rehearsal strategies into visually complemented prose instruction. A total of 128 university students participated in the study, which involved a prose text on the…

A developmental study investigated the pictorial and linguistic main idea identification skills of 104 students in second, fifth, and eighth grades. In the pictorial task, the subjects studied a complete picture story and ranked the effectiveness of four separate main idea alternatives at capturing the meaning of the story. Following the same…

Limits of graphic display design component variation based on cognitive tolerance for imprecision were investigated using compatibility functions. The compatibility function is an empirical definition of a perceptual category representing the grade of membership of an implied physical attribute into a corresponding conceptual category, measuring…

This book, describing the result of extended research on how charts/graphs convey information, develops a scheme for describing/analyzing information contained in graphs/charts. A psychological theory of knowledge of the reader and the mental events which occur in attempting to read a graphic display are the two focal points of the book. A…

Ninety-four children, aged 5 to 12 years, were subjects of a study of recall of television literacy messages (drop-ins). The 30-second "How To Watch TV" (HTWTV) segments were designed for broadcast on Saturday mornings by the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) to convey to children some information and values about television (e.g., animals do…

A study on visual literacy in children explored such questions as: (1) how a visual literacy curriculum might be structured; and (2) whether, when students participate in a visual literacy program, they consequently say or write more, and whether what they have to say is more insightful. During the experiences, children talked and wrote about…

A study of the cognitive aspects of children's television watching addressed the following questions: To what degree is processing capability mediated by one's attentional set, as opposed to skills that one brings to the viewing situation? If attention is a significant mediating factor, is this true across various kinds of information one can…

This report of a study which explored the effects of camera use among 30 children in a biracial multi-aged classroom includes suggestions for the application of the findings in early childhood curriculum. The first two chapters present the purpose, rationale, and measured results of an examination of camera use as a tool for inquiry and…

Though visual literacy is gaining recognition, visual communication is under-utilized by special educators. Children are growing up in a world where much of their learning is visual, and schools which have included visual communication in their curriculums have found that it has enhanced the ability to write, and contributed significantly to…

Students in grades 1, 3, 6, and 10 viewed a selection of paintings to determine developmental stages in aesthetic judgment. Age group responses were analyzed for general characteristics and for children's ability to distinguish among standards of personal preference, community values, and technical competence. (SJL)

In this study wordless picture books were used to assess cultural differences in three groups of children. (MKM)

To assess the degree to which educational media training is included in teacher education programs, the Association for Educational Communications and Technology conducted a national survey of undergraduate teacher education institutions and state boards of education. Results are presented in tables and a map showing state accreditation…