Designing Interactive Materials for Cost-Effective Learning

By forcing us to make better use of students' intelligence (and our own artfulness) in the design of instructional materials, the new mandate for cost effectiveness may enhance rather than diminish the educational value of existing as well as new educational media.

The paper and demonstration will show that many of the capabilities for which we turn to the latest generation of electronic equipment, e.g., "intelligent" videodiscs and other computers, may be achieved with media long available in schools and/or homes: ordinary television sets, filmstrips, and 8mm films. Some of the capabilities to be discussed and demonstrated with film and videotape are: overt response and immediate feedback; process (vs. product) exposition and participation; multi-level use of a single program; moving images and psychomotor responses; and constant self-monitoring of constant (vs. intermittent) performance.

Also, and bravely, specific head-tuning to use all the new electronic equipment more cost effectively will be suggested.

(All of these media use rear-screen images whose relevance to the needs of those with visual as well as auditory impairment will be stressed.)