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CUIN
7317, The Visual Representation of Information
 
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The
will to learn is an intrinsic motive, one that finds both its source
and reward in its own exercise. The will to learn becomes a 'problem'
only under specialized circumstances like those of a school, where
a curriculum is set, students confined, and a path is fixed.
The problem exists not so much in learning itself, but in the fact
that what the school imposes often fails to enlist the natural energies
that sustain spontaneous learning: curiosity, a desire for competence,
aspiration to emulate a model, and a deep-sensed commitment to the
web of social reciprocity.
Jerome
Bruner
About
This Course
The Visual
Representation of Information covers a wide variety of topics related
to the effective use of representing information visually in instruction.
The primary purpose of this course is to enhance students' ability
to conceptualize and develop visually-rich and visually-appropriate
materials that support and enhance active teaching and learning. Although
the primary focus of this course is the effective use of graphics
in interactive, computer-based instruction, the concepts can be applied
to the design and development of materials for other courses, presentations,
and instruction.
Design,
Development, and Production Capabilities.
The course
will attempt to appropriately blend design and development issues
with production competencies. Consideration will be given to both
the design and development of static and animated graphics in instruction.
Students will explore and evaluate the design and creation of graphical,
iconic, and metaphorical information in a variety of technology-based
visual learning environments. Production skills will be based on theoretical
and research issues related to the effective use of graphics in instructional
materials.
Another
purpose of this course is to enable students to get in-depth, hands-on
experience with a variety of graphic and paint tools and techniques
using several commercial graphics software programs. Several means
of developing computer graphics will be examined, but primary attention
will be focused on using Adobe Photoshop software on both Macintosh
and Windows computers.
Constructivism
and Cooperative Learning
This
course uses a constructivist approach to learning giving students
a great deal of flexibility in the direction, scope, and purpose of
course projects. A variety of class activities are planned. Some of
these activities are based on cooperative learning techniques and
team dynamics, so students should come prepared to interact. The general
format of this course will be a mixture of demonstration, discussion,
and hands-on experiences.
This
course is not a beginning Instructional Technology course.
It is
assumed that participants in this course will be very familiar with
the fundamentals of personal computers, including:
- Windows
Operating Systems including saving and transferring files, opening
programs, and using the finder or file manager.
- Basic
Software Applications such as Microsoft Office, educational software
in your content area, and other related applications.
- Basic
Internet skills, including email, navigation and search capabilities,
and downloading text and graphics from the World Wide Web.
About
the Professor
Sara
McNeil
Office: 122 Farish Hall, Phone:743-4975
Email: smcneil@uh.edu Web: http://www.coe.uh.edu/~smcneil
I
am an Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction
in the College of Education at the University of Houston. I teach graduate
level instructional technology courses.
Here
are a few of my research interests:
- I am
interested in the authoring competencies needed by educators to author
multimedia courseware.
I have summarized the results of a Delphi study I conducted on my
home page.
- I am
in the process of gathering information about the communication, collaboration
and social process that occurs between members of multimedia design
teams.
- Because
of my background in instructional design, I am very interested in
the process of designing effective instruction.
I teach a class called Instructional
Design both face-to-face and entirely online.
Here
are several of my projects:
I
received by Ed.D. from the University
of Tennessee, Knoxville under the guidance of Dr. E. Dale Doak.
If
you would like to learn more about the
Instructional Technology Program in the College
of Education at the University of Houston you are welcome to call
(713-743-4975) or email me.
Copyright
Information
The
materials included in this web site are copyrighted and no part, including
images, may be used, reproduced, or distributed in any form or by any
means without my prior written permission. This site is constantly being
revised and updated, and I welcome any comments.
Throughout
this site, I have tried to acknowledge any materials and resources that
I used. If you find an error, or the lack of an acknowledgment, please
let me know.
Thoughts
About Web-Based Instruction
This
is the beginning of my eighth year creating web-based instruction and
resources for my classes. Over the past year the pages have certainly
developed from simply being an electronic syllabus to a different way
of viewing interaction, both that interaction that occurs from face-to-face
teaching using the web as an electronic agenda and resource inside the
classroom and that interaction that occurs electronically using the
class listserv entirely outside of the classroom.
I
use the Web in several ways:
- Class
Web Pages
Each class has a separate web page. Class pages contain the agenda
for class, homework assignments, and related information, usually
accessible on the web.
- Resources
The web page may also contain related resources that may not have
been discussed during class. These could include magazine reviews
of software, examples of a particular concept, a comprehensive bibliography,
a glossary, and related articles.
- Student
Work
With prior consent from the student, student work may also be shared
on the web page. This activity gives other students a chance to view
the work and the display also creates a feeling of pride and accomplishment.
Students also seem to develop a higher quality of work when they know
it will be displayed.
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