embedding objects in scrolling fields & adolescents

[Charles Hartman]

Hear, hear!

On Jul 7, 2005, at 5:16 AM, Mathewson wrote:

> My experience with  educational use of computers stretches
> back for years & with GUIs about 12 - so for what its worth
> this is why I think embedding objects in scrolling fields
> is a good thing:
>
> ['adolescents' is to be taken to mean pupils/students
> between 12 and 22 - no offence intended]
>
> On opening an educational multimedia program (such as those
> authored in Hypercard, RR, MC and so on) the first reaction
> is impulsive: the pupil clicks on every clickable thing in
> sight - all very interactive and guaranteeing that the
> amount of information absorbed by the pupil is minimal!
>
> If I wish my target audience to do some reading (OK, I know
> that in certain parts of the world reading is being played
> down - I am an old-fashioned reactionary) I have to find a
> way to stop the "mindless clicking" - there seem to be 2
> solutions to this:
>
> 1. Just present windows filled with text alone . . .
>     I have found (I've actually tried this!) that pupils go
> "off the boil" quicker than I can snap my fingers - a 19th
> century text book on-screen is a major turn-off.
>
> 2.  Embed the 'jazzy buttons' in a scrollable text field
> and let the pupils know that the REWARD (Oh, No, not a
> behaviourist!) for reading the text will present itself in
> due course - admittedly some 'bright' pupil will just
> scroll down until he/she finds the clickables and miss out
> the reading.
>
> HOWEVER, I do believe that by embedding multimedia buttons
> / movie-players in the text this will minimise crazy
> clicking.
>
> While a large part of the world is hooked on the "I want it
> now" idea, and the servicing of the minimal attention span.
> I want to SLOW PUPILS DOWN so that they absorb information,
> see multimedia in a meaningful CONTEXT, and are forced to
> pay attention for more than a 2 second sound-bite.
>
> Sincerely, Richmond Mathewson
>
> __________________________________________________
> See Mathewson's software at:
>
> http://members.maclaunch.com/richmond/default.html
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Charles Hartman
Professor of English, Poet in Residence
Connecticut College
charles.hartman at conncoll.edu
*the Scandroid* is at cherry.conncoll.edu/cohar/Programs