the Office of Education. These catalogs were received during the year 1938-39, and for the most part are for that school year. Examination revealed that 114, or 12 percent, located in 27 States, offered one or more of the types of courses indicated. The courses listed are those which, so far as one can judge by name or description, offer work in the principles and procedures involved in the use of visual aids in instruction as well as "practice" or "laboratory" work in the preparation and use of materials and equipment. A variety of names are used by the institutions listed to designate the courses. "Visual Instruction," "Visual Education," "The Use of Visual Aids in Instruction," are those most commonly found. far as one can judge of the content from the descriptions given in the catalogs consulted in this study, the title "The Use of Visual Aids in Instruction" is that most nearly correct for characterizing the courses, and it is growing in use. A few institutions continue combined courses on the use of visual and auditory aids and a few institutions still offer courses labeled with the hyphenated word "audio-visual" instruction. It is recognized that many institutions are equipped with motionpicture machines and other teaching materials for conducting programs of visual education though they do not offer special courses or include descriptions of programs indicated in their catalogs as in operation. Such institutions or programs are not included in this list. This statement is made in recognition of the fact that excellent work is probably done in many institutions not listed here. The Louisiana Polytechnic Institute is an example of an institution of the kind indicated. While no special courses are listed in the catalog, the maintenance of a program in visual instruction is announced. The following statement is quoted from the catalog: After being subjected to scientific experimentation and critical observation for more than a decade, motion pictures as aids to classroom teaching are emerging with a definite stamp of approval from most educators. It has been found that the student learns from 5 to 50 percent more when the use of visual aids has been added to the usual verbal instruction. Louisiana Polytechnic Institute has added a sound motion picture machine to its teaching equipment and conducts a program of visual education in connection with the regular class work. The number of institutions offering courses in visual education as well as the variety in types of courses offered is an encouraging sign of progress in using visual materials and equipment effectively for instructional purposes. While there are no previous lists with which comparisons can be made, it is apparent, since the field is new, that practically all of the institutions named have established the courses listed within recent years. The types and descriptions of courses offered indicate that the demand for the use of visual aids in instruction is on all school levels-elementary, secondary, and college. With few exceptions the descriptions indicate emphasis on purposes and values of visual education, psychological principles involved in visual stimulation and perception, adaptation of materials to curricula of different school levels, and the like, as well as laboratory courses in the preparation and use of materials. They indicate also that trends in practice are away from the use of visual aids (especially moving pictures) as entertainment and toward their integration into the regular curriculum as supplementary material and method in the classroom. In general, the courses are offered in the college, department, or school of education, though occasionally we find them in other departments of the institutions. For example, in the College of the Pacific, Stockton, Calif., courses are offered in the Department of the Natural Sciences. In the University of Southern California a number of courses are offered in the Department of Cinematography as well as in the Department of Education. In a number of the colleges of agriculture and mechanic arts, courses are offered in the college or department of agriculture or of agricultural education or in the extension division. In Ohio University at Athens the course is given in the School of Administration and Supervision. In Pennsylvania all teacher-education institutions offer courses in visual education. They are required of candidates for teaching certificates in that State. New Jersey is another State in which all of the State teachers colleges and Rutgers University, which also prepares teachers, offer one or more courses in visual education. In certain other States such courses are required for certain types of credentials either by the institution or the certificating authority. It has not proved expedient to include in this pamphlet descriptions of all of the 140 courses offered. It seems desirable, however, to give descriptions of a few reasonably representative courses chosen as illustrative of the types offered. These should enable interested persons to gain a reasonably definite idea of what is available in the general field of visual education. For the purpose of selecting such courses a tentative classification has been adopted and a few representative courses are listed under each of the following five headings: I. General survey courses covering status, psychology, and principles of visual education; II. Administration and supervision of programs in visual instruction; III. Use of visual aids for special subjects or grade levels; IV. Types of visual aids, their development and care; V. Social and esthetic values of visual aids. Some duplication will be noted but classification was made upon the basis of emphasis as indicated either by the title or description of content of the course. 186211°-40 It is hoped that this pamphlet may serve as (1) a guide to persons interested in courses of higher grade devoted to improvement of instruction through the use of visual aids; (2) an indication of the extent to which teacher-education institutions, and, correlatively, administrators employing teachers, recognize the value and need of improved use of teaching aids of this type; (3) an indication of present practices in institutions which are preparing teachers to use visual aids in instruction. Summary of data regarding courses for teachers in the use of visual aids in instruction Number of States in which institutions offer courses in visual education.. Number of courses offered___. Number of courses offered in Departments of Education___ Natural Sciences.. Cinematography.. Extension___. English.. Social Studies_ Agricultural Education.. Vocational Education... Industrial Education.. Photography__ 27 114 140 116 1 2 1 1 1 3 1 1 4 Titles of courses in visual education, according to institutions and States in which 1 located, departments in which offered, and credits earned 1 Titles of courses in visual education, according to institutions and States in which located, departments in which offered, and credits earned-Continued do. Extension. Education.. Do. (9). 2% Q H. University of Denver, Denver.... Vitalizing Education Through Visual Aids Michigan State Normal College, Visual-Auditory Aids in Education.. Titles of courses in visual education, according to institutions and States in which located, departments in which offered, and credits earned-Continued Columbia University, Teachers Fordham University, New York.. Visual Aids in Education.... College of the City of New York... Motion and Still Pictures for Education.... The Motion Picture, its Artistic, Educa- North Dakota Agricultural Col- Principles of Visual Instruction............. lege, State College. OHIO Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green. Kent State University, Kent. See footnotes at end of table. Administration of Audio-Visual Aids in Use of Visual Aids in Instruction...... |