Audio-visual aids in higher scientific education : report of the committee appointed by the University Grants Committee, the Department of Education and Science, and the Scottish Education Department in February, 1963.

  • Great Britain. University Grants Committee
Date:
1965
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Audio-visual aids in higher scientific education : report of the committee appointed by the University Grants Committee, the Department of Education and Science, and the Scottish Education Department in February, 1963. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    should not be in the projection path between projector and screen. This may appear to be a glimpse of the obvious, but unfortunately there are many examples of this defect which involves raising lights to unusual working positions. This, in turn, restricts room planning and affects lighting conditions at working-surface level. These problems are often best solved by using light fittings flush-mounted to the ceiling, with arrangements for directing the light so that it is evenly distributed without falling directly on to viewing screens. 6. It is often desirable—and in major lecture theatres essential—to provide for light control at the lectern. When forward projection is used it is usually necessary to limit external lighting by an efficient black-out. Where large theatres are to be used primarily for formal lectures the black-out problem can be eliminated by a design of theatre which has no windows. Ventilation and air-conditioning 7. As well as in such theatres, the widespread use of audio-visual aids, with their attendant need for black-out arrangements, may necessitate air- conditioning in smaller lecture rooms. Although this may not always be easy, care should be taken to ensure adequate ventilation and the architect should be fully briefed. Programmed instruction 8. As far as we are aware, no accommodation has been specifically designed in Great Britain with the use of programmed instruction in mind. Fortunately, (as far as the structure of centres of higher education is concerned) it does not appear that its introduction would involve any major or difficult planning considerations. Figure 1 indicates a possible arrangement for a subject with which laboratory work is associated. 9. As students at the carrels finish a machine assignment, they move to desks in the centre of the room, to work at the written exercises which may succeed the programme and the teacher spends much time with them during this phase. The programme might require the students to move to the labora- tory to do relevant practical work, which is also programmed. The rooms should be ‘en suite’ so that the teacher can move easily between the ‘machine- tutorial’ rooms and the laboratory. Unless—as in certain engineering labora- tories—the incidence of noise makes them essential, there need be no dividing walls between the three rooms. If some form of barrier between the rooms is necessary as a security precaution it could perhaps be of expanded metal, or made partly of glass. Room shapes 10. It is generally agreed that, if there is a major development in the use of programmed instruction in higher education, there will still be a very impor- tant place for group teaching. There is therefore the need to consider whether the rectangular shaped room shown in Fig. 1 is the most functional one; or whether, on the assumption that much more use will be made of audio-visual aids, some other shape might not be better. 11. Figure 2 shows a screen of width W, for showing slides or film. There is general agreement that, to avoid undue strain, the minimum viewing distance is 2W, and the maximum is 6W. The maximum viewing angle (relative to the
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