From: troyf@microware.com (Troy Frericks)
Subject: Re: Upsurge in CD-I ads
Keywords: Here we go again
Organization: Microware Systems Corp., Des Moines, Iowa
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 22:30:23 GMT

In article <1992Nov12.193806.9785@clipper.ingr.com> kontos@clipper.ingr.com (Thorne Kontos) writes:
>cyclone writes:
>> Seems pretty clear to me - CD-I players are exceptional educational tools. 
>                       !!!! BIG CLUE ALERT !!!!
>Let me tell you about a little secret that is absolutely free. It is called
>your local library. Guess what, the books inside are free to take home and
>read. They do not cost $40+ per title.
> [rest of article deleted]

You know what?  Libraries soon will have CD-I titles. You know what?  They
take less shelf space than books!  Wittness an encyclopedia.  How much does 
the paper version cost.  The CD-I version?  How portable?  Which is more 
expensive and awkard to update?  Uses more resources?  Takes most shelf 
space? Etc, etc...

The following is a short excerpt from Eric Miller & Walden Miller's book
"Discovering CD-I".  They talk a little about print media:

"One major drawback of print media, however, is that it is very hard
to write for more than one audience in a single document.  consequently,
materials must be targeted at specific educational or demographic sectors
of the population.  International communication must be printed in dif-
ferent languages and sometimes different formats, depending on the ac-
cpted norms of the culture.

Another drawback is that printed materials viewed as disposable.  Be-
cause of the paper quality, paperback books are relatively flimsy and are
often discarded after a single reading.  Newspapers and magizines are out
of date as soon as they are read.  According ot recent studies, 18% of our
current landfills is newspaper and 50% is paper.  This environmental con-
cern goes hand-in-hand with the fact that the ammount of paper used is
depleting our fourest resources.

Finally, books are bulky.  This is not only a concern for the average reader
who must find shelf space for the home library; the necessary resources
required by a city or university to establish and maintain an adequate li-
brary is staggering.

...

MEDIA TOPICS

It is not only in our interest to examine the individual types of media, but
also how these media work in four major areas of information commu-
nication: education, entertainment, reference and commerce.  Like the
four tyeps of media, these communications topics often overlap.

EDUCATION

Education uses a variety of methods to teach students.  The two most
common are the lecture and the textbook...
Hands-on experience and case studies have replaced many purely [book] theo-
retical educational frameworks.

New classrooms use lecture, text, films and presentations as starting
points for discussion in the seardch for understanding, not as the final say...

But the ... impact of Apple's strategy is seen in the way students learn.
The rase of hands-on learning and interactive hyper-media has changed
the standard of lecture/textbook mode and changed the face of modern education.

Coporate training also has moved in this direction..."

-
Troy Frericks                      Internet: troyf@MICROWARE.COM
Microware Systems Corporation          UUCP: uunet!mcrware!troyf
1900 NW 114th St                      Phone: (515)224-1929
Des Moines, IA 50325-7077               Fax: (515)224-1352