Evening star., 1934-05-06
USED
IN CLASS ROOMS
.Successfu! Experiments in
Teaching Are Conducted
at Iowa U.
BY SOL TAISHOFF.

BY SOL TAISHOFF.
TELEvIsION, even in its present
embryonic stage of develop
ment, has proved itself an ef-
i fective instrumentality in edu-
cation, and is being used sue
cesstully at the University of Iowa in
both visual and audible class room
instruction via radio.
This was disclosed by DR.. E. B.
Kurtz, head Of the electrical engi-
neering department of the university
and director of its experimental tele-
vision station in a report to the In
stitute for Education by Radio, meet
ing this week at Columbus. Ohio.
For the last two years the university
has been experimenting in teaching
by combined sound and sight, and
two of the three basic requirements,
it was said, have been met success
fully.
Analogous to Movies.
Results achieved in the experiments,
DR.. KrutZ said, are analogous to those
of the evolution of the talking movies
mo show house today is thinking Of
ever returning to the silent movies" I"
he declared. 1.-The implication is ap-
parent. namely, just as the sound has
become essential to the movie, so in
due time will the television picture
become inseparably linked to the
sound radio. And by the same token
television's place as an effective in
Strumentality in the educational sys-
tenn of the future is already assured" !"
The television station, having the
call W8XK. Is operated In conjunc-
tion with the university's broadcasting
station, WSUI, Iowa City, and has
been used for two years. For the
most part, DR.. KurtZ pointed out, the
visual broadcasts have been restricted
to simple subject matter, such as
illustrating the correct method of
brushing teeth, diagrams. shorthand
symbols, statistical charts, charcoal
sketchings, French pronunciation.
with the speaker illustrating lip and
tongue movements and elementary
art. Eventually, as the technique
develops. he said, such intricate scenes
as stage performances, orchestras,
and the like, will be televised to the
accompaniment of sound.
Three Requirements.
DR.. Kurtz said that the expert
ments at the university showed that
there are three requirements for salts
factory sound-sight broadcast, name
ly, (l) must have satisfactory sound
broadcast, (2) must have satisfactory
sight broadcast and 90 must have
satisfactory time relation between the
sound and the corresponding move
ments in the picture. The first and
third requirements have been fulfilled
completely. but the second remains
technical problem. he said.
Satisfactory sight, DR.. Kurtz said, is
not yet as good as desired, since it
does not permit handling pictures con-
tanning much detail. 1t may never
be possible to show all the detail pres
ent in an intricate picture Of scene
which Is televised, he declared, but as
television develops more subjects will
come within the real Of satisfactory
broadcasting. and less Judgment will
need to be exercised in the selection Of
the program material.
DR. Kurtz emphasized that educa-
tional television broadcasts are far
different from commercial broadcasts
and that the present state of the tele-
vision art permits much better educa-
tional programs than those of the
commercial variety. There is much
material in the educational field. he
said. that can be reproduced with
reasonable satisfaction, especially if
good judgment is exercised by those
conducting sound-sight broadcasts. In
more diff1cult problems are presented.
Synchronization Perfect.
In the class room instruction the
pictures are flashed on a motion pic
ture screen, and the voice accompani-
ment on the loud speaker. The syn
chroniZation of the sight and sound,
he declared, is perfect.
Il have received many of our broad
casts in my home, with friends and
nelghbors present. as though members
offs class. and I have never expe-
rienced the slightest difficulty in
managing myself in class room with
professor before me. either talking
to me or writing on a blackboard, or
showing pictures to illustrate his lee
ture," DR.. Kurtz asserted. I'm fact,
the transition is so easily made that
it takes place automatically
The surprising thing is how easy
it is to become absorbed in the pro-
gram. In the first place the room is
darkened. This at once removes many
distractions. The picture at once
catches the eye and almost complete
concentration results. Obviously, with
two senses at work instead Of one,
more assimilation takes place. Psy-
biologists tell us that we have learned
80 per cent Of what we know through
the sense Of sight and only l3 per cent
through our hearing. These percent
ages no doubt may be questioned, but
they are indicative of the number of
times the effectiveness of the learning
agencies are multiplied when the
channels of hearing and sight are
both employed. These percentages
would appear to give credence to the
old saying of the Chinese that "a
picture is worth 10 1000 words"