Educational screen & audio-visual guide (c1956-1971])

Dr. Roman Vishniac, noted photomicroscopist (right), with Robert M. Young of HORIZONS OF SCIENCE, during production of HORIZONS OF SCIENCE film on the life and behavior of microscopic one-celled animals, for release in 1959. SOME eighteen months ago a group of professional motion picture people with very successful backgrounds in making public affairs films got together to plan a new series of films for schools. This unusual program, "Horizons of Science," is going into national distribution this month (January, 1959), and will be available to schools throughout the country as quickly as arrangements can be worked out. "Horizons of Science" is a considerable departure in concept and content from any previous film series. As distinct from curricuhini films, "Horizons of Science" aims at more general objectives — to increase the understanding and awareness of science and scientists in the world today and to stimulate interest and intellectual curiosity about science — both among those students who may be the scientists and technicians of the future; and those who will be tomorrow's businessmen, artists, housewives, industrial employees, Congressmen and voters. The "Horizons of Science" films can hardly avoid — nor do they wish to avoid— doing some good teaching. But they are not teach ing films as such. They arc reports from the world of science, and the men and women of science — direct to the students in the schools. The subject of each film is one significant activity, project or research program that is going on in science. We learn about it, in the first person, from the scientist or scientists directly responsible for it. Ten such reports a year at roughly four-week intervals, will be forthcoming in this and future years. As a new departure, the program has sought new means of distribution through the assistance of business, industry and foundations who are purchasing the program for presentation free of cost to school systems. In the early stages of this series, its Executive Producer, Alfred Butterfield, came to us at Educational Testing Service to ask our advice on evaluation procedures. Here at ETS we have long been interested in films, television and other audiovisual media, not only because of the opportunities they offer for better education in general, but also because of their many unexplored applications in testing, guidance and other areas with which we are primarly concerned. VVe felt that the "Horizons of Science" group had an extremely stimulating and important idea, and were fully competent to bring it to life. VVe also saw an opporiiuiity to learn more about films ourselves and were glad to offer what assistance we could. The first step was to help set uj) "Horizons of Science" on a nonprofit basis, and to serve as administrators of an initial grant made by the National Science Foundation. ETS is also collaborating in preparation of the Teacher's Guides and other study materials to accomjjany the films, and has worked with the distinguished Board of .\dvisers of "Horizons of Science" which includes the following: Lincoln Ba me tt— author of "The* Universe and Dr. Einstein," "The| World We Live In," etc. Robert H. Carleton — executive Secretary, National Science Teachers Association Donald F. f/ornig— Chairman, Departinent of Cliemistry, Princeton University Neal E. Miller— ]-dmes Rowland Angell Professor of Psychology, Yale Universty Kenneth E. Vorde'n berg— Supervisor of High School Science, Cincinnati, Ohio S. S. iriV/fi-Professor of Mathematics, Princeton University Jerrold R. Zacharias — Professor of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Chairman, Physical Science Study Committee Perhaps most important, a continuing program for the evaluation of the films has been set up. Three of the issues planned for 1959 have been previewed in semi-final form by student audiences, totalling about 3,000, in ten different schools in Cincinnati, Milwaukee, New York City, Princeton, New Jersey, Nyack, New York, and Weston, Connecticut. So far as we know, no comparable film program has had the benefit of such pre-release evaluation procedures. The three issues which have been previewed are as follows: "The Worlds of Dr. Vishniac," a study of life and behavior of microscopic one-celled animals through the eyes of Roman Vishniac, the great photomicroscopist. "Visual Perception," a vivid demonstration of the assumptions we make when we "see" the world around us. "Exploring the Edge of 20 EdScreen & AV Guide — January, 1959