The audio-visual handbook (1942)

2 The Audio-Visual Handbook It may be sufficient to state that the eye is considered to be primary in importance, thus giving us the right to place it ahead of the other senses. In this situation the term, "visual-sensory aids," becomes a more nearly true statement of the situation than would "visual education" or "visual instruction." The development of sound pictures; sound filmslides; radio programs; sound recording, reproducing and distributing equipment — all of which are being used extensively among schools — have brought into general use a comparatively new term, "audio-visual." It is used to encompass almost the entire field of illustrative materials; visual aids, sound aids, and the various combinations of the two. Perhaps all might be classified more appropriately under the general term, "scientific aids to learning," as very few can do more than aid the pupil in his acquisition of usable knowledge. The discussion which follows will consider the different types of visual aids, with some suggestions concerning the use of such aids. Following, in turn, there will be discussions of sound aids and of audio-visual aids to instruction. The next several pages will be concerned almost entirely with visual aids. Pictures in Education The use of the picture as an aid in education is not new in any sense of the word. For many thousands of years it has been exceedingly important in conveying correct impressions from one to another. Perhaps it was the first substitute for pantomime, or the re-enacting of the event, which became more and more difficult with the increase in the complexity of the social structure and of knowledge. Perhaps its first use was as a warning, carved on the bark of a tree or scratched on the surface of a stone, to tell others of dangers in that vicinity. Regardless of its earliest use, we are reasonably certain that a picture language was the forerunner of our modern alphabet. As the printed letter or word has become further removed from its ancestor, the picture, it has become more and more abstract; more and more difficult for the human mind to understand fully. A technical discussion of almost any subject before an average group is understood only by those who have had training in that field. The same discussion, presented in the usual language of most of us, might become clear and understandable, particularly if a few pertinent illustrative materials were used. We recognize symbols and think only in terms of past experience. Accordingly, it is imperative that we include in our educational procedure the maximum number of