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

Educational Film Abroad Educators abroad are impressed by the care ith which producers of educational fihns in lis country assure authenticity and sound pedgogy in the films offered for classroom use. This as the impression reported by Ellsworth C. >ent, vice president of Coronet Instnictional ilms, after a seven-week, around-the-world trip lat brought him into personal contact with udiovisual educational authorities in eight counies. As a result, these films are helping to correct le "public image" of the United States held by lany people in other lands, an image often disjrted and misrepresented by American fiction 1ms shown in the theatres. Official recognition of the importance of the caching film is at least as great in the countries e visited as it is here, according to Dent. In ■ustralia, for instance, he found the majority of le members of parliament attending screenings rranged for them by the National Librarian in a omfortable screening-room right in Parliament louse. In India, a nationwide program is guided by le National Institute of AudioVisual Education, art of the Ministry of Education. It trains teachrs in utilization, conducts research, produces rototype films, displays filmstrips, distributes ducational films, and is a center for information nd consultative services. Several of the Indian states have their own udiovisual education centers. Producers— both ommercial and governmental— are turning out ducational, documentary and entertainment —An Interview with Ellsworth C. Dent films by the hundreds. There is full recognition, nevertheless, of the need for importing teaching films, and arrangements were made with Dent for translating many of Coronet's 900 subjects into Hindi and distributing them generally. Many of these— the Abraham Lincoln film, for example —have already been translated into 18 languages, including Mandarin, Urdu, Arabic and Turkish. The Coronet A-Z index ranges all the way from Arithmetic and Atomic Science to Zoology. In Japan, Dent found many producers of fine educational films and interest in broad usage. In Egypt there was relatively little local production but there was major interest in the use of films for mass education. In all the countries visited, there was a deep respect for the solid production values and meticulous authenticity that marks American classroom films. Dent's reputation in the field of audiovisual education in this country preceded him on his trip. In the 1920's he headed the department of visual instruction of the University of Kansas and served as secretary-treasurer of the National Academy of Visual Instruction. In the 30's he had a leading part in establishing the motion picture facilities of Brigham Young University and of the U.S. National Park Service. Then followed his executive sales posts with Radio Corporation of America, Society for Visual Education, and Coronet Instructional Films. He is chairman of NAVA's educational committee. President of the NEA exhibitors' association, member of AASA and DAVI-NEA, and life member of the National Education Association. 1r. and Mrs. Dent are greeted at Bombay by Mr. Governliiiidas Afcgarwal, left; Mr. C. L. Aggarwal, right; and liss Nirniala Aggarwal. The Aggarwal brothers are Managers of National Kdniation anil Information Films, id., of Bombay. Mr. Dent and Mr. Donald Wallace, assistant Commonwealth librarian, Canberra, Australia, and a view over Canberra. LDl CATIONAL ScREEN AND AUDIOVISUAL GUIDE JUNE, 1960 277