Film and Radio Guide (Oct 1945-Jun 1946)

Moy, 1 946 FILM AND RADIO GUIDE 55 A Central Audio-Visual Aids Service in the University BY PAUL WENDT Director of the Audio-Visual Education Service, University of Minnesota. A number of colleges and universities have organized their audio-visual aids services by placing in one department the authority, activities, and equipment relating to the use of these aids. The following discussion points out some of the services required, and indicates why centralization of these services is advantageous. Problems in the Use of Audio-Visual Aids College and university teachers find that the problems connected with the use of audiovisual aids often provide an insurmountable handicap. These problems arise from the mechanics of projection or sound recording, obtaining good materials, and using the aids properly. Especially at the university level the teaching staff does not have the time, the experience, or the patience to track down, for instance, the sound films available on a particular subject; to select the nearest, cheapest, and most dependable source for the desired film; to requisition it ; to see that it arrives on time; to inspect it before showing to be sure it will go through the projector; to arrange for a projector in good operating condition ; to find a man to run the film who is competent to do a good job; to attend to several other details to ensure that the showing comes off smoothly; and finally to return the film and see that Reprinted from "Higher Education," May 1, 1946. the charges paid are correct. All these things constitute an onerous burden for a teacher at any level, and members of a college faculty cannot spare the time to be bothered with them. All these details should be handled by a central office with a staff that is fully experienced in all phases of the work so as to carry it on most efficiently. The University of Minnesota has in operation its Visual Education Service to handle all these matters. It is only necessary for an instructor to telephone the Visual Education Service that on a certain day, in a particular classroom, he wants a showing of a certain specialized film in his subject. After this phone call, he can forget about the matter with complete assurance that on the day that he wants to use the film as part of his lecture he can walk into his classroom, find the shades down, the lights on, a screen in position, a modern sound projector in perfect operating condition in position in the rear of the room threaded with the correct film preinspected, and an operator in attendance who has been thoroughly trained not only to run sound films but to take care of all the petty details of classroom projection. Under these circumstances, an instructor finds it easy to plan his use of audio-visual aids without worrying about the mechanics. When the time comes for the use of the sound film, he knows it will be run off without any difficulties whatever to distract him or his students from the subject matter. Tracking Down Audio-Visual Aids The tracking down of audiovisual aids suitable for classroom use is an important part of a visual education service at the university level, because, at this level — in sharp distinction from the secondary school level — materials are highly specialized. A university visual education center should be able to prepare bibliographies of teaching materials, especially of motion picture films, on any subject. A centralized service, as many universities and colleges are discovering today, provides for numerous economies which will make the use of audio-visual aids in teaching much less expensive. One way of accomplishing this saving is by channeling requests for materials through one booker or staff of bookers. At first, when films are not used intensively, it may be feasible for many university departments to order their own films, but, as the use increases — as it most surely will in coming years — confusion will result from this practice. There actually have been instances of two departments on a campus requesting the same film from a distant source for the same day. A central booking service eliminates such duplication and disappointment by obtaining the film for both showings at the cost of one day’s rental. Further than this, the staff of a central booking