embedding objects in scrolling fields & adolescents

[Mathewson]

My experience with  educational use of computers stretches
back for years & with GUIs about 12 - so for what its worth
this is why I think embedding objects in scrolling fields
is a good thing:

['adolescents' is to be taken to mean pupils/students
between 12 and 22 - no offence intended]

On opening an educational multimedia program (such as those
authored in Hypercard, RR, MC and so on) the first reaction
is impulsive: the pupil clicks on every clickable thing in
sight - all very interactive and guaranteeing that the
amount of information absorbed by the pupil is minimal!

If I wish my target audience to do some reading (OK, I know
that in certain parts of the world reading is being played
down - I am an old-fashioned reactionary) I have to find a
way to stop the "mindless clicking" - there seem to be 2
solutions to this:

1. Just present windows filled with text alone . . .
    I have found (I've actually tried this!) that pupils go
"off the boil" quicker than I can snap my fingers - a 19th
century text book on-screen is a major turn-off.

2.  Embed the 'jazzy buttons' in a scrollable text field
and let the pupils know that the REWARD (Oh, No, not a
behaviourist!) for reading the text will present itself in
due course - admittedly some 'bright' pupil will just
scroll down until he/she finds the clickables and miss out
the reading.

HOWEVER, I do believe that by embedding multimedia buttons
/ movie-players in the text this will minimise crazy
clicking.

While a large part of the world is hooked on the "I want it
now" idea, and the servicing of the minimal attention span.
I want to SLOW PUPILS DOWN so that they absorb information,
see multimedia in a meaningful CONTEXT, and are forced to
pay attention for more than a 2 second sound-bite.

Sincerely, Richmond Mathewson

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See Mathewson's software at:

http://members.maclaunch.com/richmond/default.html
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