09:10 - 09:30

Traditionally, in expository writing, technical illustrations are treated as adjuncts to the text rather than being tightly integrated into the narrative. The reader is referred to an illustration by the text which describes or explains the illustration. Numerous guidelines exist that describe how to optimally design such illustrations (e.g., Tufte), and, depending on the context (e.g., publisher's preferences), various guidelines describe the form and format of the final illustration.

In recent years, research in cognitive psychology has produced a new set of guidelines that define how to effectively use illustrations. For example, based on this research we know that cognitive load is reduced when illustrations are integrated into the text (contiguity principle); extraneous or irrelevant material should be removed from illustrations (coherence principle); multiple representations that engage different parts of the brain improve learning (modality effect); and, use of repetition improves encoding accuracy and transfer to long-term memory (redundancy principle). Using the appropriate level of abstraction and goal free presentations also reduce cognitive load.

Unfortunately, with a few notable exceptions, the traditional approach often conflict with what we now believe to be the best ways to effectively use illustrations. This can be a particular problem in computer science where attention may be split among text, code, and illustrations. For example, a description of the code to add an item to a linked list might include the text discussing the action, the actual program or code to do this in some programming language, and a box-pointer diagram illustrating the process.

It is possible to develop a visual narrative style that embodies the principles from cognitive psychology. In fact, this has been done informally for centuries (e.g., da Vinci's notebooks), but the approach is still rarely used in formal writing or published materials. With recent developments, such as page layout software and digital ink, the process has been simplified and is now growing in popularity (e.g., O'Reilly's Head First series).

This presentation reviews the cognitive basis for effectively using illustrations in mathematics and computer science. The primary focus will be looking at examples of both effective and ineffective uses of illustrations. It also briefly examines emerging, enabling technologies that permit writers to effectively use illustrations and the challenges that such an approach presents.

09:35 - 9:55

The venerable university slide library, well established as an integral component of the study of art and art history, is going digital. The 35mm slide is obsolete, supplanted by the digital image. And as goes the slide so goes slide library- or at least the existence of the slide library as a physical collection of materials. The replacement is the far more flexible digital media repository.

As digital media repositories become commonly established there is an increasing need to adopt a more collaborative model for sharing information between individual institutional repositories. The central objective of this paper is to provide a high level summary of the benefits of this collaborative model compared to the more traditional constructions of digital media repositories.

10:00 - 10:20

My own research lends itself well to forecasting digital industry trends and historical media changes. My most recent exhibition, Cyber-Hangman: e-Commerce along with my current research project Mediaglyphs as New Language (http://danillefont.com/danille/cyber.htm), addresses the political economy of new media and Internet business expansion in Europe and the United States. I critically analyze new media tools and address the specific applications of instant recognition techniques that are unique to new media within online, time-based (commercial) and print media advertisements. I compare ways in which the Social Democratic system (European) and the Capitalist (American) system embrace media, technology and cultural changes. I examine unconventional marketing trends and I document buyouts between tech companies in order to track the role of mediaglyphs in international copyright and trademark infringements (media globalization).

10:40 - 11:00

Visual literacy, the spatial language of syntax and organization, can be used to fully explore concepts by using 3-D dynamic modeling software. Concepts as diverse as the Civil War and a children's book, Fantastic Mr. Fox, can be animated by all ages from pre-schoolers to college students as a sequence of topological actions. These still frames or digital stories can demonstrate more complete comprehension of the complex spatial concepts and can be accurately assessed. This presentation is of the theoretical transition from hard copy assessments and tests of students' knowledge to a more interactive computer animation as a visual demonstration of what students understand. By defining visual literacy, attendees will learn to critique visual images and animations as a form of assessment that represents all students' knowledge, including special needs learners.

11:05 - 11:25

The construction of teaching models and interdisciplinary programs for learning and research in collaboration between technology, arts, and sciences poses unique challenges for smaller liberal arts institutions. There is the common challenge of bringing technology and electronic media into a traditional arts practice, and the reverse challenge for those in science and technology in learning to support and inform digital artists. Additionally there is the challenge of developing teaching models to effectively equip students to work in the emerging world of digital media. At smaller schools there are also issues of time for research, space for lab or studio work, and limited enrollments.

We describe an approach to developing such an interdisciplinary program at our institution. The goal is to establish a cross-curricular concentration uniting common interests in Art, Computer Science, Music, and Physics; students majoring in one department would take specific courses in one or more of the others before pursuing a directed interdisciplinary project. Our initial approach has been exploratory and targets three levels of learning. We report on a first attempt to introduce a digital media project in an introductory computer science class, a newly-developed course in multimedia programming and design, and a project to develop expertise in programming and design systems for creating digital media in the context of an independent study/research project in the arts.

11:30 - 11:50

It has been argued that computing may serve as the bridge between the liberal arts and the sciences. However, it is unclear how this can be done well, if at all. Undoubtedly, computing is in the heart of today's technological society - our civilization runs on software. This can only increase in the future. Computers are now used in many everyday applications, which a couple of decades ago were unthinkable to the average person, including word-processing (e.g., spellcheckers and PDF), connecting with others (e.g., email), searching for information (e.g., Google), gaming, etc.

However, the most empowering and least appreciated application of computing is that it may be used to create dynamic models from any domain of discourse: computers can store and manipulate massive amounts of information (e.g., music, images, geographical data, historical facts, etc.); and they can serve as cognitive prostheses, similar to simple calculators, but in a more general and enabling way. This is because, unlike simple calculators, computers can be programmed to model almost any process imaginable. It has been speculated that, if Leonardo da Vinci lived today, he would use computing as his medium for creative expression and exploration. Perhaps this is an overstatement. Nevertheless, it is clear to most that computational (algorithmic) thinking is becoming more and more a requirement for the everyday person, perhaps like algebra a century or so ago.

This session will provide a forum to identify the important questions on how computing may be incorporated into the educational experiences of our students, and perhaps how it may be used to bridge the gap between the liberal arts and the sciences.