Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology: A Project of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology

"Foundations for Research" includes viewpoints from the fields of behaviorism, communication, cognitive and ecological psychology, sociology, and theory, among others. Examples of topics from the sections on hard and soft technologies relate to specific media (e.g., television, distance learning, virtual realities) and instructional and informational design research (e.g., visual literacy, cognitive teaching models, adaptive systems, library information access). The role of illustrations, text, sound, and multiple-channel communications is explored in "Instructional Message Design."

"Instructional Strategies" covers learner control, ergonomics, and more, and "Issues of Organization and Change" and "Research Methodologies" (experimental, qualitative, descriptive, developmental) round out the volume. Each chapter concludes with an extensive bibliography. Tables, illustrations, and photographs are usually included where appropriate, although the contrast between the chapters on visual message design (no illustrations) and text design (numerous helpful graphics and design examples) is somewhat surprising. An index provides detailed access to the text.

Although the text is written by and for academic researchers and requires a certain level of familiarity with the subjects for comprehension and appreciation, undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty in communications, education, psychology, and computer science will find this title a useful and necessary addition to the reference or circulating collection.