RESEARCH ABSTRACTS 819

FILMS

INSTRUCTIONAL FILM RESEARCH PROGRAM. "A Bibliogra- phy of Production, Utilization, and Research on Instruct ional Film~" Technical Report SDC-~69-7-40. Pennsylvania State University, November 1953. (Copies may be purchased from Department of Commerce, O~we of Technical Services, Washington, D. C.)

Pw'poss: To provide a comprehensive list of references relat ing to pro- duetion, utilization, and research on instructional films up to the early pa r t of 1952 in the hope tha t i t will be useful to professional people in the mass communication field, to research workers, and to students.

Procedure and Results: This bibliography alphabetically lists approTimate- ly 1950 references, including some studies in areas which are indirectly re- lated to instructional films, such as, radio, music, learning theory, research methods. While its usefulness is somewhat limited by the alphabetical l isting (the authors state that they hope to publish a subject-matter cross-reference list) it should prove highly useful to workers in the instructional film flelcL-- Edm~nd Faiso~

McTAVISH, C. L. Effect of Repetit ive Film Showings on I,earning. Technical Repo~ SDC-~69-7-I~. SpeviaI Devices Center under con- tract with the Instructional Film Research Program at Pennsyl- vania State College, November 1949.

Purpose: To determine the increment in learning that may be at t r ibuted to rspetition~ of an educational film.

Procedure: Four groups of college freshmen (319 students) in a science survey class were each shown four general science films. Each group saw one of the films once; a second film, twice; a third, three times; and a fourth, four times. A film was shown the required number of times in one class period and the test on that film was given at the next period.

Results: "In every case the difference between the pre-test and post- test scores was highly significant, indicating that every group learned from each film. Analysis of the learning gains at t r ibutable to each additional show- ing of the films indicated tha t the first repetition (i.e. two showings) resulted in substantial increments in learning. Three showings failed to add materially or significantly to the learning effected by two showings. Four showings re- sulted in an even smaller increment, or in two cases a slight decrement, over three showings."--Edmund Faison.

ASH, P. and JASPEN, N. Optimum Physical Viewing Conditions for a Rear Projection Daylight Screen. Technical Report-SDC-~,69- 7-$7. Special Devices Center under contract with the Instructional Film Research Program at Pennsylvania State College, October 1953.

Purpose: To study the effects on learn ing of (1) viewing angle, (2) distance from the screen, and (3) room il lumination as these apply to the use of the rear-projection, cabinet type, 16ram movie projector.