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Center for Teaching Effectiveness
University of Texas at Austin



Using Computers for Developing AV Materials
Karron B. Lewis
Center for Teaching Effectiveness
University of Texas at Austin


For many years prior to the advent of accessible desktop computers, graphics for slides and overhead transparencies were laboriously produced by hand. Original drawings were made and then labeled using templates and india ink. Later, press-on letters gave visuals a more professional look, but it took hours to complete one overhead transparency.

Today, personal computers have revolutionized the way we make and use graphic images. Now, overhead transparencies can be made in minutes and color slides can be made directly from your computer screen. Your computer, when hooked to an LCD projection panel or projector, can be used like a slide projector. With some software programs, you can branch to different groups of "slides" or other applications to facilitate answering questions or to show examples. Movement and sound can be incorporated into some of the programs so actual videotaped segments can be shown.

Still pictures, text, motion, and sound can also be used in the development of computer assisted instructional programs. With these programs students are able to learn many things on their own, and the instructor becomes more of a tutor and is able to provide individual attention to students who need help or just want to discuss the subject matter with someone.

Without a doubt, the personal computer is revolutionizing the AV aids which are being used in today's classrooms. The following article describes some of the latest software and hardware which may be used to develop electrifying presentations. For additional information on the use of computers as AV aids, contact the Instructional Computing division of the Computation Center.


Products and Services

(The products and services listed below are mentioned in the following article, What Do You Need for Presentation Support?. This list is provided for your information and not to promote any of these products.)

35mm Express
Business & Professional Software
139 Main St. Cambridge, MA 02142
Harvard Graphics
Harvard Draw
3165 Lofer Road
Santa Clara, CA 95051
Action!
MacroMind-Paracomp
600 Townsend St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
Hollywood
Claris Corp.
P.O. Box 58168
5201 Patrick Henry Drive
Santa Clara, CA 95052
Aldus Persuasion
Aldus Corp.
411 First Ave.
S. Seattle, WA 98104
Storyboard Live!
IBM Desktop Software
472 Wheelers Farm Road
Milford, CT 06460
Autodesk Animator Pro
2320 Marineship Way
Sausalito, CA 94965
Lotus Graphics for Windows
Lotus 1-2-3
Lotus Development Corp.
55 Cambridge Pkwy.
Cambridge, MA 02142
Brilliant Image
7 Penn Plaza
New York, NY 10001
More 3.0
Symantec
10201 Torre Ave.
Cupertino, CA 95014
Charisma
Micrographx Inc.
1303 Arapho
Richardson, TX 75081
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft Corp.
1 Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052
CorelDraw
Corel Systems Corp.
1600 Carling Ave.
Ottawa, Ontario
CANADA K1Z 8R7
Quatro Pro 4.0
Borland
1800 Green Hills Road
P.O. Box 66001
Scotts Valley, CA 05067
CA-Cricket Presents
Computer Associates International
711 Stewart Ave.
Garden City, NY 11530
SlideWrite Plus
Advanced Graphics Software Inc.
5825 Avenida Encinas, Ste. 105
Carlsbad, CA 92008
DeltaGraph
DeltaPoint, Inc.
2 Harris Court Ste B
Monterey, CA 93940
Stanford
3-D Visions
2780 Skypark Drive
Torrance, CA 90505

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November 11, 2002
The University of Texas at Austin
Copyright © 2002 Center for Teaching Effectiveness
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