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Education: teaching computer graphics visual literacy to art and computer science students

Published:01 February 2000Publication History
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Abstract

Instructors in both art and computer science departments experience difficulties in motivating students to develop a visual literacy in computer graphics. Although a highly prized skill in industry, visual literacy is intimidating to computer science students because they are uneasy about using their eyes to examine computer-synthesized images. Even though they are used to using their eyes for acquiring information, the topics of analysis and interpretation intimidate art students. Further, art students may not have as much background to understand the technical terminology. This first column in a two-part series discusses an interdisciplinary approach for teaching visual literacy that overcomes these obstacles. With this approach students become more familiar with the limits and possibilities of the medium of computer graphics, learn how to analyze and talk about what visual images might mean and develop a deeper understanding of time constraints. In addition, they gain confidence with technological terminology and the idea of suggesting alternative algorithms to create a desired visual "look." As a result, both computer science and art students become more able to communicate effectively about and with visual imagery.

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  1. Education: teaching computer graphics visual literacy to art and computer science students

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    • Published in

      cover image ACM SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics
      ACM SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics  Volume 34, Issue 1
      February 2000
      73 pages
      ISSN:0097-8930
      DOI:10.1145/563788
      Issue’s Table of Contents

      Copyright © 2000 Copyright is held by the owner/author(s)

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      Association for Computing Machinery

      New York, NY, United States

      Publication History

      • Published: 1 February 2000

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