114 Chapter 6

The computer is becoming more fun and more useful the less abstractly it can represent things. Television is becoming more entertaining and educational thanks to microprocessors and compact-disc ROMs (CD ROMs). Multimedia is another technology that is sure to boost personal computers. This technology combines the usual text and graphics with digitized voice and music.

With multimedia programs computers will be able to handle files of sound and full-motion video images as easily as they handle text. The computers will play voice and music in high-fidelity digital audio stereo, and will show movie-quality images. In a nutshell, multimedia is the perfect marriage of print and broadcast news. What makes it possible is rapidly evolving digital technology, and the efficiency it offers in manipulating, storing, and retrieving information.

Multimedia can mean various things. It can be an encyclopedia on a CD ROM, a multimedia electronic mail sent over the Internet. Standard reference books on computer are becoming more accessible and livelier: dictionaries pronounce words, and historical figures deliver quotes. Multimedia repository — the library of the future exists in Madison Building of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. This «library without walls» collections are the original multimedia. The library keeps the largest stockpile of knowledge in the world, the nearest thing to the library of Alexandria,

CD ROM — compact disc read-only memory, a laser encoded disc that stores megabytes of randomly accessible text, imagery, and/or sound data.

to boost — to help to advance or improve укр.

удосконалювати, покращувати, підтримувати

to handle — to deal with, control укр. поводитися

з, керувати (управляти), маніпулювати

to store — to put or keep something while not in use

for future use укр. зберігати, накопичувати

to retrieve — to find and bring back, to regain укр.

шукати, поновлювати

lively — full of activity укр. жвавий

repository — a place where things are stored укр.

сховище

stockpile — a large store of something укр. запас,

резерв

which held the knowledge of the time in antiquity. Among the library's 100 million items are books in 470 languages, movies, television shows, maps, cartoons, and software. Some 1.8 million items are added each year — and the rate is accelerating. The library has foreign offices around

the world, and document exchange with all foreign countries that have diplomatic relations with United States.

Some believe that text may become a more important force because of many multimedia applications^ Although no comprehensive study exists on the effect of interactive multimedia on learning, some claim that interactive technologies speed up learning, and often test scores rize, too. The reasons may be self-paced personalized instruction, immediate interaction and feedback. One-on-one instruction can mean that a student is not embarrassed about asking questions. Or consider built-in tests — when a user makes a mistake, s/he is taken directly back to the passage involved (all the mistakes can be monitored, too). Some studies suggest that multimedia can improve learning. The history of educational reform, though, has shown that «innovative» technologies that use different from paper medium, have done little to

comprehensive — thorough, broad, including a lot

of everything укр. вичерпний, всебічний,

всеосяжний

to claim — to declare to be true, to maintain укр.

твердити, заявляти

feedback — remarks about or an answer to an action,

process, etc.; response укр. зворотній зв'язок, відгук

to embarrass — to cause to feel anxious and

uncomfortable укр. непокоити, бентежити

to suggest — to indicate, to make clear (perhaps

indirectly) укр. наводити на думку

NOTE

Also: to suggest — to propose, to mention as possibility, state as an idea for consideration. Any suggestions? Чи є ще пропозиції? укр. пропонувати

benefit learning. Critics claim that such fads include radio in the 1940s, TV and audio tapes in the 1960s, and computer-assisted instruction in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The content of instruction, not the means of its conveyance, such researchers claim, is what influences performance results. The study performed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) demonstrated that the medium — computer or paper — did not significantly influence overall aptitude scores, although those students who used computers had significantly higher scores in such area as analogical reasoning. Women and novices who used the computer got somewhat higher overall scores than their counterparts who used text. For men and experienced students, text or computer was not a significant factor. In a post-test questionnaire, however, majority of students reported they preferred the computer medium to paper. Although interactive multimedia may teach certain portion

fad — an interest or activity that is followed very keenly but usually only for a short time укр. швидкоплинне захоплення content(s) — the subject matter укр. зміст to convey — to make (ideas, thoughts) known укр. передавати, повідомляти; виражати aptitude — natural ability or skill, especially in learning укр. здібність, обдарованість novice — a person with no experience in a skill or subject, beginner укр. початківець, новачок

curriculum — a course of study offered in a school, college, etc. укр. курс навчання, учбовий план

to appreciate — to recognize and enjoy the good qualities or worth of укр. оцінювати, цінувати