Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
5.1.3. Example of a C++ File
that Uses the Cow Data Type
5.2. Visualization in Education
In educational psychology visualization means the
ability to create symbols that allow communicat-
ing knowledge, conveying meaning, and changing
tacit knowledge into explicit one by expressing it
as mental representations and images. Visualiza-
tion helps the learners solve problems by finding
patterns and structural relations in graphical dis-
plays of data, which is especially valuable when
students learn about abstract concepts and ideas,
or when it is difficult to see the object because it
is too small or too big.
Educational visualization is one of significant
applications of knowledge domain visualization,
which is often completed using computer-gen-
erated simulations to model natural systems and
show the concepts, processes, and events to be
taught. Phenomena that can be reduced to math-
ematical data can be simulated on a computer to
represent the real world by computer-generated
environment. Educational simulations often use
a virtual reality environment or interactive com-
puterized simulation. Educational visualization
is especially valuable in teaching about small,
otherwise invisible structures such as atoms,
molecules, or nano technology applications; it
is also conducive to making abstract concepts
comprehensible. Present-time workplaces need a
broad range of skills in the visualization domain.
Such skills are highly desired and support a lot of
job opportunities. Designers cooperate with the
new media artists, electronic artists, visual de-
signers, and digital design managers in designing
educational interfaces that interact with learners.
They also cooperate with creative directors (or
art directors) for the advertising, media, or en-
tertainment industry on integrating educational
content with the design, electronic artifacts, and
interactive installations to enhance the process
of learning and instruction. Instructional design-
ers cooperate with interaction designers, media
exhibit designers, and multimedia architecture
engineers to make innovative instructional tools
The abstract data type cow that we declared in
cow.h,
and defined in
cow.cpp
is used as a data
type to collect information about an
instance
of
the cow class called Betsy (black and white cow
with a little more character):
betsy.cpp
(Implementing the cow class in a program)
Figure 13. Ben Hobgood, “Example of a C++
File that Uses the Cow Data Type” (©2004. B.
Hobgood. Used with permission)
