A Study of the Changing Role of Typographic Education Within the Context of Hypermedia

A Study of the Changing Role of Typographic Education Within the Context of Hypermedia

This paper outlines the main tenets explored in a recently completed research program at Manchester Metropolitan University in which: Different approaches to typographic education are recognised. Qualitative data collected through a series of interviews with lecturers in UK educational institutions enables the production of a Taxonomy of factors effecting typographic education.

Further, an exploration into the field of higher educational objectives, and later hypermedia research provided the framework in which to produce a hypermedia progamme targeted specifically at undergraduate students. There follows an account of an experiment involving a sample of undergraduate graphic design students. An experimental condition aimed to test the program both in terms of short term (surface processing) knowledge retention, as well as recording students attitudes towards working within the hypermedia context. Working within the same project, the control condition subjected participants to the current student-centred methods as practised in the majority of current graphic design courses. Subsequently, students from both groups were required to participate in a short typographic workshop, after which their visual contributions (pertaining to depth processing of knowledge), were assessed and correlated with other findings. Finally, a discussion of results, the educational validity of the experiment, and suggested improvements to the program are set forth.