Publisher
Florida Atlantic University
Description
This dissertation was prepared in order to explore the results
of the use of group instructional modules in the teaching of Judaica
upon the data recall of various groups of students. The students who
provide the data were selected from a variety of educational institutions,
including a university, a community college, and several non-
Orthodox Hebrew schools. The group instructional modules reflect an
audio-visual approach. They were prepared by this investigator and
reflect his experiences as a teacher of Judaica at various institutions.
The desire to contribute to the existing media resources arose from
what the investigator perceived as a need to expand the quantity and
variety of audio-visual materials that are relevant to the subject
matter. Because the methodology of the research and presentation and
interpretation of the data resulting from it must be consistent with
the literature of Jewish civilization as it relates to the use of
visual media in education, an extensive review of the literature was
required. For many scholars it has been considered axiomatic that the Jews created little in the field of visual, and especially representative,
art. This was considered the result of an essentially negative
attitude to the subject. However, a more careful survey of the literature
suggests that a better description of the Jewish attitude to
visual art, including representative art, is that of ambivalence.
Further, the quantity and variety of such art during the millenia of
Jewish history is far more extensive than is commonly acknowledged.
From the Biblical beginnings to the present century it seems that the
ability to clearly define the place of art in terms of Jewish civilization
has proved elusive. To what extent this traditional ambiva lence
has affected the definition of Jewish art, and to what degree it is
likely to influence the development of contemporary visual materials
relevant to Jewish subject matter, is considered in the dissertation.
It is noted within the review of literature that the investigator
desires to provide evidence that the recently developed software
resources are within the bounds of good taste and theological restrictions
as defined by the Halachah (Jewish Law). The themes of the group
instructional modules include Biblical and Talmudic history, medieval
legends, Jewish art and architecture, modern Israel, Zionism, and
related topics. The results of the testing of the hypo theses suggest
that the modules do indeed have a positive effect upon the data
recall of students at all educational levels under consideration, and
therefore provide a basis for an instructional program.