Review by: Hasanbegovic, Jasmina (2004-07-22)

One contribution in the “International Handbook on Innovation” focuses on high intellectual and creative educational multimedia technologies (HICMET) as one possible method to facilitate the development of innovative ideas in people. It is of great importance that their general content is elaborated in accordance with underlying psychological mechanisms and states and that its special content is developed, structured, presented, and delivered according to the key principles of an individual’s intellectual functioning and creative performance.

In a first step the authors discuss the impact of information technology on human beings that sets in motion the emergence of HICMET. The challenges of the information- based society require highly capable citizens who can bring innovative solutions for further social progress whereas this article specifically represents an attempt of developing an individual’s intellectual and creative resources through the potential of multimedia technology.

The authors consider existing approaches to instructional technology whereas they distinguish between computer- mediated communication, virtual classroom, simulation training and intelligent tutoring systems. For each of these examples, the authors provide definitions, educational philosophy, theory and examples.

In describing the five types of educational multimedia products within the first generation (learning manuals, multimedia products focusing on general knowledge in various domains, reference sources, edutainment and cultural cognition) they argue that currently available educational multimedia applications are domain specific products and very often computer versions of printed content. Furthermore they outline the insufficient realisation of multimedia effects in accordance with users´ psychological organization. According to this mismatch the first generation will be replaced by the second generation of HICMET which will be distinguished by new principles in the creation of their content.Reflecting the importance of HICMET by discussing it under the technological, economic, societal, educational and psychological perspective, the authors emphasize the development of people’s intellectual and creative abilities instead of knowledge transfer which allow people to both successfully apply existing knowledge and produce new knowledge. The underlying idea of the novel technologies is the potential that different learners can find in HICEMTs the individual means for actualizing their own mental potential and the subsequent development of their intellectual and creative abilities.

The authors also describe the nature of HICEMET through a set of general and specific characteristics. General characteristics include a general psychological basis, actualization of fundamental cognitive mechanisms, new targets of educational influences, better adaptation to individuals’ psychological organization and psycho- edutainment. Among the more specialised characteristics intellectual content, creative content and intellectually creative edutainment can be distinguished. Finally they give examples of current HICEMTs.

So far, educational multimedia technologies play no decisive role in the development of human abilities to produce innovative ideas. This article provides the psychological implications for educational multimedia applications to actualization and development of human intellectual potential and creative abilities. HICEMET as derivates of special creativity and intelligence training as well as derivatives of any knowledge domain are at their beginning. To be able to connect innovation research with research on educational technologies further attention has to be paid not only to the psychological viewpoint, but to all disciplines that are related to educational goals and fundamental mechanisms of the functioning of human intelligence and creativity .