Georgia Southern University and Illinois State University are the latest adopters of Introduction to Graphic Communication (www.igcbook.com). They join a growing number of nationally recognized universities offering degrees in graphic arts and related areas. The textbook is the first to use Ricoh’s Clickable Paper technology to access videos and other related learning material.
Students and instructors at the University of Houston, an early adopter of the text, have praised the book’s combination of print and digital media. “The primary textbook for this course, Introduction to Graphic Communication by Levenson and Parsons, is an impressive example of print-to-web technology,” one student noted. “I love the concept of Clickable Paper. I intend to reference the book in my career as a digital marketer.”
Pat McGrew of Print Sample TV said that Introduction to Graphic Communication “shows how Augmented Reality can tell additional stories as opposed to what is printed in the book…It extends print into other ways of communicating.” Many schools are using the book to teach applications and technologies from design and prepress to press to post-press, as well as industrial history, industry segments, color management, workflow, digital printing, best practices, and more. Using a mobile device, the book enables accessing videos, websites, technology demonstrations, and even chat groups directly from printed (ink on paper) pages.
According to co-author Harvey Levenson, Cal Poly Professor Emeritus, “the book appeals to different learning styles, and seems to have become the go-to book for teaching graphic communication and related topics across education levels and for industry training.” Published by IntuIdeas and printed on demand by Yurchak Printing in Landisville, PA, the book also comes with a free syllabus to help instructors integrate the book into their courses.
Other schools adopting the book include Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Arizona State University, Bowling Green University, Calvert County Public Schools (Prince Frederick, MD), Georgia Southern University, Illinois State University, Keefe Regional Technical School (Framingham, MA), Lewis-Clark State College (Lewiston, ID), Metamora Township High School (Metamora, IL), Ryerson University, South Central College (North Mankato, MN), and the University of Houston.
Additionally, a consortium of colleges and universities in China is translating the book, including Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication, Shanghai Publishing and Printing College, Shenzhen Polytechnic, and the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology.
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