One of the challenges of displaying images on the web is that there are occasions where the required size and detail of an image exceed that which can be handled by the typical computer (or projector) screen. Most web browsers offer a partial solution: if you insert a very large image, the browser will reduce the size of the image to something that fits onto your screen -- then, if you click the image, the full-size version will appear, and you can pan around it. The disadvantage of this solution is that you only have only two choices: you can see detail by choosing the large image, or you can see context by choosing the smaller image -- but you can't see detail in context.
A better solution, at least in some situations, might be to use a magnifying effect, such as that offered by Magic Toolbox. Their Flash-based "Magic Magnify" tool displays a normal-sized image, but any section of that image can be seen in detail by rolling the cursor over it. Try this with the map image below:
For the Magic Magnify tool to work, you need to have two versions of the image: a small one (which the user intially sees on the page) and a large one (which is hidden until the user begins to roll over the small image). The tool swaps a section of the large image, and overlays it on the small image, thereby creating the magnifying effect.
Web-based magnifying tools like this have been used for years by online merchants, allowing customers to zoom in on physical details of a product. However, the tool also has potential in educational settings. Students in a geography or history course, for example, could benefit from being able to see a "bird's eye" view of a map image, as above, while still being able to explore its finer detail. Likewise, students in an art history course or biology course would probably appreciate the ability to see a painting or cell structure in its entirety, while at the same time being able to zoom in its details.
The benefits of this tool in an art history course are obvious:
A magnifying tool can also be usefully employed at a conference to assist with a poster presentation: the poster is displayed in its entirety, with the presenter zooming in on relevant sections as he responds to questions from an audience.
The Magic Magnify tool, as well as other related tools, is available from Magic Toolbox for approximately $28.00 CAD. Installing the tool requires adding two small files to your web server, and to use it you will need to manually add a bit of code to your web page. Instructions for doing so are available here.
