Educational multimedia design

The design of educational multimedia is determined by four main criteria:

• The learning objectives being dealt with
• The students at whom it is directed
• The context in which it will be used
• Available resources already in existance

In education it has been common to describe items of any media that address a learning outcome as being a learning object. This can be anything from a simple diagram to a complete web site or CD/dvd package. However generally one learning object is best defined as dealing with just one key learning objective. The tighter the parameters that are set in this regard, the more effective the learning object will be in terms of development, scoping and reusability. To this end the first consideration needs to be the scope of your learning outcome. Is it narrow enough? Can it be divided into a number of modular or discrete parts? And on the other hand, is it it complete enough. At the same time we need to avoid over-fragmenting the information.

The learning process can be divided into a number of phases:

• Defining the learning outcome
• Stating the information required for a level of understanding
• Contextualising the information
• Providing an activity to allow the student to both understand the information and apply it to a particular situation
• Provide for evidence of learning
• Ensure that the information can be applied in a broader context

The online and computer-based learning environment has the advantage of being able to cater to the broadest possible range of student. Whether the student is on campus or off campus, undergraduate, post graduate, within an edcuational institution or work place. It can cater to numerous differing learning styles and levels of learning from deep learner to cramming.

It has to recognised that a truly discrete learning object should be able to appear in a variety of different contexts. However this may not always be possible it is extremely difficult to be all things to all people and in every circumstance. So it is also worth considering the degree to which a learning object can be adaptable. For instance, while general principles may remain constant examples and applications my differ widely with differnt courses, year levels and for different teaching and learning styles.

Informational context

Multimedia needs to be both inextricably linked to the information context to which it is associated and independent from it. The degree of independence needs to considered carefully.

Essentially information flows in a linear process as the student reads across a line or down the page or from page to page. Every time the user scrolls or clicks a navigational button the information moves. There is an associated cognitive shift for the student that always needs to controlled by design. Turning the pages of a book constrains the thought process to a not always appropriate linear direction - from introduction to conclusion. The use of chapter headings or the index provides for a non linear learning process.

Providing an illustration adjacent to the text that refers to it provides for an associative reference. The informational context of the image remains close and the student is able remain within the main conceptual flow.

However if the information contained within the media is either supplementary or an enhancement to main context it is possible to have a degree of removal dependant on how appropriate this may be. The appropriateness needs to considered as part of the instructional design process and the design of the media.

In the example to the right the image has been aligned to the text using standard HTML alignment tags.

In some situations the image or notes are given as page numbers or at the bottom of the page. This removes the extra information from the flow and a cognative interuption occurs. In some cases the information needs to be hilighted and given a degree of independance.

In web design the following technique can be employed;

This then becomes a slightly independent piece of information. It is still well within the context of the main information but by visually excluding it we allow this text to read more in relation to the image on the right. The illustration on the right depicts those foods common in our diet that are fats and oils. A larger image may take up the entire width of the web page but it would then take on more importance. It would need to be considered important enough to break the informational flow to that degree. However if it had some independance it can be opened as a pop up window like this.

You may notice that the decisive action required for a student to click on a hot word can be utilised as an effective part of the instructional design. For instance as an answer to a question. The student is given a moment to consider the answer in their own mind before clicking and being given the answer.

Which of the food groups should we be eating most of?

The same strategy can be employed with animations to illustrate principles or processes or to enlarge or reveal details. This simple form of interactivity can be used with image maps, where the hot spot on which the student clicks is within the image area of the illustration.

The main safety switch is shut off when there is an electrical fault [Click here] or it can be turned off by either the switch itself or tested by pressing the trigger button marked with a 'T'. Click here to reset the safety switch on the right. You can turn it off by clicking on the switch. You can test it by clicking on the trigger button marked 'T'.

In effect we are adding a lateral direction to the linear flow of the information. This is an adjustment that can incorporate a decision which can also be an option in the design. It aslo means that we can incorporate formative assessment into information. So if a person gets an answer to a question wrong they can easily be redirected to the specific information they need to review.

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