Multimedia Lesson – OTL 543

Introduction

OLT543 taught me to look at learning beyond words. As a “text” verbal learner, reading and writing are my preferred learning methods and so it seems only natural to me that it should be for others as well .  But as Gardner, Jarvis, and others have shown me, learning stimuli comes from many areas. Coinciding with this class, my assignments on-the-job have pushed me to leave the world of words for now, and go exploring the world of images. As a photographer, still images are very comfortable to me, but I’ve never experimented with video or illustration. OTL543 has given me a great academic foundation for exploring the ways in which I can (or should not) combine images: still, motion, or illustration.

Portfolio Project

My portfolio project for OTL543 is a tutorial created for my employer as part of one of their online training programs. In creating this tutorial, I learned how to brainstorm ideas, write a script and plan a shot list, record and edit audio, capture and edit HD video, and then combine it all into a framework that allows the learner to control the playback.

I primarily used Adobe CS5 applications (Premiere Pro, Soundbooth, Photoshop, and Captivate), but there were several open source applications that were indispensible: Virtual Dub, Format Factory, and Gimp. I also learned, painfully so, that editing video required a computer with a lot of horsepower…not so much the RAM, but the processor, both in number of and in speed. Thanks so much to my employer for working through that problem so I could meet both their deadline and mine (for this class).

Link to my multimedia lesson

Other Assignments

These two assignments were helpful for me, and sum up much of the class

Multimedia Learning Program Comparison Chart

	Description	Learner’s Motivation	Controlled by	Learning Objective Example
Tutorials	Cycle of information presentation, question/response, feedback. Little to no assessment, transfer.	When they see that the learning is about them, not that it has been dictated to them; when it has direct value to their personal needs, values or goals	Adults have more control than children; learner should control progression and review, volume, stop/start (animation)	After completing this tutorial, 90% of the credits you submit on customer’s accounts will meet these acceptable and appropriate standards.
Drills (Drill & Practice)	Repetitive practice to build (not create) competency –present fact, question/response, feedback.	Develop competency or improve fluency; strengthen core knowledge in prep for new learning; competition; setting goals;	Adults can gauge the initial difficulty level, but an educator should select the level for a child. System should queue items according to learner’s performance.	To successfully complete this drill, you must demonstrate a 90% proficiency with the items from the expert queue.
Simulations	A model that describes an activity or experience, such as something physical or a process, in as realistic manner that does not overwhelm the target learner’s current knowledge	When it has direct value to their personal needs, values or goals; when it provides a skill or knowledge that meets a need/goal; an opportunity to learn by trial/error	The learner should control pace, volume, stop/start, etc.	At the end , you will know the steps to follow so that you can successfully complete the XXXX process.
Educational Games	An activity, including rules, competition, turn taking, etc. that learners play that centers around some topic, with the purpose of gaining knowledge or skill	An opportunity to learn by trial/error, by role-play, or competition/challenge, goal setting, etc.	Games should be age-appropriate, but otherwise, learner controlled	At the end of this role-play, you will have explored how XXXXXXXXX.
Open-Ended Learning Environments & Tools	Something meant to develop the learner’s critical thinking skills in an on-going manner, chosen and developed by the learner; such as “mash ups” between subjects, building solutions to problems; creating knowledge bases;	Desire to choose learning goals, and construct the program; longer term, deep-dive into a topic; constructivist/cooperative learning experience	Runs the gambit between educator and learner, but at minimum would be a negotiated program; learner has the strongest role in this type of program vs. the others listed in the chart	At the end of this program, you and your team will teach the rest of the class about the economics of XXXXXXXX.

Screen Design Considerations

Multimedia Learning Principles	What should you consider?	Please provide an example.
Multimedia – animation  + narration, not just narration	How to map visual and verbal elements to each other	Use both elements, rather than just one
Spatial Contiguity – animation + on-screen text close to each other on the screen	How to organize visual elements (aka screen design)	Keep labels & titles near the elements they describe
Temporal Contiguity – animation + narration occur together in time, rather than separately	The time line	Keep the verbal sync’d with the visual, rather than one preceding the other, as much as possible
Coherence – limit extraneous sounds/narration/ video	Whether any elements prevent instruction	Make every element prove its right to be there. If it doesn’t instruct, take it out.
Modality – prefer animation + narration vs. animation + on-screen text	Use audio as narration, rather than text	Text is a visual element, and competes directly with video as a visual element
Redundancy – animation+ narration vs. animation+ narration+ on-screen text	Decide which verbal elements support instruction best	For any given segment, choose between audio and onscreen text in support of the video elements, but limit the situations where all three are used
Personalization – formal vs. conversational for both narration/on-screen text	How can verbal elements promote collaborative/cooperative learning	Keep the tone conversational, rather than formal. Let the learner know the narrator recognizes his/her presence.
Screen Design Principles	What should you consider?	Please provide an example.
Typography	How to support reading, while still capturing the learner’s attention	Clean fonts, appropriate size for the project dimensions; titles/labels larger than block text; one serif font, one sans serif font; limited, but consistent use of color
Graphics	When is a picture worth a thousand words? How close to “IKEA” can you get? Does the image have any inappropriate cultural references? Will it convey the same across cultures?	On screen, image is better than text. Graphic-based instructions are very cost effective for multi-language projects.
Color	How does color help? Does a color convey a specific or cultural meaning? Are there branding/ marketing conventions?	Keep it contained – titles, labels, page elements, not block text unless used to compensate over an image (for example, white text over black image); follow any required branding conventions; use consistently: one color/one meaning; within the project; and with cultural meanings (don’t make red mean “yes”).
Animation	Will motion instruct better than still image? Will realism instruct better than XX ? Will interaction (as in a game) instruct better than XX ?	Certain topics benefit from motion, or demonstration, such as assembly or software. Other topics work will with interactive flash that let learners construct.
Audio	Will learning be deeper with an audio script or on-screen text bullet lists & labels? Does background music really support instruction? Is a good narrator available for recording?	The sound of a human voice can be more engaging, and certainly more accessible, than reading on a monitor. Use background music only when an emotional mood is necessary for instruction.