Multimedia Research #4
For my final Multimedia Research assignment, I chose Visual Representations and Learning: The Role of Static and Animated Graphics, and within the article, I chose to focus on the role of animated graphics. I was interested in this section of the article because I enjoyed making my educational video, and wanted to find out a bit more about the applications for animation, as I assumed they would be related. The article didn’t specifically focus on video, it referred to animation and motion visuals, but film and DVDs were mentioned, so I think the findings would probably apply.
The studies that the article discussed seemed to mostly agree on how animation should be used in learning.
- To guide and direct the learner’s attention.
- To illustrate the relationships between concepts.
- As a visual representation of a concept.
- As a model to demonstrate structures or systems.
- To make abstract or symbolic concepts more concrete.
These uses make perfect sense to me and I would probably accept them as a given, but they are just assertions as to how video can be used. The article reported that relatively few studies have been done concerning the effectiveness of animation in learning and the studies agree that it should only be used when its purpose and the concept to be taught are congruent. Video should not be used to make things appealing or interesting when print or stills would suffice. A video of a concept that normally appears static would not be necessary and could be distracting, where as a video of a concept that incorporates motion would be appropriate.
Further, the research has shown mixed results of using animation in learning with varying effectiveness in different situations. It should be pointed out, though, that the effective uses of animation have been in instances where the concept and the and the purpose of the video are aligned, while the ineffective animations were in instances where the animation was unnecessary to the learning.
Anglin, Gary J.; Vaez, Hossein; and Cunningham, Kathryn L . (2004). Visual Representations and Learning: The Role of Static and Animated Graphics. In D. Jonassen, (Ed.), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (2nd ed., pp. 433-460). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
Multimedia Research #3
For my third Multimedia Research assignment, I chose to the Auditory Instruction article by Ann E. Barron. Within this chapter, I chose to focus on section 35.6, Audio in Interactive Multimedia which details the research on the effectiveness of audio in multimedia instruction and describes the challenges designers face in choosing when and how to use audio effectively. It was interesting to note that the article referenced research co-authored by John Sweller, who is one of the authors of Efficiency in Learning, one of the texts for our 795a class. I found the research in the text to be a little easier to follow, probably because there was quite a bit more space for explanation, than in the short summary in Barron’s article.
I think the most important thing I learned from this article was that there is no hard and fast rule for when it is appropriate to use audio in multimedia design. The main problem seems to be that including audio with too many or the wrong kind of visuals can conflict with the guidelines of cognitive load theory. Our poor brains can only process so much information in a particular modality, be it visual or audio-too much and we tend not to process it well. The use of audio seems to regularly conflict with cognitive load. Each time Barron suggested a situation in which it would be appropriate to use audio, there were multiple exceptions to remember that made me wonder if it was worth it. Additionally, the author included some discouraging information about the cost of including audio in multimedia instruction. With high costs, and the possibility of interfering with learning by overloading the senses or providing extraneous input, it makes the designer wonder if it is worth the effort. That being said, with proper and careful use of the guidelines from Sweller’s and other’s research, the designer can use audio effectively.
Barron, Ann E. (2004). Exploring Research on Internet-Based Learning: From Infrastructure to Interactions. In D. Jonassen, (Ed.), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (2nd ed., pp. 433-460). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
Multimedia Research #2
For my second multimedia research article, I chose Exploring Research on Internet-Based Learning: From Infrastructure to Interactions. Within this chapter, I chose to focus on section 16.4 which details the challenges and opportunities that instructors experience. This article piqued my interest because, as a member of the COMET group, and someone who has been in a couple other online classes, I thought it might be interesting to look at online education from the teacher’s perspective. As would be expected, the article indicated that online classes provide some possibilities to teachers that they otherwise would not have, but that they also come with quite a few challenges as well.
The research showed that instructors needed to be trained in some of the differences that exist between online and face to face classes, but that once they have been shown the value of using online technologies, they are likely to want to adopt it. The article also discussed some of the uses that the internet can be put to in professional development applications. They found that two groups-the Inquiry Learning Forum and the Learning Study Group, were using online community models to share good teaching practices with teachers and to encourage them to observe, reflect, and discuss their practices with others.
A significant difference between online and face-to-face learning for the instructor was shown to be the workload. The article reported that because students tend to report and reflect on discussion boards or listserves instead of face to face in a group setting, the instructor’s workload is increased because of the need to read all of the reflections that their students are writing. Perhaps the article was written before the rise of Adobe Connect type chat rooms, which more closely mirror the face-to-face setting, and, in which instructors can lecture while monitoring discussion in the chat window.
Another topic this section touched on was that of communication. Many students and teachers surveyed indicated that they would prefer face to face communication, but that there was “greater student/instructor equality, deeper class discussions, and anonymity.” One conclusion that the author mentioned was that online discussions enrich face-to-face interactions but are not a substitute for them. I happen to value the time saved in online classes over any of the problems that it causes and I think that as the research and the technologies continue to enhance the interactivity of the internet, online courses’ challenges will become lessened.
Hill, Janette R.; Wiley, David; Nelson, Laurie Miller; Han, Seungyeon. (2004). Exploring Research on Internet-Based Learning: From Infrastructure to Interactions. In D. Jonassen, (Ed.), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (2nd ed., pp. 433-460). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
Multimedia Research #1
Technology in the Service of Foreign Language Learning: The Case of the Language Laboratory
As a former student of two languages (I took French in high school, and Spanish in college), and as a teacher who could benefit from a greater knowledge of many of his students’ native language (Spanish), I took up this article in the hope that it would give me some insight in how technology, in this case the Language Laboratory, might benefit my learning of a foreign language. I was initially interested in the history provided of how technology has impacted teaching of foreign languages, from the invention of the phonograph, to the audio cassette, to the VCR and eventually the computer. However, I found the article to be a little heavy on the description of the older technologies. Admittedly, the precursers to modern language teaching tools and their effectiveness are an important topic to be informed of if you are designing an instructional technology or model for teaching language, but as a reader interested in how I might benefit from this history, I came away a bit dissappointed.
Essentially, the article summarizes the history of the Language Laboratory, leading up to but barely mentioning its modern equivalent-the interactive computer software program. It is very heavy on the analysis of research done on the effectiveness of Language Laboratories in language acquisition. The use of labs along with traditional classroom instruction was studied many times in comparison with traditional classroom instruction on its own, and the result tended to be that in almost all cases, there was no significant difference in how students did on standardized tests. The article noted that many in the langauge learning community were frequently outraged by studies that showed that labs weren’t all that effective and always sought to poke holes in the research, but never really tried to come up with their own research validating the labs. One researcher’s comment made a lot of sense to me-she said that the labs had a different objective than the classroom teaching model, but both were assessed with the same measure. That might have something to do with the results.
I ended up learning quite a bit about what people have thought about language labs for the last hundred years or so, but not much useful knowledge about how to learn a language more effectively.
Boby, Warren B. (2004). Technology in the Service of Foreign Language Learning. In D. Jonassen, (Ed.), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (2nd ed., pp. 523-542). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
