Digital Dialogues

May Blogging

This month's focus is on multimedia - join the blogging debate: Can Multimedia Enhance Learning? Simply click on the Comments heading and add your thoughts - all perspectives welcome!

The blog will be updated more regularly, probably weekly, as more issues and topics arise that are relevant to the group - so keep dropping by, or add the blog URL to your aggregator. Not sure how to do that? I'll be producing a guide to blogging shortly that will be available to download from the LTUG website - we'll let you know when that happens!

Hope you find this month's collection of goodies of value!
ABB

Can Multimedia Enhance Learning?

Before I attempt to address the question, I thought it may be appropriate to identify my position - from a learning context. That was an interesting exercise that I would encourage all learning professionals to review from time to time, particularly when considering designing a new learning event!

So - what am I trying to achieve when I create learning? My underpinning purpose always comes back to the same answer: I'm attempting to enhance knowledge and improve performance. Now - that positions me firmly in the paradigm of providing learning opportunities to engage the learners.

With that position in mind - let's review the original question: Can Multimedia enhance learning? The short answer (from my position) ABSOLUTELY! - but (there's always a "but") only when used with the intentions outlined in my purpose and careful consideration of the learners needs and designing learning opportunities to match these issues.

Then - when might multimedia NOT be appropriate - and I think these answers come from the organisational or institutional perspective, not from enhancing learning. When timeframes for delivery are tight (very tight!), when budgets are tight (or non-existent), and when the learning product will only have a single use or short lifespan.

However, from the learner's perspective, some great results are being reported from converting and designing learning opportunities that address the "hard to teach and hard to test" concepts, according to David Hegarty from Cadre Design (have a look at David's showcase of Education products on their website http://www.cadre.com.au ).

Success is also being reported from the scenario based learning advocates - immerse your learners in an experience and allow them to interact and control the outcomes. A couple of examples can be found on the following website: http://www.sfhgroup.com/test.asp You will need Flash players and preferably sound cards activated but options are available to participate without sound by using subtitles. Let me know if you get a raise from the boss - I've yet to find anyone that can negotiate their way through to a positive outcome!

To gain the most value from multimedia and technology will require a re-framing of the tried and true learning event paradigm and perhaps your entire pedagogical approach. In doing so, we need to review HOW the learners are embracing the technologies - how do they use them? - and stop letting the IT developers dictate the potential for learning! Their track record is rather shaky - for example, wasn't technology going to create the paperless office?...still waiting! And then there's sms - it took many years for mobile phone companies to realise the potential in the general marketplace and release the capabilities for public use!

Technology, and indeed multimedia, can be so much more than just a tool for delivering content - it can be an enabler...it just takes a shift in our paradigms of designing and delivering learning!!

So - let's open the debate - what are your views - after all this technology enables digital dialogue, let's embrace it and enhance our own learning!
Can multimedia enhance learning?

Looking forward to your comments - ABB
PS. You may find it useful to review the DLRN's Technology Resource Guide (this month's Free Stuff in the newsletter) - the section on multimedia could shape your thoughts further!
http://www.dlrn.org/library/dl/guide.html

Online Documentary Training

George!
As multimedia is the editorial focus of this month's blog debate, I thought I would include a multimedia case study. I won't make comment here - I'll let the case study speak for itself!
http://www.cicada.net.au/george/

May - Book of the Month

Relearning to e-Learn: Strategies for Electronic Learning and Knowledge, by M.S. Bowles
published by Melbourne University Publishing, April 2004.
What the publisher says: "Relearning to E-Learn is for e-learning practitioners at all levels. It provides a credible, comprehensive look at both where elearning is today, at all the elements that affect it and the potential it holds for future learning."
Available as both a paperback (A$49.95) and an e-Book (A$39.95)! Also you can download a free sample chapter.
What the reviews say: 'What better topic than this to launch the publisher's innovative e-book list . . . The e-book is clearly the main product, enhanced by full colour, fully interactive material, rich in graphics, embedded links and extras such as glossary and acronyms lists, and easily updateable . . .This title will be of interest to educators across the subject spectrum as well as to corporates keen to facilitate cost-effective, value-adding staff training and development.' (Australian, 7/4/2004)
http://www.mup.unimelb.edu.au/catalogue/0-522-85130-4.html

Last Month's Book

Wow - did you download last month's e-book? Well, if you did you were just 1 of 11,000!! If you missed out - follow the story below and the link to get your copy! - It's free by the way!!

In the seven weeks since its launch, more than 11,000 people have downloaded the online book, “Theory and Practice of Online Learning,” Athabasca University’s most recent contribution to online and distance education around the world.
http://www.athabascau.ca/frontpage/articles/online_15Apr04.htm

Elliott Masie - TRENDS

Elliott Masie in his monthly TRENDS e-Zine, asked his readership (all 47,365 readers!) for tips on best practice - he received over 430!!! He is collating them into an e-book to be published on his site within the next 4 - 5 weeks. Check next month's e-Zine for an update!
http://www.masie.com

Videoconferencing Collaboration Collage

This is an interesting site specifically designed to facilitate collaboration among videoconferencing educators - it's a "listserv" where you can share experiences, post questions and learn from others.
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/vidconf/ed1vidconf.html