The Impact of Multimedia

I really like the use of video and audio in online learning and hope to incorporate both in future courses I develop. Multimedia lessons have the potential to quickly engage learners and stimulate their interest. Technology, and in particular, Web 2.0 technology, easily facilitates the use of multimedia components into online learning environments. Boettcher and Conrad maintain that “Using audio and video tools creates a richer, more interesting, and more satisfying course experience” (2010, p.140) for learners.

According to an online source, “Mayer’s cognitive theory of multimedia learning presents the idea that the brain does not interpret a multimedia presentation of words, pictures, and auditory information in a mutually exclusive fashion; rather, these elements are selected and organized dynamically to produce logical mental constructs” (www.learning-theories.com/cognitive-theory-of-multimedia-learning-mayer.html). Stated elsewhere, Mayer’s theory simply asserts that individuals learn more deeply when they process both words and pictures simultaneously, versus processing words alone. Mayer’s theory goes on to discuss dual channel processing and the notion that we receive information through our eyes and our ears (visual and auditory channels). Engaging both channels simultaneously leads to deeper learning, hence the power and appeal of multimedia in online learning.

These days it is very easy to add multimedia elements to online courses. Take YouTube for example. YouTube is such a powerhouse – a fantastic repository of almost every type of video imaginable. Currently, I am putting together the educational programming for my organization’s annual conference. Part of my work involves selecting a keynote speaker. Over the past two or three weeks I have poured over dozens of videos in search of the perfect speaker, many of which were found very easily on YouTube. (As a quick aside . . . here is the link to a YouTube video I highly recommend for you. I found this one during my search; it’s about 18 minutes long and discusses leadership in a very interesting, poignant and engaging manner. Enjoy, when you get the chance … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0HIF3SfI4). We have a basic online supervisory course that I am updating; I can’t use this speaker or the video for the conference, but because of the ease of using YouTube videos, I can quickly embed this video into our supervisory course. Right now the course has no audio or video elements, so this will be a welcome addition, I am hoping.

As excited as I am about incorporating multimedia into my online courses, I do not advocate the use of media without a well-thought through plan about its purpose. In fact one of the most important considerations an online instructor should make before implementing multimedia is whether the media support the learning objectives. Most learners enjoy the interactivity and sense of authenticity afforded by multimedia. But as online instructors, we must ensure that the media add to, enhance, or support the content and the objectives of the lesson before adding the bells and whistles of multimedia with no consideration of its purpose.


References:

Learning-Theories.com. Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning . Retrieved March 30, 2011 from: http://www.learning-theories.com/cognitive-theory-of-multimedia-learning-mayer.html

Mayer, R. E.; R. Moreno (1998). “A Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning: Implications for Design Principles”. http://www.unm.edu/~moreno/PDFS/chi.pdf.

Moreno, R., & Mayer, R. (1999). “Cognitive principles of multimedia learning: The role of modality and contiguity”. Journal of Educational Psychology 91: 358–368.
Mayer, R. E. (2001). Multimedia learning. New York: Cambridge University Press.

A Few Considerations for Setting Up an Online Learning Experience

Setting up an engaging and interactive online learning experience requires planning and careful attention to detail. One of the first things to attend to is creating presence. In fact, Boettcher and Conrad argue that “One of the best ways to get an online course off on the right foot is to ensure the social presence of the instructor and all the learners” (2010, p. 54). Social presence gives online learners the sense that they are interacting with “real, live, breathing” people. It is the "ability of learners to project their personal characteristics into the community of inquiry, thereby presenting themselves as real people" (2010, p.76). Further, social presence is an essential component of the online community trust-building process (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010).

The second thing to attend to concerns technology. Find out what technology tools are available to you, the facilitator, and other learners. It would be an excellent and worthwhile venture for instructors and facilitators to take an inventory of the tools available to them. For example, can the course be built using a course management system (CMS)? This is important since using a CMS could prove very beneficial to instructors and students because CMS are generally feature-rich and powerful in terms of course delivery. Another question to ask is, “Can multi-media vignettes be built into the course?” Multimedia is generally highly compelling, and has the potential to quickly engage students in the learning experience. Other technology tools, especially those made available by Web 2.0 technology such as wikis, blogs, discussion groups, streaming video, and social media should be explored, and assessments should be conducted to determine how and when these tools can best be incorporated into the online course.

Of course simply taking an inventory of the technology tools currently available is not enough, although it is a good first step. After you’ve determined what is available, you must select the tools that are optimal for your learners – tools which support your learning objectives. For instance, if you’ve assigned students the task of exploring a topic through research and interviews, and have asked them to write up their findings, as well as comment on the work of their peers, a good technology tool to use would be a wiki. The optimal tool might be a blog, although both tools may support the learning objectives.

Another equally important consideration here, though, is learners’ access and comfort with the tools being used. Instructors and facilitators must determine:

1. whether students know how to access technology tools (typically accessible through the internet)

2. whether students can use the tools

As an example, we might believe that YouTube is now ubiquitous, and that everyone knows how to access videos on that site. The reality is that not everyone knows how to access videos on YouTube or through other applications even. Or it could be possible that a learner knows how to access a video, but does not have a set of speakers built into or attached to her computer. Or perhaps speakers are attached, but the learner does not know how to change the settings to get them to work properly. All of these are likely scenarios and must be taken into account when using technology tools.

Although this discussion is not a comprehensive one by any stretch of the imagination, for purposes served here the final thing to attend to when arranging an online experience involves setting up clear expectations of learners. “Clear and unambiguous guidelines about what is expected of learners and what they should expect from an instructor make a significant contribution to ensuring understanding and satisfaction in an online course” (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010, p. 55).


Reference

Boettcher, J. V. Conrad, R. (2010). The Online Teaching Survival Guide: Simple and Practical Pedagogical Tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Online Learning Communities

Active participation in an online learning community can impact student learning, and greatly increase satisfaction with online learning programs. An online learning community can be defined as a shared space on the Internet where students and instructors can connect with other, explore content, build knowledge and work together to addresses the learning needs of its members through collaborative partnerships (Pratt & Palloff, Wikipedia). One of the more significant ways that online communities help impact learning is by providing an open forum through which members provide professional support, correction and feedback “in a way that enhances learning and development” (Palloff & Pratt, 2010). Another way, according to Shrivastava, is that individual and group members can “voluntarily accept mutual responsibility for participating and sharing in the learning process.”

Satisfaction with online programs increases when learners actively participate in an online community. This is likely attributed to the belief that students feel part of something larger than themselves when they participate in an online learning community (Palloff & Pratt, 2010). Also contributing to learner satisfaction is the idea that online communities provide viable support systems for students. According to Wellman & Guilia), “ Students who take an interest in each other’s well being, both academic and social, will have more of a support system of peers than those who do not” (1999).

Which strategies should be used to create a successful online learning community? There are two essential strategies to employ. The first would be to foster individual social presence, which is the sense of knowing who the other persons are in the community, virtually, but in a real way. Learners who are able to get a good sense of their online partners, perhaps through a photo, or by learning interesting personal or professional tidbits about them, are more empowered to contribute freely, expressing themselves in authentic and powerful ways, thus contributing to an active and successful community. The second is fostering a sense of shared responsibility for the community. Community members must come to the knowledge and understanding that it is everyone’s responsibility to create a successful online learning community.

Building an online learning community supports effective online instruction. The online community gives learners an opportunity to contribute to one another’s learning, the community’s learning overall, and also to contribute to a specific body of knowledge. Research shows that stronger outcomes are the consistently observed results of active online community participation (Palloff & Pratt). Conrad & Donaldson (2004), report that “each learner’s actions contribute not only to individual knowledge but to overall community knowledge development as well” (p. 5). According to Vesely, Bloom & Sherlock, “The power of establishing a sense of community in online classes has been demonstrated by LaRose & Whitten (2000) who found a statistically significant relationship between students’ sense of community and the positive achievement of learning outcomes in the online setting” (2007). Could it be that a successful, fully active online learning community, in which members are highly engaged, involved and contributing regularly, can serve as an effective proxy for face-to-face interaction? The answer appears to be a resounding “yes.”

Hi everyone,

This is my blog. Feel free to comment as you like.