An Alternative Model of Multimedia Development: Small Projects within an Academic Environment.

This paper reports on a project at Edith Cowan University (Australia) in which a multidisciplinary team designed and created a self-paced learning environment for students to learn about share valuation and investment, with a focus on the inclusion of features that would motivate students to use and engage with the program. The resultant program, "Principles of Financial Investment," was a microworld giving the students realistic insights into the world of share valuation and investment, and was included as a module within the university's introductory finance unit. The following components of the development model are described: (1) information design, including defining the audience, and planning and organizing content; (2) interface design, including determining how the content and interactions would blend, and deciding what metaphor to use (in this case, a stock exchange building, securities institute, broker's office, and participant's office); (3) navigation, including implementation of a nonlinear organizing structure; and (4) interaction design. Problems and advantages of the design approach are discussed. It is concluded that the proposed method worked well. Two figures illustrate the model of the development process, and the four primary navigational structures (linear, hierarchical, nonlinear, and composite) for multimedia. (DLS) ******************************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ******************************************************************************** An Alternative Model of Multimedia Development: Small Projects within an Academic Environment U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) o This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Ms Sue Stoney (Primary author is a full-time student) Edith Cowan University Pearson Street Church lands 6018 phone: 015 084475 email: s.stoney@cowan.edu.au Mr Mark McMahon Edith Cowan University, Bradford St, Mt Law ley, 6050, Western Australia. phone: (08) 9370 6537 email: rn.mcmahon@cowan.edu.au "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY G.H. Marks TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." Abstract: The traditional method of multimedia development is characterised by carrying out a number of processes in a linear fashion. This is an efficient method of development where a number of projects are occurring concurrently, but the lack of client pressure and the flexible skills base afforded by an academic environment provides an opportunity to develop multimedia in a unique, non-linear way. A review of the literature has highlighted the paucity of research pertaining to the development of multimedia programs and reveals the inadequacies of traditional systems design models for multimedia programs. This is particularly true for an environment where the development team frequently come from disparate backgrounds and are contracted from outside the University having little understanding of each other's roles, leading to a breakdown in communications and misunderstandings resulting in an end-product at odds with the initial design concepts. Usually multimedia-based instruction is derived from a detailed preliminary analysis, but the instructional designer also brings personal assumptions to the design which are often not part of the analysis These assumptions are evident in the way in which the program is designed, but may need to be re-examined and new strategies implemented in order to accommodate the ever increasing capabilities of the technologies. Two programs which demonstrate the results of different approaches of two instructional designers will be examined to illustrate some of these points. The traditional method of multimedia development is characterised by carrying out a number of processes in a linear fashion. This is an efficient method of development where a number of projects are occurring concurrently, but the lack of client pressure and the flexible skills base afforded by an academic environment provides an opportunity to develop multimedia in a unique, non-linear way. A review of the literature has highlighted the paucity of research pertaining to the development of multimedia programs and reveals the inadequacies of traditional systems design models for multimedia programs. This is particularly true for an environment where the development team frequently come from disparate backgrounds and are contracted from outside the University having little understanding of each other's roles, leading to a breakdown in communications and misunderstandings resulting in an end-product at odds with the initial design concepts. Usually multimedia-based instruction is derived from a detailed preliminary analysis, but the instructional designer also brings personal assumptions to the design which are often not part of the analysis These assumptions are evident in the way in which the program is designed, but may need to be re-examined and new strategies implemented in order to accommodate the ever increasing capabilities of the technologies. Two programs which demonstrate the results of different approaches of two instructional designers will be examined to illustrate some of these points.