Introduction and Topic of Discussion Chosen
The topic of discussing that I have chosen to expand on is ‘Using Multimedia to Engage Learners’ that is found in Chapter eleven. The chapter discusses a wide range of media elements that can be engaged at different levels when it comes to educating learners. Most of the media elements discussed in this chapter are common to most individuals including the students thus they are conversant with them. These elements form part of the larger multimedia objects that include texts messages, video recordings, models, audio visuals and to some extent real objects that helps students to undertake demonstrative learning. This paper expands on the discussions that the book, in chapter eleven, has offered concerning the usage of multimedia towards students’ learning.
The topic was chosen because it forms an integral part of the day to day learning process in most learning institutions. The knowledge gained through the integration of multimedia within our learning institutions has a reflection on our career path (Howard, 2005). Most of the knowledge gained is, either directly or indirectly, applied within the work places and other career activities. The advent of technology, which has sophisticated but improved living standards, it is only rational that media application be looked at. This topic is of great interest to me as an individual as it does not only cut across the many learning stages in life but also integrates all the fields of study. Therefore, there was a need to expand my understanding on the importance of multimedia and the contributions it has brought in the field of learning. This would give more insight to my fellow learners whom I intend to share with the information that I have gathered through the expansion of the findings presented in the eleventh chapter.
Discussion and Further Research
In chapter eleven, multimedia is defined as the simultaneous or sequential usage of a variety of media in any form of presentation or process of self study. The chapter reveals that computers are the most common form of multimedia often involved in the process of multimedia presentations. Either, it states that the multimedia presentations take the form of audio visuals, incorporated texts and animated images that are all used. According to a research commissioned by the Cisco system, the addition of visual elements in verbal learning form part of the instruction that results in gains which are significant in the learning process and are of higher orders (Mayer, 2009). They should be applied in the appropriate manner. The reports provides further insight through further explanations that multimedia applications do have in the learning process in an interactive manner which is argued to provide strengths within the learning process. This, it does through strengthening moderate learning into complex learning and is more advantageous when students learn individually.
According to chapter eleven, multimedia can be applied in various fields of study which include skills centers, interest centers, remedial centers and enrichment centers among others. Within the skills centers, multimedia is found to offer learners opportunities for additional practices that can typically reinforce their previously taught skills through the usage of other media. This is mainly done through the drill and practice strategy that make learners more holistic. Within the interest centers, multimedia is found to stimulate learners to develop new interests thus encouraging creativity. In remedial centers, it helps students who need additional assistance when it comes to certain concepts and skills. Either, within the enrichment centers, multimedia offers learning experiences that are stimulated especially for students who have successfully completed classroom activities.
The chapter also finds out that multimedia is advantageous as it provides realism in the learning process through illustration of concepts. Either, it stimulates interests among learners and ensures cooperation through manipulative processes that also stimulates small groups’ project work learning. As much as multimedia has its own advantages within the learning process, it also has its own limitations that need to be looked at in further studies. The usage of multimedia is more expensive since manipulative modes of training are more expensive than the conventional methods of training. Manipulative learning elements are eat up more storage space and are fragile making them easily breakable and difficult to use by the learners within the learning institutions.
Further research reveals that the usage of multimedia within the learning process helps in the retention of words through improving word retention (Simkins, 2002). This is helped by the fact that the words are accompanied by pictures. Multimedia also creates a spatial contiguity principle. This is further advanced whenever pictures and words are presented closely together rather than separately thus helping students learn better. Through simultaneous presentation of pictures and words, multimedia helps students learn even better rather than presenting them successively. This helps in the development of temporary contiguity principle. Multimedia also ensures that extraneous words, pictures and sounds are all eliminated in the presentations thus helping in the advancement of coherent principle. Either, students are found to learn better through animations as they are able to comprehend whatever is presented.
Multimedia has also been used extensively in the field of sciences (Howard, 2005). This has been made possible by the usage of interactive videos and software that has also created a scenario of mock scientific community. This has encouraged various debates concerning a number of science topics such as the science court. There is also the creation of virtual space that has created virtual rooms enabling researchers and their students to virtually meet across the globe. It enables science students to join scientific expeditions in a real time framework through streaming of videos. Either, the students are able to undertake various research works and then contribute to the larger field of research. This has further led to the development of a global research program within the field of science.
Issues that Arose in the Course of Reading
There are a number of issues that arouse in the course of expanding on the topic of study. In chapter eleven, the topic gave a shallow study on the same with no clear guide on the integration of multimedia within the education system. My further research on the topic revealed a lot concerning the usage of multimedia within the learning process. Various research works on the topic are found to evolve with recent studies showing that the efficacy and motivation within the learning process have the potential of weighing heavily on the learning outcomes whenever multimedia is used.
Either, another issue that rose in the course of researching further on the topic was on the volition of the learners when compared to the various learning tasks that the students undertake within their classroom. The level of volition of the learners was found to weigh significantly on the various outcomes of the teaching process. This has an effect on the overall efficiency of the learning process thus making it less effective in the long run. The tasks undertaken within the normal learning set up was also found to weigh significantly on the overall outcome with similar effects as the learners’ volition on the outcomes. It too affects the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the whole process.
Conclusion and Suggestions
Either, level of instructions in which multimedia is used also has an effect on the outcomes (Fenrich, 2005). This paper provides a number of suggestions that future studies should concentrate on so as to make the usage of multimedia within the field of learning more appealing to all the stakeholders. Future studies should seek ways of making the usage of multimedia more affordable and reduce the level of strain its usage could possibly have on the outcomes of the learning process. The various efficacies, volitions and motivations should be designed in a manner that makes them less weighing on the outcomes of the learning process that uses multimedia. Either, further studies should look into the level of instruction upon which multimedia usage can best be applied and the various tasks that should be included so as to make the outcomes more effective.
References
Fenrich, P. (2005). Creating Instructional Multimedia Solutions: Practical Guidelines For The Real World. Santa Rosa (Calif.: Informing Science Press.
Howard, C. (2005). Encyclopedia Of Distance Learning. Hershey, Penns: Idea Group Reference.
Simkins, M. (2002). Increasing Student Learning Through Multimedia Projects. Alexandria, Va: Association For Supervision And Curriculum Development.
Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
