ABSTRACT

Multimedia is a combination of text, graphic, animation, audio, and video which are
everything we can see and hear in our daily life (Vaughan, 2006). Multimedia
applications can be used in many areas, for example like educations, businesses, homes
and public places. This paper surveys the multimedia applications for educational
purposes. There are six main elements in multimedia applications for educational
purposes which are texts, images, audios, videos, animations and user control. Besides
that, this paper also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of multimedia
applications in education. There also have few characteristics in education which are
screen design, interaction and feedback, navigation, video and audio elements on the
development in education. In education, multimedia applications are used as a source of
information to deliver learning resources for students. Multimedia applications also used
to improve the learning process and increase the interaction between students and
teachers or lecturers. Teachers or lecturers can make the lesson more interesting by
using the multimedia applications. A multimedia applications can highlight certain
important points rather than writing on the white board. There is no doubt that the role
of multimedia applications for educational purposes. This new context of learning
definitely will influence the way of teachers or lecturers teach and the way of students
learn. They continually search for more effective ways to engage their students during
learning as well as to increase student learning outcomes.

Keywords: learning, multimedia applications, educational purposes.

1. INTRODUCTION

According to Vaughan (2006), multimedia is a combination of text, graphic, animation,

audio, and video which are everything we can see and hear in our daily life. Multimedia
also refers to the uses of computer technology to create, store and experience
multimedia content (Singh, 2007). Multimedia applications play a crucial role in
education which range from preschool education to postgraduate students and
corporate training packages.

Multimedia applications can be defined as an application that uses a combination of

many media sources such as texts, graphics, audios, videos and animations. It is often
use to deliver information which is more powerful than printed learning resources such
as printed text book. It also allows users to interact with the information quickly and
accurately. Educational multimedia applications enable students to get information in
various formats. Examples of multimedia applications are World Wide Web, courseware,
interactive TV, computer games, and virtual reality.
In education, multimedia application is used to provide computer based training courses
and reference books such as encyclopedia. A computer based training courses lets the
students go through a series of presentation, text about a particular topic in various
information format (Singh, 2007). Multimedia applications are used by teachers and
lecturers to convey information such as lecture slides, assessment materials and others
learning resources. It can also use by students to learn new skills and knowledge without
lecturers guidance.

According to Steinmetz and Nahrstedt (1995), “Multimedia applications are moving

from a single PC environment to either a multi-user environment or to a personalized
user environment.” The rapid innovation and development in information and
communication technologies has been increased the used of multimedia applications in
our daily life and brought the changes to computing, entertainment and education.
However, educational multimedia applications will not going to replace the roles of
teachers or lecturers, it will only allow students to learn more when compare with
traditional teaching methods.

Multimedia applications for educational purposes are similar like the printed text books
and other teaching materials, but they can be come in a wider range of sources. The
potential of multimedia applications for educational purposes is well-recognized by the
universities, school, government and private organization. Educational multimedia
applications can be more focused on specific objectives or in more comprehensive ways
(Norhayati & Siew, 2004).

There has been an increase in demand of educational multimedia applications at all

level of citizens for them to apply their knowledge in different field of study and
situations. Multimedia applications had greatly influenced the education in many ways.
They give teachers or lecturers to prepare study materials for students in a more clearly
and comprehensive way such as demonstrate and visualize the study material in a
multimedia presentation (Milkova, 2012). Multimedia applications can also be used as a
source of information. Multimedia applications can be developed to enhance the
learning process and increase the interaction between students and lecturers. Lecturers
can make the lesson more interesting by using the multimedia presentations. As the
information is presented in variety ways, multimedia applications enhance the user
experience and make the learners easier to grasp the information (Singh, 2007).

II. THE ELEMENTS OF MULTIMEDIA APPLICATION IN EDUCATION

Although the definition of multimedia application is simple, making it work can be

complicated. We need to understand how to make each multimedia element together
using educational multimedia computer tools. The elements used in multimedia
applications have all existed before. Educational multimedia applications combine those
elements into a powerful new tool, especially in the hands of teachers or lecturers and
students. Multimedia applications can be used in many areas, for example like
educations, businesses, homes and public places. For educational purposes, students
can explore variety of information for further understanding by using multimedia
applications. Educational multimedia applications are used to improve learning
effectiveness. A multimedia learning environment involves numbers of elements in order
to enable learning process taking places. There are six main elements in multimedia
applications for educational purposes which are texts, images, audio, video, animations
and user control.

Firstly, text is an important element in multimedia applications; it can use to provide

information and emphasize specific point by using different styles, fonts, and colours.
Secondly, image is an object that has more significant impact than merely reading about
text in an educational session. Image can be added to multimedia applications by using
colour scanner or digital camera. Examples of image are photographs, artworks,
drawings. Thirdly, audio can be used to emphasize certain points and enables teachers
to presents a lot of information at once rather than use printed learning resources.
Audio allows students to use their imagination without being biased, so it will greatly
increase the learning outcome. Fourthly, video can be used to present the information
beyond the scope of the ordinary lecture room such as medical operations. The use of
video to deliver information can be very powerful and immediately, it allows teachers or
lecturers to highlight certain key points or tell the students what are going to do next
and understand the real life situation. Fifthly, animation is used to demonstrate an idea
or illustrate a concept; an object that appears blurry in video can be presented clearly in
animation because it can view the changes of the object over time. Lastly, user control
uses to provide students with the option to skip particular parts of the multimedia
application and allow them to navigate other areas of that program. All of the elements
are combined to provide a platform for students to maximize the effectiveness of
educational purposes (Yadav, 2006).

III. ADVANTAGES OF USING EDUCATIONAL MULTIMEDIA APPLICATIONS

The growth in use of multimedia applications for educational purposes has accelerated
in recent years, and looks set for continued expansion in the future. The multimedia
applications play an undeniable role in education. Multimedia applications have many
advantages that allow teachers and lecturers to provide other advice which tailored to
particular group of learners’ needs (Cairncross and Mannion, 2001). Teachers or lecturers
discover the ways to boost student’s interest and motivate them by using educational
multimedia applications. Students can also active involve in the learning process by
using multimedia applications such as CD-ROM based textbook, tutorials and laboratory
experiments (Yadav, 2006). Multimedia applications increase the learning effectiveness
and are more attractive than traditional-based learning methods. This new learning
environment definitely influence the way of teachers or lecturers teach and the way
students learn.

Teachers or lecturers continually search for more effective ways to attract their students
during learning as well as to increase student learning outcomes. People learn better
from words and pictures than from words alone. Therefore, educational multimedia
applications use a combination of multimedia elements to present and emphasize
particular points only, thus it is more effective because the students are easier to put
attention on it rather than on static printed learning materials. Students often split their
attention when they are forced to focus information that is far apart, or it is presented at
two separate points at the same time. Therefore, when the related content is presented
in words and picture at the same time, the learning outcome is more effective. Research
found that students will participate in the lesson more actively when teachers or
lecturers integrates multimedia element in learning process because they will pay more
attention as the lesson becomes more interesting (Fatimah Puteh & Siti Shuhaida, 2009).
For example, when the animation and narration are presented simultaneously, students
are easier to understand and that information can be quickly integrated into long term
memory. A multimedia presentation is an example of multimedia application, it can
highlight certain information that teachers or lecturers wants to deliver.

Multimedia applications are used to grab student’s attention and generate interest
during learning process. It can improve the student’s attitude toward content and
learning. Multimedia applications enable students increase their memory of content and
foster deeper learning when compared to traditional teaching ways that use by teachers
and lecturers. Multimedia applications for educational purposes also can make the
learning fun and decrease the anxiety and tension toward certain scary subjects.

There is no doubt that the important role of multimedia applications for educational
purposes because it can influence the way of teachers or lecturers teach and the way of
students learn. Multimedia applications are easy to use by the students or lecturers.
Students are able to navigate and retrieve the information quickly because they have
the ability to interact with the multimedia applications. Students can learn more when
they can control pace of the presentation such as slow down, start and stop at certain
information as they want. Multimedia applications are tailored the information need to
the individual because it can be presented in different ways to engage students with
different learning styles and strengths. Every student may have different preferences and
modes to learn about something. As an example, a student prefers to read certain
learning materials from prints, while another student may prefer a visual presentation.
Therefore, multimedia applications for educational purposes are effective to all
particular students and lecturers because it is tailored to their needs.

IV. DISADVANTAGES OF USING EDUCATIONAL MULTIMEDIA APPLICATIONS

Multimedia applications for educational purposes that delivered the learning materials
via videos or images need computers, projectors and other electronic devices, so the
expenses for these applications can be very expensive. Normally multimedia
applications for educational purposes are more expensive than printed text book
because it requires expensive hardware. Multimedia applications also not so easy for
configuration and requires special hardware to run it.

When lecturer uses educational multimedia application, he will shift his role from
instructor to facilitator. As the amount of multimedia elements increase, it will slow
down the delivery and pace of the learning process. For example, a student was allowed
to complete the lesson at their own pace as they navigate the stage of learning
materials or students works in a group to view multimedia applications, some of them
maybe are not proficient with the technology, thus they need to spend more time on
learning computer skills rather than access the information. Sometimes educational
multimedia applications are not effective for those who have weak learning skills.

From student’s perspective, there is disadvantage exist in educational multimedia

applications. Multimedia applications have the limitation such as making an e-learning
accessible to all students. For example, some of the applications may not suitable to
certain students. A hearing impaired student cannot heard the streaming of audio, thus
these multimedia applications are not accessible to all students (Nedeva, Dimova, &
Dineva, 2010).

Another disadvantage of multimedia applications for educational purposes is that

students feel isolated and unsupported by teachers or lecturers when they don’t
understand certain topics. Teachers or lecturers are not always available when students
need help from them; as a result they need to work independently without assistance.
Hence, educational multimedia applications are least effective to those who need
guidance and assistance from teachers or lecturers.

V. CHARACTETISTICS OF EDUCATIONAL MULTIMEDIA APPLICATIONS

There are few characteristics of multimedia applications in education which are screen
design, interaction and feedback, navigation, video and audio elements on the
development in education.
Firstly, screen design is use to coordinate text and graphic elements in order to present
sequenced content to facilitate learning and enhance student‘s understanding. Each
instruction that display on screen in a multimedia application must provide effective
instruction and navigation tools to the students. Screen design also use to boost the
interest of the students and convey the required information to them. In short, a good
screen design should require focusing student’s attention, maintaining their interest,
promoting processing and engagement between student and lesson content, help
student find and organize the information and facilitate lesson navigation.

The second characteristic is interaction and feedback, it allows student to interact and
control the flow of information and stage of learning with the multimedia application.
Interaction and feedback also enable student active participant in the instruction
learning process and provide feedback immediately following a student response.
Feedback is information about the correctness or appropriateness of student’s response
which usually displayed on screen.

Third characteristic of multimedia applications for educational purposes is navigation.

Navigation feature can enhance learning outcome and make an interactive multimedia
applications easy to use by the students. Navigation provides students some control
over the events and allows them to jump into new sections or revisit the information
from earlier screen. Students can also learn and understand more when they can control
the multimedia applications such as slow down, start and stop at certain information as
they want.

Lastly, video and audio elements on the development in education have advantages to
present the information to those students who have poor reading and learning skills.
Students are easier to understand the lessons which use audio and video to convey the
information rather than static learning materials. When audio and video is used to
support text, it can provide an opportunity for the students to pause and repeat the
sound. (Stemler, 1997)

VI. CONCLUSION

Multimedia applications are excellent tool for educational purposes. It can improve the
effectiveness of learning outcome by deliver the information to the students.
Multimedia applications can use to deliver information in an interesting way by
combining the elements of texts, images, audios, videos, animations and user control.
Multimedia applications have a lot of advantages for the education purposes which can
help students have further understanding on certain information or topics. Screen
design, interaction and feedback, navigation, video and audio elements are the
characteristic of multimedia applications. There is no doubt that the multimedia
applications can be used as a tool to assist teachers and lecturers to achieve educational
effectiveness. However, multimedia applications for educational purposes have its
disadvantages too. Developing a good multimedia application has high cost that
involves time and effort of the developer. There are few characteristic that a developer
tries to improve the effectiveness of educational multimedia applications which are
attract student’s attention, help students organize the information and facilitate lesson
navigation and integrate all the information into knowledge.

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