What Is Multimedia?

CECS 5110
 What Is Multimedia?

 Multimedia is a computer-based interactive

communications process that incorporates
text, graphics, sound, animation, and video
 Interactive
Key feature of multimedia
User determines what content is delivered,
when it is delivered and how
 Non-linear
 Computer-based Multimedia

 2 or more media
 Computer multimedia
 Multi-sensory experience – real world
 Multi-sensory memory imprints
 Different learning styles benefit
 Hypertext - links
 Hypermedia - hypermedia ware
 Hypermedia

 Based on cognitive theories of how people

structure knowledge and how they learn
 Links to navigate
 Non-sequential navigation
 Hypermedia Applications

 Instructional courseware
 Appropriately introduced
 Follow-up activities
 Teacher and students’ own creations
 Multimedia Advantages

 Engrossing – deep involvement

 Multi-sensory
 Creates knowledge connections
 Individualized
 Teacher and student creation
 Multimedia Disadvantages

 “Lost in cyberspace”
 Lack of structure
 Non-interactive – if one-way, no feedback
 Text intensive content
 Complex to create
 Time consuming
 Cognitive overload
 Linear content
 Multimedia Growth

 Marketing Standpoint

 User Standpoint
 Multimedia Growth
Marketing Standpoint
 Computer price
 1992 – 1 mil - $2,500 or $1,000 upgrade
 1996 – 24 mil - $1,500 or $300 upgrade
 Multimedia titles
 1992 – 5,000 - $100
 1996 – 15,000 - $30
 Hype - “killer applications”
 Value added – enhances computer use
 Multimedia Growth
User Standpoint
 User control
No longer only lectures and/or printed materials
Any sequence of the material, any time,

anywhere, any modality

 Individualization
Address different learning styles and needs
User decides how material is presented:

visual, audio, textual

Adjusting level of difficulty
 Multimedia Growth
User Standpoint (cont.)

 Action
Active processes: simulations, acting out a play,
testing knowledge and feedback

 Examples
500 Nations, Grandma and Me , Magic School Bus
 Major Categories of
Multimedia Titles
 Entertainment
 Education
 Corporate communications
 Reference
 Major Categories of
Multimedia Titles
 Entertainment
 Games: action and graphics
 Action + storytelling
 Physical coordination + mental outwitting
 Education
 Accommodates different learning styles:
association vs. experimentation; auditory vs.
visual
 Provides feedback, levels of difficulty, evaluates
skills, nonlinear presentations
 Major Categories of
Multimedia Titles

 Corporate communications
(marketing and training)
Attract attention to a message
Product catalogs, published magazines, touch-
screen kiosks, online shopping, …
Stockholder's meeting, sales rep pitch,
conference speaker, employee orientation and
training, …
 Major Categories of
Multimedia Titles
 Reference
CD: encyclopedias, census data,
directories, dictionaries
 Delivering Multimedia

 Compact disc
Inexpensive, easy mass produce and distribute
 Kiosk
 Computer system to access info, perform transactions or play
games
 Convenience, reduces personnel costs, but expensive
maintenance
 Online
Web pages, product advertisement, demos, …
The End

swati gupta
e.m.1
k.u.k.