Jo Meyertons

Is educational technology, particularly multimedia, worth the effort?

If so, what are the obstacles for faculty?

What can we do about these obstacles?

Use of mind maps, color, rich combinations of words and text can: Clarify thinking Reinforce understanding Integrate new knowledge Identify misconceptions

Improve student's pronunciation in foreign language classes

Repeat and reinforce understanding of music principles (ear training)

Provide access to authentic historical records such as oral histories

Provide access to aural cues to the natural world such as bird songs

Provide aural cues for activities such as fitness training regimens

Quick, rich, authentic, tacit communication of demonstrations, simulations, events or stories

Vicarious experiences (e.g. lab experiments, or observing the behavior of animals in the wild)

Absorb and engage the learner, by concentrating sight and sound, making difficult concepts memorable

Talking head

Events

Fly on the wall: research, observation

Think aloud: Diary or Vlog; capture the subject’s reflection on the practice or experience and to transform an implicit and tacit account into explicit verbalization

Instructional: this technique is used to show the process of doing something concrete, the procedures, the different stages, it is also used as a demonstration method

Simulation: lab experiment where safety is at risk or to engage in a role playing situation where the students can experiment with different roles and behaviors

Realism: capture an action that can not be physically brought into the classroom, any type of outdoor scene, wildlife, a fashion show or a dance performance

Integration sums up research that indicates that audio/text need to be highly integrated with the images used.

Parsimony indicates that there is better learning when extraneous words, sounds and pictures are excluded.

Narration indicates that learning is better when words are presented as narration rather than as text. Individual differences indicates that learning is better if the target audience has low-prior knowledge of the content field and that they have high spatial ability.

Personalization tentatively suggests that students work harder at learning when they feel involved with the presentation. For example, one study (Moreno & Mayer, 2000) found personalization could be achieved simply by the narrator using a conversational style of voice rather than relying on a third-person voice.

Interactivity tentatively suggests students learn better when they can control the pace of the presentation."

Visualization: Video as a moving image helps the student to visualize a process, an event that might be difficult to represent through a text form.

Visual cues amplify and explain text, images and facilitate recall of new knowledge (Mayer and Gallini 1990).

The use of visual cues creates imagery during learning that is critical to memory processes (Shepard and Cooper 1982).

Use of illustrations in text attracts attention, aids retention and recall and are explicative (when written or verbal forms are not enough) (Duchastel and Waller 1979).

Video can provide vivid descriptions to articulate tacit information and knowledge difficult to articulate through text and verbally (Goodyear and Steeples 1998).

Illustration: it reinforces the power of an still image or graphic, it can show an example of how something works, moves or performs.

Validation: it reinforces what is being said in the classroom, it validates knowledge through a moving image or representation.

Explanation: it helps to describe visually an explanation of a procedure or process through a ‘show and tell’ style.

Motivation: video can make content alive and bring it into the classroom.