| Multimedia in Online Education | | | | the course developer with the ability to create |
| Multimedia includes any combination of text, graphic | | | | videos from animated screen captures. The software |
| art, sound, animation, and video. While | | | | also allows voice recordings. For audio recordings that |
| state-of-the-art video or audio production would be | | | | can be edited, Audacity is a good software choice. A |
| outside budget limits for college instructors, there are | | | | Google search on the software name will take you |
| some free or almost free resources that can be | | | | to the appropriate download site. |
| utilized to provide multimedia for online courses. | | | | Large Download Alternative |
| Windows Options | | | | When developing large files for an online class, one |
| The Windows XP and Vista operating systems come | | | | alternative to downloading would be to offer all |
| with Windows Movie Maker, which facilitates creation | | | | multimedia content you have created to the students |
| of short videos with sound. All you need are a sound | | | | on CD-ROM in exchange for a blank CD. Another |
| file, easily created using a microphone and the | | | | alternative would be to provide the files in a zip |
| Windows operating system sound recorder, and | | | | format, using Microsoft Windows compressed folders |
| digital video or a series of digital photos. While these | | | | or WinZip to decrease download time. |
| free products probably will not provide award winning | | | | Static Learning Sites Not Engaging |
| multimedia for your online courses, they can give you | | | | Marc Prensky (2005) has made an extensive study |
| the opportunity to expand your course content. | | | | of the way younger learners think and learn. The |
| Online Presentation of Content | | | | research population he studied are now, or will be |
| Multimedia enlivens an online presentation of content, | | | | soon, moving into higher education. His research has |
| but course designers should consider bandwidth | | | | shown that digital natives, as he calls younger |
| during design and development. Most universities and | | | | learners, must be engaged or they turn off. They |
| colleges have broadband access to the Internet, but | | | | simply stop listening. This research can be |
| many of the online students are using dial up | | | | extrapolated to indicate that simply putting lectures, |
| connections. This severely limits the multimedia | | | | outlines and graphics online is not enough to reach |
| content students can download or requires so much | | | | the online learner. Text and pictures are not engaging. |
| time to download that it becomes frustrating to the | | | | Multimedia is the future of online education. |
| student. If you choose to incorporate large | | | | Resources: |
| multimedia files, consider offering students an | | | | Prensky, M. (2005) Engage me or enrage me. |
| alternative to getting the content. | | | | Educause Review. September/October 2005. |
| Free software programs, such as CamStudio, provide | | | | |