A Design Model for Educational Multimedia Software

Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 1995

The aim of this literature review is to outline the context of theory in designing educational software for vocational education and training, and to give an account of the significance of the "key ingredients" which constitute best practice.

2003

This study focuses on the development of prospective computer engineers' conceptions about the design of educational software. More specifically, we investigate how the experiences of such engineers in the design, implementation and evaluation of educational software helped them to enhance their knowledge. These engineers were involved in constructing educational software dealing with concepts of Computer Science by also taking into account theoretical educational considerations regarding constructivism and social views about knowledge construction. The analysis of the data shows that prospective computer engineers frequently start by considering the design of educational software as an "easy" or "soft" task. This attitude is typically based both on these engineers' expertise regarding software design as well as the specific subject matter. Despite these initial perceptions, they have difficulties interpreting the theoretical educational framework in design specifications. Communication between the members of each design team and between the members of all the teams as well as the reflection on the early versions of the software were significant factors that helped these engineers improve the quality of software specifications. Finally, the evaluation process helped these engineers to realize that the learners' demands are crucial in the design of educational software. They also realized that in contrast to the general principle of software design that 'customers' specifications must not be violated', these specifications were frequently ignored in the case of educational software where learners are viewed (by the engineers) as possessing the knowledge of the designer.

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2006

Design of educational multimedia rarely starts from scratch, but rather by attempting to reuse existing software. Although redesign has been an issue in research on evaluation and on learning objects, how it should be carried out in a principled way has remained relatively unexplored. Furthermore, understanding how empirical research on information and communication technologies (ICT) should feed back into redesign remains difficult. The present paper addresses these problems from the viewpoint of carrying out pedagogical expert evaluations, in the absence of empirical studies of target learners, in order to generate recommendations for redesign. Firstly, redesign proposals should be based on a coherent reconstruction of pedagogical foundations of educational ICT (software, documentation). Secondly, redesign proposals should result from dialogue between stakeholders, such as future users, pedagogical experts, software designers, and deciders. To these ends, we propose a framework, called GESTALT (Goals, (E) SiTuations, Actions, Learners, Tools), as a 'boundary object' for dialogical redesign. Within an activity theory approach, GE-STALT is based on analysis of available tools, the actions they support, the characteristics of learners who perform actions, and pedagogical goals that could be achieved in specific situations. An illustrative GESTALT analysis of educational software is provided, principally from the viewpoint of pedagogical experts. Finally, the strengths and limits of GESTALT are discussed.

Computers & Education, 2001

Research on educational technologies--ranging from motion pictures to computer-based tutoring systems--documents a disapointing history in which strong claims for a new technology are followed by large-scale implementations which eventually fail Mayer, in press). For example, in 1922, the famous inventor Thomas Edison proclaimed that "the motion picture is destined to revolutionize our educational system and that in a few years it will supplant...the use of textbooks" (cited in Cuban, 1986, p. 9). Yet, in reviewing the role of motion pictures in schools over the decades since Edison's grand predictions, Cuban (1986, p. 17) concluded that "most teachers used films infrequently in classrooms." Similarly, fifty years later in the 1970s, the game-like computer-assisted instruction (CAI) programs that were tauted as the wave of the future in education eventually proved to be no more effective than teacherbased modes of instruction (Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt, 1996). Today, similarly strong claims are being made for the potential of multimedia learning environments.

The development of effective multimedia learning packages (MLP) used by students in their learning requires the exploitation of a variety of authoring tools. These packages developed using Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) such as C, C++ and Java is difficult and, could give rise to a number of design and development problems. On the other hand, the use of authoring tools such as Director MX TM , Authorware MX TM and Flash MX TM requires one to have a comprehensive knowledge on the capabilities of such tools under different design conditions. This paper addresses and discussed the design and implementation issues pertaining to the development of multimedia learning packages with particular emphasis on engineering. A problem-solving model was adopted and was found to be effective in designing the packages using various authoring tools that allow users to visualize a problem prior to solving it.

This research was aimed at designing an effective interactive multimedia courseware to be utilized in Malaysian classrooms. A courseware for interactive instructional design for ). The process of developing the software was divided into two phases, namely the conceptual phase and the engineering phase. This paper discusses the first phase namely; the conceptual and theoretical approaches. These approaches are divided further into four parts, such as, the conceptual approach, the model approach, and the design and development process. Furthermore, as this research utilized real life applications of these models and theories of instructional design, the instructional design thus created could act as a prototype for future instructional design developers. Phase two of this research will discuss the empirical aspects of the finished product in an actual institution setting.

Journal of Applied …, 2004

One of the main points in the development of Educational Software is how to trap, and keep, student's attention. This is a major problem because, unlike the classroom where students are supervised and controlled by teachers, on their computers, at home, they are free to use the software or simply close it and do anything else. The common solution to this problem has been the development of very showy materials, where students are presented to sounds, animations, and sophisticated interactions. Nevertheless, at the Centre of Applied Science and Technological Development we think that this approach might belie some important problems and that other factor must be reviewed and taken into account in order to create good-quality educational software. In this paper we introduce an approach that is based on a study of students, and the identification complete of their beliefs about physics. These beliefs are then used in the development of our software. We present the obtained results; as well as future works perspectives.

Computers & Education, 1997

A surge of interest has been seen in the use of multimedia in educational computer applications. Some researchers examine which particular benefits media provide for students' learning. A different approach looks at students' learning experience while creating their own educational multimedia applications. We present and discuss the results of a project in which seven teams of elementary school students were involved in designing and implementing interactive multimedia resources in science for younger children. We found that students improved significantly in their science understanding and programming skills. While the student teams included many multimedia features in their software, a closer examination of students' individual contributions to the software product revealed that not every aspect of multimedia programming afforded the same type learning opportunities for science and programming. We discuss the benefits and problems of integrating science content with multimedia design and discuss why the quality of dynamic and interactive components in students' multimedia production proved to be a better indicator of students' learning than the quantity of multimedia produced. Furthermore, we address how students' learning experience is also impacted by their conceptions of multimedia users.

1999

The actual research in educational software involves, in engineering, multidisciplinary teams. These teams create common languages in order to obtain products that can solve the problems that the teams are trying to solve. In this work we present developments we are using in our University and the things that these developments have solved. Our work is based on our and other experiences in the design of software for education. Software should solve problems that normally do not appear in the creation on enterprise, business or industrial software. This paper proposes a methodology and a tool for work. The development proposed and its theory permit creation of multimedia/hypermedia software to work in an independent or in a web based environment. Their theory completes a way to coordinate the different persons involved in the real development of that type of software.