Multimedia

What is Multimedia?

The word “Multimedia” simply means being able to communicate in more than one way. This means that, whether you are aware of it or not, you already give multimedia presentations. For example if you rub your temples while telling someone you have a headache or when you point to a diagram on a board whilst speaking to a class of students you are using multimedia to get your point across. In this instance your are using movement in conjunction with sound. Check out the examples at the bottom of the page.

So multimedia is all about communicating in several ways.

For example the computer you are using to view this material is capable of flashing text and beeping when there is a problem. It is already a multimedia computer - anything else is a matter of degree. In other words the more capable your computer is at handling sound, video and graphics the better your multimedia packages will look.

Originally the term multimedia was used by institutions who run distance learning courses in which they deliver content via a combination of text, TV, telephone, audio cassette and the radio. So the idea of using multimedia for education is not new. What is new is the way in which we now use computers to bring these things together. The advent of high resolution screens and sound and video playback facilities for computers has resulted in the increased use of multimedia applications for education

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Multimedia Evaluatio 

Multimedia applications differ from traditional software in many ways: up until recently it has been relatively easy to predict the areas of use of traditional packages but multimedia applications have the potential to be used in a diverse range of areas from entertainment, education, and commerce through to communication and art. (Petersen, 1998)

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Critical Issues in Multimedia

Interactive Media Education in the U.S. and the U.K.
Tim Hudson and Kavita Hayton

The Difficulty in Communicating with Computers
Bertil Ekdahl and Lise Jensen

Accounting for User Needs and Motivations in Game Design
Lucy A. Joyner and Jim TerKeurst

Spatial Context of Interactivity
Stanislav Roudavski and François Penz

As the criteria for success of in these systems differ from each other, establishing the criteria for evaluation becomes ever more important. For instance, in traditional work oriented systems, efficiency is one of the most important factors. Whereas in a game scenario where entertainment is important delaying the user in completing tasks by finding ways to make the game more difficult may be a crucial success factor.

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MULTIMEDIA ISSUES

There are many varying definitions of multimedia depending upon the use of the phrase. In general terms, multimedia is a combination of media of varying forms into one medium. Multimedia may combine component parts such as sound recordings, visual images, computer programs and digitised text.

What copyright protection does a multimedia product have?

The current Copyright Act 1968 does not classify multimedia as an individual category of work for the purposes of copyright protection. As a result, it is important to protect a multimedia product which you have developed by having an agreement which includes a clear definition of who will own the intellectual property asset.

If you want to maintain the copyright ownership in a multimedia product it is prudent to mark the product with the copyright symbol ©19XY (YEAR OF PUBLICATION). ABC Pty Ltd (NAME OF COPYRIGHT OWNER) All Rights Reserved.

What do I do if I want to use non-original works in a multimedia product?

If a substantial part of non-original text, photos, music, computer software or other artistic works are going to be reproduced or performed, your need to budget for the time and money required to obtain the permission of the copyright owner for each such work

There are many varying definitions of multimedia depending upon the use of the phrase. In general terms, multimedia is a combination of media of varying forms into one medium. Multimedia may combine component parts such as sound recordings, visual images, computer programs and digitised text.

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Resources for Technology Planning and Evaluation

Many resources useful for technology planning are also useful for evaluating technology implementation efforts. We believe that there are two primary reasons for this. First, evaluation should be rooted in an examination of your plan’s vision and goals for technology. In essence, you want to evaluate your progress in meeting those goals. In this way, planning tools which assist you in creating good goals will also help you evaluate. Second, we often find that the biggest challenge faced by districts setting out to create evaluations is that they have no adequate plan upon which to base their evaluation. Thus, evaluation efforts often revert to efforts to update (i.e., re-write) the district plan.

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