Lecturer,

Centre for Innovative Education (CINE),

Faculty of Creative Multimedia,

Multimedia University,

Cyberjaya, Selangor,

Malaysia

Tel: +603-56357817

Fax: +603-56357817

Email: kneo@pc.jaring.my

Correspondence address:

21, Jalan USJ 5/3, 47610 UEP Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

In recent years, many institutions of higher learning inMalaysia are incorporating multimedia technology into the classroom to enhancethe teaching and learning process. In this paper, we focus on the process inwhich an interactive multimedia learning (IMML) module was created usingAuthorware. This learning module is based on a lecture in a multimedia degreecourse in the Faculty of Creative Multimedia, Multimedia University, Malaysia.Inclusive in this presentation is a highlight of Authorware's capability toframe a multiple-choice test, which can be conducted electronically andsynchronously in a networked learning environment.

In the face of rapid technology advancement, educators inthis age of digital information and technology not only have to be proficientlyknowledgeable in the field(s) that they are teaching, but must also be skilledin the technologies that are being used to convey the educational content. As aresult, in the educational arena today, there is an emerging breed oftechnologically proficient educators who are using the information andcommunication technology (ICT) to create a better teaching and learningenvironment. The marriage of content and technology not only provides theteacher with a more effective way to transfer knowledge and information tostudents, but also enables them to learn in a more productive way. It is fastgaining popularity as a powerful instructional tool for disseminating knowledgeand information to the learners.

Furthermore, the ICT revolution is also fast changing theworld, and creating a generation that is media-hungry and technologically savvy.This new generation is using digital media for learning and communicating (Tapscott,1998). Business, industry, the military and educational institutions haverecognised this potential and used computers as instructional tools. However, inthe context of education, technology also refers to the process of applying thetools for educational purposes. In other words, "educational technology isa combination of the processes and tools involved in addressing educationalneeds and problems, with an emphasis on applying the most current tools:computers and their related technologies" (Roblyer and Edwards, 2000).

In an opening address at the conference on E-Learning held inKuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 25th May 2000, the Secretary-General from the Ministryof Education, Dr. Johari Bin Mat stated that, "Technology has been and isbecoming an important component of teaching and learning in our educationalsystem.......Information and Communication Technology (ICT) provides powerfultools for accessing, storing, and disseminating information.....Our approachesto teaching, preparing contents and delivering learning materials need to beadjusted according to the existence of this technology. The classroom is no morea static physical set-up, but a rather dynamic existence...Teachers should beable to integrate technology in their process of teaching andlearning...Technology supports learning. It will enable teachers to pursuetraditional goals with new fervor and success. This impact of technology willgive a new dimension to the quality of our education system...Technologysupports the learners to bring about significant change in learning. Group ofstudents at different schools work together on collaborative projects, otherlearning skills and social relationships" (Mat, 2000).

Currently, the multimedia technology resources available toeducators to help them to develop ICT curricula are many and able to addressdifferent modes of teaching. The ability to incorporate multiple media elementsin conjunction with interactive features into teaching and learning will modifyand enhance the traditional instructional approaches. This will inevitablychange the way teachers teach and students learn.

The permeation of multimedia elements into the teaching andlearning environments has also pushed educators to becoming moretechnology-oriented. Incorporating multimedia technology into the classroom hasbecome a global trend, and in recent years, institutions of higher learning inMalaysia and the world over are incorporating multimedia into their educationalcurricula to enhance the teaching and learning process (Johns, 1999; Kachian& Wieser, 1999, Kamsah, Mokhtar, Ahmad, & Yaakob, 2000).

The issue that surrounds many educators is the need to usemultimedia in their lesson plans and curricula and how technologicallyinnovative we can be in delivering knowledge and information to the students tohelp them to learn better. There is now an increasingly growing level ofPC-users in the world, and computers are becoming integral parts of our lives.As the next generation becomes more familiar with computers and the Internet,they are going to expect information in the classrooms to follow in the samepattern (Tapscott, 1998).

In this paper, we focus on integrating multimedia technologyinto the teaching and learning process by using Authorware for creating aninteractive multimedia learning (IMML) module with a media-rich environmentwhich can be deployed through the Web or CD-ROMs. In this respect, the teacherassumes the role of a multimedia developer and creates his/her own multimedialearning module. Here, multimedia is presented as an instructional tool whichwill enable the teacher to present his/her educational content in multiple mediaformat and in an interactive multi-sensory manner rather than in the traditionalformat (text only). The learning module created is based on a lecture in amultimedia degree course in the Faculty of Creative Multimedia, MultimediaUniversity, Malaysia.

In the traditional education realm, the role of the teacheris to provide content and information to students. This can be done in the formof many instructional media, such as notes, diagrams, overhead transparencies,models and more. The information or content that is presented is based on theteacher's curriculum and other relevant information for the class. Withtechnology, especially with multimedia authoring technology, the very samecontent can be converted into the electronic form and presented on the PC. Themultimedia technologies used will transform the traditional materials into aninteractive multimedia courseware.

With this transformation, multimedia is changing the way wecommunicate with each other. The way we send and receive messages is moreeffectively done and better comprehended. The inclusion of media elementsreinforces the message and the delivery, which leads to a better learning andteaching environment. The power of multimedia lies in the fact that it ismulti-sensory, stimulating the many senses of the audience, which consequentlyleads to better attention and retention rates. In other words, multimediaprovides "an individual or a small group using a computer to interact withinformation that is represented in several media, by repeatedly selecting whatto see and hear next" (Agnew, Kellerman and Meyer, 1996).

As such, many are turning to multimedia as a means to bettercommunicate their message and to foster better feedback on the informationexchanged. For many years, multimedia and multimedia developers were housed inselected industries such as advertising, entertainment and edutainment, gamesand corporate computer-based training (CBT) systems. However, multimedia is nowpenetrating the education field and changing the way teachers teach and studentslearn. With the advent of multimedia and technology in the classrooms, teacherscan equip themselves with these technological skills and become bettercommunicators of their content materials, and thus enabling the students tolearn in a more productive way.

As stated by Lindstrom (1994), "Multimedia provides ameans to supplement a presenter's efforts to garner attention, increaseretention, improve comprehension, and to bring an audience into agreement."In light of this, educators can thus take advantage of the multi-sensoryenvironment created by the multiple digital media elements to create multimediaeducation materials that would not only stimulate a variety of senses from theaudience, but also elicit high attention and retention rates from them. This isespecially feasible with the advent of the Multimedia PC (MPC). The MPC isspecifically designed for multimedia creation and development with the inclusionand support of sound cards and digital video capture boards coupled with theincreased computer processing power. This alliance of sophisticated computinghardware and software technologies provides educators with a powerful toolsetfor creating multimedia courseware content.

Tway (1995) posited that "Multimedia offers an excellentalternative to traditional teaching. By allowing the students to explore andlearn at different paces, every student has the opportunity to learn at his orher full potential." Thus, with the combination of multimedia technologyand educational content materials, the final interactive content can bedelivered in various ways and made available for the different teaching andlearning modes such as teacher-centric, student-centric and mixed modes (Neo& Neo, 2000).

An authoring tool is a software package that allows theauthor to develop interactive multimedia applications. There are many differenttypes of authoring tool in the market today. Most authoring tools are becomingmore user-friendly, thus benefiting many new- comers and experienced multimediadevelopers. They range from the simple slide-based tools to sophisticatedsoftware packages. Software packages that are classified under slide-basedauthoring tools include software packages such as Microsoft PowerPoint, GoldDisk's Astound, Macromedia Action and Lotus Freelance, just to mention a few.Usually, this type of authoring package is used for speaker-supportedpresentation. The application is mainly a linear presentation with very littleuser participation. For highly complex user participation applications,sophisticated authoring tools such as Macromedia Director, Asymmetric Tool Bookand Macromedia Authorware can be used. In Table 1, the various categories ofauthoring tools are depicted.

In this paper, Macromedia Authorware was chosen as theprimary authoring tool to create the IMML module. One of the reasons whyMacromedia Authorware was picked is because the software is most suited toconverting educational materials into interactive content. "Authorware isrooted in some pretty powerful technology. Its sophisticated judging, sequencingand instructional management facility builds upon two decades of work byAuthorware founder Mike Allen on a computer-assisted instruction system calledPLATO" (Hofstetter, 1995).

Authorware adopts a flowchart methodology in its presentationmuch like the common flowchart used in computer programming. It uses icons asits authoring metaphor and is designed to be used by developers with no computerprogramming experiences to create highly interactive applications. Each of theseicons represents a task or function that the user can take advantage of withoutknowing any scripting language or programming syntax. When creating a learningapplication, an important aspect is its interactive features as the level ofinteractivity included will enhance the user's knowledge in the subject matter.In this context, Authorware provides many functions for creating suchinteractive features. Authorware also provides a very flexible and versatilefeature whereby applications created in other popular authoring softwarepackages such as Director and Flash, can be imported directly into theAuthorware application and thus embedded as part of the Authorware application.In addition, Authorware applications can be made web-enabled for those wantingto put interactive modules on the Internet or Intranet.

Authorware also allows users to import or link the application to various media file formats including popular file formats.

Interactivity in Multimedia Learning Applications

Modern-day multimedia applications are effective methods of presenting instructional material because they contain one key ingredient: interactivity. What is innovative about using interactivity in the multimedia presentation of educational materials is the ability of the user (i.e., the student) to become involved in the content and story of the application itself. For example, in the edutainment world, the Living Books series, many of the pages held embedded animations and sound effects, which could be triggered by the user clicking on a particular spot on the screen. It was entertaining and it kept the user attracted to the application. Based on the success of edutainment titles and Computer-Based Training (CBT) modules, teaching curricula can also be made multimedia-oriented. The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), for example, has developed a series of educational games that help teach children with language-based learning disorders, such as Circus Sequence and Old MacDonald's Flying Farm. These applications are multimedia-oriented as they employ multiple media elements (text, sound, animations and images) and incorporate interactivity into the exercises.

In Computer-Based Training (CBT) modules, the trainee can navigate through the content of the application in a non-linear fashion, accessing glossaries and jumping to different pages at any time, and not losing his or her place in the application. Testing, scoring and feedback can also be done simultaneously, giving instant satisfaction to the interaction. Educators can also move away from the traditional method of teaching and adopt a more interactive approach to instruction by providing students with a more meaningful method of skills and applications. By doing so, they can have an interactive experience with the topic whose impact far surpasses that of the textbooks, and consequently, achieve a higher level of comprehension and retention of the topic itself.

Interactivity allows the user to navigate and explore the application at his or her own pace. With navigational controls such as buttons, hot spots, and others, the user is able to hyperlink to different parts of the application very easily and at his or her own choice. Studies have shown that interactivity raised the comprehension and retention rates of the audience to about 75%, compared to the 40% rate from what they see and hear, and the 20% rate from what they see only (Lindstrom, 1994).

Educational materials can be translated into interactive electronic form through the use of an authoring tool. An authoring tool is a software package that allows the designer to incorporate multimedia elements such as text, graphics, sound, video and animations on the PC and choreograph them in an orderly sequence to convey the message in a multi-sensory environment. This presentation is made more powerful through the incorporation of interactive features that would involve the user and make him or her part of the instruction and learning process of the module. Interactive multimedia applications have been used mainly in the business, corporate and entertainment sectors with interactive kiosks, interactive company profiles, interactive games and so on.

Building IMML Module using Authorware: The Development Process

The interactive multimedia content showcased in this paper utilised Authorware's multimedia and interactive features. The content for the application was based on a class lecture in a multimedia degree course. The task was undertaken by using the multimedia authoring process ( MAP) (Neo & Neo, 1998) which is a 3-stage procedure used in developing a multimedia application. The three stages are:

1. Pre-authoring
2. Authoring process, and
3. Post-authoring

 

Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the MAP.

Figure 2 The Multimedia Authoring Process (MAP)

The Pre-Authoring Stage

As depicted in Figure 2, the pre-authoring stage consists of creating a storyboard or plan of action for the creation of the final application and involves the assembly of media elements needed for the application. These elements can be in analogue or digital format at this stage. The objective in this stage is to acquire as many media elements as possible for the authoring stage. The media can include video clips from VHS tapes or digital videocameras, still images or photographs, animation files, sound files captured from DAT tapes or recorded on the PC, and text documents typed or scanned into the computer. Once the media has been selected and assembled, they can then be edited. Analogue materials will be converted into digital files accordingly. Third-party software such as Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia FreeHand, Adobe Premier, Macromedia SoundForge and Macromedia Flash can be used to further edit and modify these digital files to customise them for the final application.

The Authoring Stage

This is the stage where all the media are integrated and synchronised according to the application's storyboard. Here is where the developer would make a decision on the choice of authoring tool to use. Once the tool has been chosen, all the media are imported into the programme and arranged accordingly. This stage is important because it not only involved the integration of all the media elements acquired earlier, but also now, the developer can add interactivity and navigation into the final application. The addition of the interactive features and a navigational structure will allow two-way communication between the user and the application and enhance its effectiveness in the retention and recall of information. To integrate the different media types, the developer will have to use the different icons provided by Authorware and sequence them appropriately, according to the author's discretion. Authorware uses a flow line as its method of sequencing the different media. Therefore, all the developer needs to do is to select the appropriate icon from the package's icon palette and drag and drop the icon onto the flow line. These icons can then be arranged in whatever order the developer decides. Once the final application is completed, it can then be packaged as either a standalone application, or an EXE file, or as a Web-enabled application.

The Post-Authoring Stage

These packaged files can then be appropriately distributed to the end-user. Currently, the two most popular ways to distribute multimedia applications is via the CD-ROMs or the Web. Either way, the authoring tool of choice, should have the features to package the final interactive multimedia application as an EXE file for the CD-ROM or, as in Authorware's case, a Shockwave file for Internet and Intranet distribution.

A Showcase Example of the IMML Module

As a showcase of Authorware's capability as an educational tool to enhance teaching and learning, an interactive lecture module based on a multimedia course was created and used in a class here in Multimedia University (MMU). This module was based on a class lecture entitled : "The multimedia authoring process- the MAP" which contained a combination of various media elements, creating a multi-sensory environment for teaching and learning. Interactive features such as hot spots and hot objects were also incorporated to involve the students in the navigation of the content and acquisition of the information.

Figure 3 (a) depicts the main interface of the module, and Figures 3 (b), (c) and (d) depict the various linkages in the module.

This multimedia courseware can be packaged on the CD-ROM and delivered in a networked classroom which leads to a teaching mode whereby the courseware is opened on the students' PCs and they follow the teacher's face-to-face lecture on their PCs. This mode of learning is biased towards a teacher-centric mode.

Another type of teaching and learning mode that can be developed from the multimedia courseware content is one where the CD-ROM, containing the multimedia content, is opened from the student's PC at home. Here, the student takes the multimedia materials stored on the PC and goes through the lessons at his or her own time, creating a self-paced, student-centred learning mode. This can be considered as a mixed mode of learning since the content is created by the teacher (teacher-centric) whereas the access and pace of learning is controlled by the individual student (student-centric).

The multimedia courseware content can also be packaged as a Web file and delivered on the Internet and this will result in online courses where students can access the courseware from a browser on their PC. The student is then free to engage in learning on his or her own time, pace and place and access the vast source of information on the Net relating to the lecture. Consequently, the learning mode is student-centric as they are not limited to the content created by the teacher.

The various modes of teaching and learning are illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 4 The various instructional delivery modes

Several different lecture modules were also constructed and used in a current research project intended to investigate the impact of the IMML modules on student learning and the learning process using the various instructional delivery modes as shown in Figure 4. Data of this study are being collected and analyses of the data are still in progress. It is hoped that results obtained will be submitted for publication in the near future.

The Electronic Quiz : Using Authorware for Framing a Multiple-Choice Quiz

In addition, Authorware was used to frame and administer a multiple-choice quiz, which was conducted electronically and synchronously over a network environment, in order to demonstrate its usefulness as an instructional tool.

This electronic quiz was created with Macromedia Authorware that was given to the students as a mid-term quiz. The quiz contained twenty multiple-choice questions based on the material that was covered in class thus far. In traditional quiz taking, students have both the question paper as well as the answer sheet. Students could arrange both sheets of paper on the table in the way they feel most comfortable. They are able to read the questions and are able to answer the questions in any order they choose. To answer the questions, all the student needs to do is blacken the appropriate choices on the answer sheet. Students can review the questions and their corresponding answers and are able to make any changes before the end of the test. At the end of the test, students will submit their answer sheets and leave the room. Then it will be up to the lecturer to grade the quiz manually, one and the time, and a mark will be given.

The e-quiz was designed to be similar to the traditional quiz. There were two modules created, one contained the questions of the quiz (The Question Module) and the other contained the multiple-choice boxes (The Answer Module) (see Figure 5). The decision to separate the questions from the answer sheet was deliberate as we wanted the students to be as comfortable with the e-quiz as the traditional quiz. By separating the questions from the answer module, a student could place the question and answer modules anywhere they feel comfortable on the computer desktop.

The Answer Module

The Answer module was the more complex of the two modules to create. It was created using 6 different icons. These icons are very essential in Authorware as they are the icons that allow authors to create interactive applications. These six icons include the Interactive Icon, the Framework Icon, the Map Icon, the Decision Icon, the Calculation Icon and the Erase Icon. These six different icons were placed appropriately on the Flowline and together allowed the student to interact with the answer module (see Figure 6).

Figure 6 The icons arranged on the Flowline in the Design Window to create the Answer Module

Besides these icons, Functions and Variables were used to enhance the application. Functions and Variables are powerful commands that allow the author to go beyond the use of the icons. They are Authorware’s native codes just as Lingo is to Director. By using Functions and Variables properly, the author is able to enhance the module and allow for more flexibility and control over the flow of application. By using functions and variables, the module was able to track the students’ performance on the test.

Before taking the test, students had to log-in their name and ID. Each time a student enters his or her name and ID, a verification prompt will appear to allow the student to double check his or her entry. When the student is sure of the entry, he or she will hit "Enter" and it will lead to the answer sheet. By logging in, a personal text file is created inside the hard disk of the PC. With the proper use of Functions and Variables, the file created is named after each student’s ID. Within each of these files, the student's name and ID will also be stored. This will enable the lecturer to know whose answers belong to which student. Later, all of the answers as well as the final score will be recorded in that file.

Figure 7 depicts the interface of the log-in screen.

Figure 7 Students need to log-in before starting the quiz

Once the log-in process is completed, the answer module will appear (see Figure 8). The Answer Module is linked to the Question Module by a button. The button is situated on the right hand-side of the module and will execute the Question Module when pressed. In the Answer module, there will be a list of about 20 questions in two different pages, 10 questions each. Forward and backward buttons were created to allow students to go forward and backward and review their answers. Each question has three choices, A, B and C. More choices can be added if need be but for this test, only three different choices were given to students. These choices are listed in the form of radial buttons which users can select by clicking with their mouse. Once a choice is selected, the radial button will be darkened, just like using a pencil on a multiple choice answer sheet. Students will then go through the test and answer each question appropriately.

It should be noted that students are able to change their answers at anytime during the examination period. This will allow them to review their answers to the appropriate questions and change them if they wanted to. This capability adds some flexibility to the students as it caters to each student’s test-taking strategies. Once they have completed with their review of their answers, they click the Done button and all their final answer choices will be automatically recorded and stored. Figure 9 shows the text file created that will store all the answers chosen by a particular student.

The module is set to track the answers the student makes, the number of correct and wrong answers as well as the percentage of correct answers. Also, any questions that were left unanswered will also be tracked. In other words, the student’s answer choice for each question, the number of correct answers, the number of wrong answers, the number of missed questions as well as the percentage of correct answers are all stored in the text file previously created during the log-in process, together with the student’s name and ID. This will provide the lecturer later with a list of answers by each individual student. All these features are possible because of the use of Authorware’s icons and its Functions and Variables.

Unlike the Answer Module, the Question module was less complicated to create. It only uses the Framework Icon and the Display Icon to create. No Functions and Variables were used as the module only displays the questions and choices. In other words, the Module only lists the questions of the test and the relevant choices in a page-based presentation whereby the student uses a next and previous button to page through the module. There is also a Quit button for the students to click when they are done with the test. Figure 10 shows the Presentation and Design screens for the Question Module.

Figure 10 Icons arranged on the Flowline for the Question Module

In order to successfully carry out the e-quiz, a computer lab was used. The lab contained close to 40 fully functional networked PCs. Since there are 79 students, the class is broken up into two batches. Each batch had about 30 minutes to complete the test. Each student is given a PC of their own and they are seated separate from one another to avoid cheating. Before the test begins, instructions were given to the students on how to access the modules.

Being in a networked environment was an advantage as it allowed the lecturer to select one station and control all the computers in the lab. No additional software or hardware was installed for this e-quiz and the computers ran on Windows NT operating system. Each of the PC consisted of a shared folder in which the text file created from the module will be stored. The Answer Module was pre-set to locate this shared folder and store the text file containing the student’s information and answer. A shared folder in a networked environment allows anyone on the network to access that shared folder. In other words, anyone on the network who knew what to look and where to look could access that folder. But of course, the name of the shared folder and the location of the shared folder in the PC were not known to the students to keep them from looking at other students' answers. Only the lecturer knew where it was.

One of the stations in the lab was designated as the lecturer’s station. On the lecturer’s station, shared folders from all the PCs in the lab are displayed. It is from these shared folders that the lecturer is able to gather all the text files from each of the student’s station in the lab. The text files stored the information as well as the students' answers and final marks for the test. All the lecturer needs to do is to keep all these text files and find the students' final marks for the records. In this way, the lecturer saves time in marking each individual student as the e-quiz does it automatically. This is the biggest advantage of using an electronic quiz. The computer module itself could be designed to automatically correct the test immediately after the test is completed, saving a lot of time and effort.

Both batches of students took the e-quiz and nothing unexpected happened. The lecturer was in the room to act as a facilitator and lab technician. Since this was the first time the class or the students ever took an e-quiz in their academic career, it was surprising to know that there were no problems or unexpected technical difficulties during the e-quiz sessions.

After the e-quiz was completed, a survey was given to the students (N=79) to gather feedback on the e-quiz. The results were very positive and encouraging. The survey administered sought to measure their attitude toward the e-quiz, students' ability to navigate and understand the module and how comfortable they were with this style of examination. The survey was a 5-point Likert scale, with 1=Strongly Disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Undecided, 4=Agree and 5=Strongly Agree.

Results showed that students enjoyed taking the electronic quiz, with means for each item asked rating over 4.0, from a response rate of over 75% of the class. Table 11 lists the means for the items on the survey and the percentages of student responses.

 

Items	Mean	%
1. Interface was easy to understand and comfortable	4.48	97.5
2. Exam was innovative	4.47	76.2
3. Comfortable & able to understand exam's instruction and guidelines	4.38	94.9
4. Electronic exam was speedy & convenient	4.38	91.2
5. Comfortable with style of exam	4.34	91.1
6. Able to navigate through the exam	4.29	92.4
7. Like this method of exam-taking	4.22	83.5
8. Understand the content of e-quiz	4.14	87.4
N=79

From the results, we can see that students found that themodule was easy to follow and navigate and had no trouble understanding itscontent. Many thought that the examination was innovative (76.2%), and the lowerpercentage is attributed to the fact that for the rest, this was a new way oftaking exams. But for the most part, a larger majority of the class preferredthis method of examination (83.5%).

The use of Authorware in creating an IMML module via the MAPand its ability to frame and administer a multiple-choice test clearly indicatesthat Authorware is a powerful instructional tool and can be used to supporteducators in creating interactive multimedia educational content and deliveringit to the learners in various teaching and learning modes such as teacher-centeredand student-centered learning. This would also provide learners with a betterand media-rich learning environment and enable them to interact with thecomputers and participate in the two-way communication in their learningprocess.

The e-quiz module was a showcase example to demonstrateanother facet of Authorware's capability to frame a multiple-choice test, andconduct a mid-term test electronically and synchronously over a networked classusing the University intranet. This proved to be well-received by the studentswho indicated that they liked this e-quiz test as a whole. This seems to showthat present generation of undergraduate students enjoyed their lessonssupported by technology in their learning process. The trend strongly indicatesthat digital teaching and learning will gain ground in the Malaysianinstitutions of higher learning and multimedia will emerge as an effectiveplatform for teaching and learning in the classroom.

The interactive multimedia learning (IMML) module presentedhere displayed several characteristics that would make it a more effective wayto teach and learn, such as the following:

It incorporates multimedia and interactive features which is a fundamental departure from the traditional presentation of educational content.

 

It establishes a two-way interaction between the computer and the user, thus enabling he/she to be an active learner instead of being a passive recipient of information as in the traditional mode of learning.

 

It is a visually-based module which allows the user to see the concepts and information presented in a more graphical and interesting manner.

 

It contains materials that allow students to view them at their own pace, time and place.

 

It contains features that allow students to control the flow and path of the navigation and be responsible for the information acquired.

 

Therefore, it can be seen that the creation of the IMMLmodule and the e-quiz not only serves to improve the teacher's instructionaldelivery strategies but also to provide students with an interactive andmedia-rich learning environment to pursue their education.

In conclusion, we see that learning with multimediatechnology has introduced an important paradigm shift in education that willhave a very important impact on our educational system and the way teachersteach and students learn. This changing role of teaching and learning isinevitable with the introduction of multimedia technologies in the educationalfield and the spawning of a technological savvy generation of youths.Information is being exchanged in a digital mode, and the educational curriculumis evolving to incorporate multimedia elements and interactive features thatcreate a better teaching and learning environment for the students as well asthe teachers. The future trend in educational methodology and strategy is gearedtowards integrating multimedia technology into the classroom.

In this context, multimedia can be used as the strategicinstructional medium for teaching and learning in our institutions of higherlearning and multimedia will emerge as an effective platform for teaching andlearning in the Malaysian classroom. By integrating multimedia technologies intoeducation, we will be better able to produce a workforce that can feed theK-economy (knowledge economy) of the Malaysian society. In fact, incorporatingmultimedia into the classroom is becoming a global trend.

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