Retooling for Creative Curriculum -
Using Low Threshold Activities to
Produce Best Practice Educational
Multimedia and Hypermedia

Allan Carrington Professional Officer Learning and Teaching Australia Catholic University

Abstract: Will Rogers once said "When you are through changing, you are through." Production of educational multimedia is changing and faculty and support staff are having to change with it. This paper describes potential benefits for using multimedia and hypermedia, describes barriers that limited their use in the past, and briefly outlines current issues. The paper argues that there is an important future for educational multimedia, and new methods and software programs are available that will change how it's produced. In particular, the philosophy and strategy of Low Treshold Activities (LTAs) provides an important foundation for the retooling of creative curriculum.

Introduction

Multimedia, as a concept, has reached popular acceptance. While many people use it interchangeably with the term hypermedia, the two are different. Multimedia is the integrated presentation of information in more than one form, e.g., text, graphic, sound, animation or video. Hypermedia is defined as the linking of multimedia through such things as web documents and the integration of text, images, sound, graphics, animation, and video through hyperlinks. It is better to view multimedia and hypertext as two independent entities with an intersection that might be called hypermedia.

Convincing faculty members that multimedia and/or hypermedia is a good idea for educational use is just the beginning. For, once they have decided to use them, the e-learning support person may be called upon to help locate or develop resources, while working within instructors’ time constraints. However, limited resources and the demands of just-in-time training often mean that “do it yourself” is the only option. Faculty members then come armed with a battery of questions:

• Where do I start?
• What types of multimedia could I (or should I) use?
• Why pick one technology (e.g., audio) over another (e.g., slideshow)
• How do I best use video for online education?
• Without any "legal-speak," please, what is the bottom line on fair use? (That is, can I use a two-minute, "teachable moment" from last week's edition of the West Wing TV program?)
• Now that I have got some good ideas, how do I know if they are pedagogically sound? Are there checklists or online tutorial/s available?
• I can use a digital video recorder as students act out a two-minute scene, but how can I produce it on the desktop to get acceptable video?
• What is good interactivity to build into multimedia?
• How can I do what I have in mind? What software can I use and is it hard to learn?
  ... And the list goes on

This paper suggests that Low Threshold Activities (LTAs) are one way to address the kinds of questions posed by faculty members interested in incorporating multimedia to enhance instruction. To provide a context for this discussion, the first section outlines the potential benefits of using multimedia in online learning environments, and the second outlines past barriers and some current issues in terms of faculty use of these methodologies. The third section discusses (a) what characteristics distinguish LTAs from other applications; (b) how those features help address the questions that concern instructors and enable them to produce multimedia projects that reflect best practices; and (c) selected software titles that reflect some, if not all, of the characteristics. The final section takes a look at future possibilities for how multimedia may evolve in ways that will enrich learning environments.

Why Should Faculty Use Multimedia/Hypermedia?

Much research has been done and many words written about the potential benefits of educational multimedia. This term refers to the use of media which engages the senses of sight and sound in education. The rationale for using multiple media is to enhance learning by providing multiple ways to learn, using text and images, and increasingly, audio and video (among other means). Images, audio, and text provide interest, realism and mutual reinforcement of the learning process. In many kinds of learning, such as procedural skills, it is essential to exploit multiple media, in particular imagery, animation, and even video in order to demonstrate how to carry out some task or procedure (Mack, Masullo, Meyer, 1997). Houghton (1996) contends that multimedia is the best way to address the most fundamental learner needs: a. "Can you explain that differently, I don't get it." "I'm stuck!" b. "I'm bored." c. "I want to listen. I need to see.” He argues that multimedia provides fresh perspective and metaphor, instructional variation, and awareness.

Best Practice occurs when the production and use of multimedia meets the following criteria: (1) it begins with the students and their need. (2) the learning is experiential, inductive, hands-on, involving doing and collaborating. (3) it emphasizes higher-order thinking using concepts and principles leading to deep study, (4) it utilizes inquiry and discovery techniques.

Multimedia will enhance the learning experience, increasing the sense of reality and improve student engagement. Best practice online stimulates interactivity and helps the message appeal to more learning styles.

Using multimedia and hypermedia can:

Improve the breadth and depth of students' understanding.

When developing online educational materials, we have to be careful we are not just moving text-based curriculum to the Internet. Multimedia provides representations in multiple modalities (e.g., 3-D, auditory, graphic, text). Comprehension and retention are remarkably increased when more senses are used in acquiring information. Not only does the use of multimedia help students with their needs, it facilitates collaborative activity as well. Also users can repeat lessons as many times as they like.(Lee, 2001)

Improve the rate of student learning.

Dawes and McCollam (2002),in their meta-analysis of Bracewell and Larerriere’s (1996) examination of 78 studies of the use of educational technologies in large classes, make three generalizations about the use of multimedia in education. First, in referring to time and attention span, it was observed that students are willing to devote greater time to the learning activity when a new technology is used. Also, a big plus for multimedia is that it promotes a “research spirit.” i.e. That is, it stimulates the search for more extensive information on a subject, a more satisfying solution to a problem, and more generally, a greater number of relationships among various pieces of knowledge or data. Finally, multimedia promotes learning that is more integrated and better assimilated, through its potential for simulation, virtual manipulation, rapid merging of a wide variety of data, graphic representation and other functions. It contributes to a linkage of knowledge with various aspects of the person, thereby ensuring more thorough assimilation of the many things learned.

Najjar’s (1996) analysis of a wide variety of empirical studies shows that computer-based multimedia instruction may help people to learn more information in less time than traditional classroom lectures. This is especially the case when the computer-based multimedia instruction is interactive and learner-paced.

There is some empirical support for using specific multimedia to help people learn specific kinds of information These advantages appear to be due to the ability of certain multimedia combinations to support the way people understand, organize, and access the information (Najjar, 1996)

Provide greater opportunities for student self-direction

Attention can be firmly held thanks to sophisticated interaction devices and game-like scenarios.

Multimedia has the flexibility to meet the individual needs and abilities of each user, allowing branching options and different learning paths. Students can interact directly with the software. His means they can explore, answer question, perform activities and insert data. All this and then they can get immediate feedback.

It is a friendly environment for the user, removing such barriers as the fear of failure, embarrassment and peer pressure. Also, multimedia can be used to achieve learning that would otherwise be difficult to achieve by conventional methods, offering potential for visualising complex, abstract, dynamic or microscopic processes. This is particularly useful for subject matters such as chemistry, biology and human anatomy etc. (Lee, 2001)

Provide Additional benefits

Gilbert (2001), although addressing the wider question of the use of technology in education suggests that we need to “bother” using multimedia in education so that

• we can preserve what matters most while transforming what needs to change.
• we can develop and sustain deeper human connections, thus avoid drowning in a flood of shallow communications.
• individual learners, teachers, and related support professionals can connect better to information, ideas and each other via effective combinations of pedagogy and technology - both old and new, on-campus and online.
• we can find hope in learning and joy in teaching.

What Barriers, In The Past, Have Limited Faculty Use Of Multimedia/Hypermedia?

Personal Barriers (Internal Factors)

“There's an old saying in education, that 'teachers teach as they were taught,'" says James Lehman, PT3 Project Director at Purdue University's School of Education. "And if our student teachers only see faculty members lecturing, they're likely to just lecture. But if they see their faculty members using technology in effective ways, they're going to use technology in effective ways as well." (PT3 Website 2002)

Cuthbert (1996) contends that one determining factor in whether people adopt innovations is whether their sense of whether they are (or will be) perceived to be competent. This observation would also hold true of academics, as there is genuine risk in venturing into areas in which they are not already recognized experts.

Technological Barriers (Exterior Factors)

Two factors that have previously limited the adoption of multimedia technology in educational settings have been their cost and complexity. Both of these factors, however, have witnessed substantial improvements in recent years. Nonlinear digital video editors, for example, were prohibitively expensive and manageable only by professionals as little as six years ago. However, these capabilities are now available for free, through programs such as iMovie, that have been designed with beginners in mind, with more advanced professional editing software, such as Final Cut Pro, available for $900 US. Thus, the capitalization cost of producing multimedia components for education has dropped significantly, while it has been made more accessible to a substantially broader range of users.

Multimedia, by definition, mixes various elements (photos, illustrations, text, sound and video) as if they were players and scenery of a play. It was this analogy that inspired the developers of the software which today is the industry standard of multimedia production, to call it Director. The addition of Lingo, its scripting language, increases its functionality. However, this power and function come at a price, as its learning curve is very steep. Even studied at Masters level, it is very challenging to learn and use. However there is a new generation of software emerging, with some of the key characteristics of LTAs, that will put sophistication and power into the hands of non-professionals.

Professional Barriers

How an institution gives incentives can have a bearing on the use of technology and more specifically the development and use of educational multimedia/hypermedia. Professional factors, such as requirements for publication, promotion and tenure can be barriers. Perhaps (in some settings) even placing a higher value on research and scholarship than on teaching can hinder experimentation, development and use of multimedia/hypermedia. (Haysbert, 2002)

Two other realities have been barriers to multimedia development for education. All faculty members in any University are short of time and could not allocate enough of it to be involved in the long production processes that have been required until recently. However, even if they could somehow set aside the time, they would be hampered by a lack of available training.

Even if time could be set aside and training accessed, educators need to change their mindset. Walker’s (2002) comments, originally made in connection to distance education, may apply equally well to developing and using multimedia in education:

Complexity of Instructional Design

Very recently, Bear (2002) presented at the Online Learning Conference, saying that traditional linear instructional design models are too time-consuming for practical purposes. She argued that when time is limited, the stages of the instructional design model are collapsed and a new design or model implemented.

The Instructional System Design debate still rages. There is general agreement, however, that e-learning instructional designers should learn the phases of at least one ISD model (Broadbent, 2002)

ISD will be needed for the use of LTAs. Great applications and activities don't mean much unless you have a plan. Work is being done on strategies such as rapid protyping, modular development and the formulation of learning objects. (Bear 2002)

What Are The Current Issues In Terms Of Faculty
Use Of These Methodologies

In studying and improving the educational value of technology, it is important to not be blinded by the hardware nor distracted by measures of satisfaction. That's the message of a brief, narrated presentation by Dr. Stephen C. Ehrmann, Director of the Flashlight Program. He describes three basic attitudes about technology and their implications for evaluation. Conceptually, monadic thinking is one element thinking (e.g., technology is good but its outcome undefined), while dyadic thinking has two elements (e.g., technology and an outcome). Ehrmann suggests that in today’s world of empowering technology, you need triadic, or three element thinking (e.g., thinking about technology, then the activity, and finally the outcome) (Ehrmann, 2002). This same thinking is valuable in evaluating the use of multimedia

Dependence on the Professional Support

During the research for this paper I noticed a trend when looking for “how to” resources to help faculty develop educational multimedia, available on the Internet. There was the very old (by internet standards) 1995 (Iskander, Catten, Jones, Jameson, Balcells 1995) talking about the technology of the time and then current sites advertising professional service help but not resources for academics to do it themselves. For example, the University of Melbourne Courseware Development website which was created in 2001 had dead links on it under the title Designing and Producing Courseware which read “Planning Your Project” and “Learning about multimedia and educational technology” (Uni.of Melbourne, 2002) It seems they meant to provide these but never have. This seems reflective of a shift towards professional services to support academics. While this shift may reflect a recognition that multimedia development has been both expensive and time-consuming, it may not necessarily be a viable solution in the long run. Academic budgets are limited and are likely to remain tight, and collaborating with others to produce instructional elements may also have its own time requirements. Later in this paper, I propose that we are in the early days of a change of direction for multimedia production, one that will make such “outsourcing” less attractive.

Fair Use

Another issue facing the multimedia producer today is a concern over intellectual property. Sometimes this protective trend hinders the development of educational multimedia. If a multimedia piece is to be produced, those concerned really need to know the Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia (Fair Use Guidelines 2002), particularly when dealing with commercially produced elements, such as movies, news programs, and the like.

Establishment of Standards of Teaching with Technology

The National Education Technology Standards project (NETS 2002) in the U.S., developed through the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), details the need for educators to be familiar with technology operations and concepts, as well as the planning and designing of e-learning environments. Familiarizing oneself with new media content creation is a laborious, time-intensive task, and educators who wish to accommodate these standards face great challenges. At the same time, these standards have been incorporated into accreditation requirements for teacher training programs and integrated into other content area guidelines, as well. Thus, in the short term, teachers already in the field are likely to feel pressured by these new requirements, but having them included within the training sequence will mean that technology proficiency will soon be much more widespread among teachers in public school settings.

Accessibility

Who said one person can’t make a difference. When a disabled user of the 2000 Olympics Website sued IBM and won for failing to make the site accessible to the handicapped, the Internet changed forever. Developers of instructional content need to take the needs of special populations into consideration. However, this requirement need not be a burden. There are a number of resources available to make the web more accessible to people with a disability. Macromedia accessibility solutions are designed for Web developers who are relatively new to Web design and those with advanced Web design expertise. A full range of tools, tutorials, white papers, case studies, webcasts and seminars are available for free and can be downloaded from the Macromedia site. (2002) At the same time, web developers can submit web pages for online analysis through the “Bobby” site
( www.cast.org/bobby/), which can identify common barriers encountered by web users who have various disabilities, and suggest appropriate alternatives using standard web page construction techniques.

Retooling to Address Faculty Concerns

Are there workable solutions for the questions posed by educators who want to incorporate multimedia, but have limited time and are not experts in developing and using various kinds of media elements? Low Threshold Applications (LTAs) represent one alternative for finding such solutions.

What are Low Threshold Applications (LTAs)

Gilbert (2002) characterizes an LTA as a teaching/learning application of information technology that is reliable, accessible, easy to learn, non-intimidating and (incrementally) inexpensive. In addition, each LTA has observable positive consequences, and contributes to important long-term changes in teaching and/or learning. Gilbert also stresses that it is important that the potential user (teacher or learner) perceives an LTA as NOT challenging, not intimidating, not requiring a lot of additional work or new thinking. LTAs… are also 'low-threshold' in the sense of having low INCREMENTAL costs for purchase, training, support, and maintenance."

There are many new LT Applications which not only fit the criteria of an LTA but are being used successfully in the classroom. eZediaMX is such an LTA and the Maddens say "because eZediaMX is easy to learn for both students and teachers, it reduces time and costs in training and leaves everyone free to focus on the real issues - curriculum, content, and learning. The powerful logic area in eZediaMX further addresses concerns raised by the National Science Foundation that students have access to experiences that foster high-level thinking and problem-solving skills. The nice part is that the tools in eZediaMX grow with the user. You can do something very simple in a few minutes or you can take on a much more complex and sophisticated task. For the first time, that choice is in the hands of the end-user". Maddens (2002)

So How Does a Low Threshold Activity (also LTA) work

Similarly, Low Threshold Activities incorporate a Low Threshold Application of Technology, using a Low Threshold Approach to teaching and learning. Next, add a Low Threshold Achievement (i.e., learning outcome) along with a Low Threshold Assessment. This concept is expanded further in an interesting webcast. (Ansorge, Bowers, and Harris, 2002)

The Characteristics of LTAs

• Low or no entry cost
• Easy to learn and apply
• Not intimidating
• Proven pedagogical benefit(s)
• Reliable and represents a low risk
• Facilitate or contribute to changes in how faculty approach technology and teaching

Appendix Two of this paper provides a representative list of software packages that fit into the LTA model. There are a lot more out there and more being developed.

Lee (2001) describes EzediaMX as more than Multimedia, it is the student's constructivist tool. This software has many of the characteristics of LTAs. It is easy to use and a fraction of the cost of Macromedia Director. EzediaMX has no programming or scripting required, which is a relief to non-programmers who have struggled with Director's lingo language. EzediaMX uses drag and drop extensively and has a simple drop down button type interface. Unlike Director it is easy to learn and supported by easily understood Quicktime video instruction for every function of the program. It is certainly not intimidating and has proven robust and low risk. (Mersereau, 2002)

Changing the Faculty Culture – Getting the Mainstream
Faculty Members using LTAs

Many have recognized the differences between “pioneers” and “mainstream” faculty members and the need to offer professional development programs that are responsive to their differences. In the beginning, start with low hanging fruit, suggests Gilbert. That is, start out by identifying a few courses in one or two departments where you are likely to find support for your efforts, a few individual faculty members likely to be receptive and a few Low Threshold Applications that meet their need. (Gilbert, 2002) This kind of advice is consistent with Rogers’ (1977) ideas on the dissemination of innovation.

Not the Conclusion but an Exciting Beginning

E-learning and the technologies that drive it are constantly changing, and it is important to recognize that we are only beginning to tap their potential. Realizing that potential will require both vision and adaptability, as reflected in the following scenario

The above is an extract from one of the excellent articles just published in September 2002 by the US Department of Commerce in their publication “2020 Visions: Transforming Education and Training Through Advanced Technologies”.(2020 Visions 2002) Contributors were asked to give their impressions of the future. Futurists are met with guarded apprehension in an academic paper. However without vision we perish, so the time needed to read this glimpse into the future may be most beneficial.

Bridging the gap between the future and the present requires finding a resource network that shares similar goals and recognizes the obstacles The author found one such group in the Teaching, Learning and Technology group, a large community of like-minded educational professionals. He participated for the first time in a live TLT webcast on Synchronous Communication tools(LTAs) for online instruction. (Saltzberg, Wasowski, 2002)

Dr Stephen Gilbert, the President of the TLT Group, invited him to ask for resources and help, from a community of 5,800+ faculty, campus administrators, technology professionals, librarians, corporate officials, and others using a Listserv called TLT-SWG, This is a highly moderated electronic discussion group focusing on issues of teaching, learning, technology and educational change. Moderated by Dr Gilbert, TLT-SWG is an indispensable guide to the changing landscape of higher education. Enclosed as Appendix One is the posting which was published as recently as Oct 11th 2002.

The original plan of briefly discussing some interesting new software products in a college paper, has grown into a research project which may ultimately end up as a rich online resource and learning space to help faculty and others learn how to use low threshold options to plan, produce and use educational multimedia and hypermedia.