Multimedia has come along way in the pqst several years (and has a long way to go!). There are a variety of problems that must be overcome. Fortunately, there are a variety of solutions. Below is an overly simplistic discussion of a couple of the important issues.

A first step is to identify what is meant by multimedia. On a webpage, this may include background music, animated gif's, video, or simply mixing text with images to provide a learner with multiple sensory experiences. This mixture of text and images is certainly the easiest. Images add excitment, attract attention, and break up large areas of text, and are very easy to add. For these reasons, they are a good idea. However, images also take up bandwidth. Students get bored waiting for a page to load- so while images are good, too many are bad. Choose images carefully to enhance the material but minimize downlaod time. This will increase the likelihood that students will read the entire page. One alternative is to build two parallel websites. One graphic rich, the other graphic poor. By taking the time to create a text-only site, you will really be helping out students with low-end modems or overworked service-providers. Another option that may be even easier is to create a website, and provide a link todownload certain files. If you keep lecture notes in a MS Word file for instance, you can make that file available for quick download by students. Once downloaded, the student can read the notes offline, and print them out if they so choose.

Generally when discussing multimedia on the web, we are referring to video and sound. There are several ways to incoproate sound and/or video into you web site. We will focus on just two.

Video and Sound

The easist way to incorporate sound and video into a web site is to simply link to files which can be downloaded and viewed/heard by the student. While this can be time consuming, the proces is as easy as setting up a link in your html editor. One site that has done an excellent job with this is Project Capetown. This site, hosted by the Curry School of Education has been a favorite site for years, because they have worked to capture and utilize the strengths of the web. While slow to download, the result is worth the wait. A caution here is to choose files judiciously. When creating your own, keep them as small as possible, and be willing to sacrifice quality to increase useability. A search of the web will allow you to find classes that have linked to video-clips of Pavlov's dogs, B.F.Skinner lecturing, and other tidbits from history. In this age of constant entertainment, even 30 second clips can increase motivation and attention.

Streaming Video

Increasingly, video and sound are being "streamed" to provide a quicker and longer lasting multimedia experience. Streaming is a technology where highly compressed video and/or audio signals are sent across the net and a player begins playing the media before it has completely downloaded. Depending on the connection, the entire clip may play continuously, or it may stop occassionally for several seconds to "catch-up." A number of options are available to create streaming video. For the sake of simplicity, we will focus here on Real Media.

The first thing to know about streaming media is that it requires a player which can be downloaded (usually free) off the net. Most companies have advanced versions with extra features for purchase, but the free downloads are generally reliable and simple to install and use. If you do not have a Real Media player, go here to get one. RealMedia allows you to stream, from your website video with audio, just video, or just audio, depending on your needs. One example of video with audio can be found here. This brief video was created in under 2 hours, including learning to use the software. Because video takes a great deal of bandwidth, even when streaming, such clips should still be kept short. Often however, the video is unnecessary. If you want to put a brief lecture on-line, having a picture of your head as you talk may not enhance the experience. Therefore, you might consider creating simple audio clips. The student can hear what the instructor has to say, while maintaining a relativley low level of bandwidth use.

If you are interested in learning more about RealMedia, go here. RealMedia provides a complete collection of software products necessary to create and stream video. Some are free to everyone, others are free to educators. You should also be aware that there are varying ways to stream your media. One is called "http streaming." This can be done from virtually any website and requires no aditional support from you system administrator. However, if you anticipate that many people may be viewing media simultaneously, and if you want them to have a higher quality experience, ask your system administrator to set up a RealMedia server. Once complete, you can actually stay in your office and "broadcast" a lecture from your desk, with students watching from anywhere in the world. While this may not be the best way to teach every class- it may be a way to hold class when you are in Jacksonville at the 11th annual International Conference on College Teaching and Learning.

Need a Camera?

Of course, if you are going to create your own video clips, you will need a microphone and a camera. Microphones are simple contraptions, and can easily be picked up at your local discount store, Radio Shack, or computer dealer. Assuming your system is multimedia ready, you simply plug the microphone in to the sound card in your computer andyou are ready to go. Cameras can be a little trickier. In fact, you have hundreds of choices for cameras, and the price runs from $50 to over $1000. Here, we will simply mention the $50 option. Several years ago, Connectix introduced the QuikCam. Originally selling for about $99, the black and white version can be found for under $50, while the basic color model can be picked up for under $80. The first question should be- "What good is an $80 video camera?" Well, if you clicked above on the video that introduced Counselor Education at our University, then you saw an $80 camera in action. If you didn't, then click here (you must have a RealMedia player). There are many other options, including other simple cameras in the $100-200 range. This is a great palce to start. If you find that you are using the technology, then look to gain access to a better system. But for beginners, this is a great start.

Return to top