Multimedia Instruction in the Content Areas

Description: This course examines the role of multimedia in the curriculum and prepares participants to effectively integrate the use of multimedia and video technologies into instruction.   Using a variety of digital tools, students develop and design multi-media projects that use audio, video, graphic and narrative content. 

Rationale:  Instructional technology specialists should be able to design, develop, and evaluate multimedia products for instruction in their content areas.  

Course Objectives: 

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

Identify multi-media tools and software appropriate for specific content areas.

Demonstrate proficiency in the use of selected multimedia tools (graphic, video, and sound production programs).

Integrate multimedia tools into the curriculum in ways that facilitate students’ higher order and complex thinking skills.

Discuss curricular implications of current multimedia educational research.

Instruct colleagues in the multimedia curriculum development process, including instruction in technical skills needed for project implementation.

Teaching Methods and Course Activities:  

Review exemplary multimedia units, identifying best practices in curriculum integration in various content areas.

Develop a collection of multi-media resources for your content area.

Analyze selected readings on multimedia research and practice.  

Learn how to use a specific multimedia tool and design a tutorial that teaches colleagues how to use that tool.

Develop a multimedia project for classroom or district-wide curricular implementation.

Basis for Student Evaluation:

Digital Narrative Project (based on I-Photo Collections) (20%); Multimedia project with rationale for how multimedia elements enhance student learning (30%); reviews of multimedia lessons and units on various websites (10%); collection of resources (10%); participation in online discussion of selected readings (15%); tutorial on using a specific multimedia technology (15%).

Products must include an appropriate mix of visual, audio, and print components. 

Bibliography, resources, etc.

Emile Arts. "Ambient Intelligence: A Multimedia Perspective," IEEE MultiMedia, (11:1, January/March 2004).

Margules, N. “New Horizons for Learning, Interactive Multi-Media Culture: http://www.studioimc.com/ “ (11:3), Fall 2005.

Simkins, M., et. al.  Increasing Student Learning through Multimedia Projects, ASCD, 2002.

Chapman, Jenny. Digital Multimedia. John Wiley and Sons, 2005.