Interactives in e-Learning

Christine Crawford

EFT 509

Personal Meaning

• The UND Online Team

• Creating interactives – are they worth our time??

• Look to the research to find the answer

Definition of “interactive”

• An interactive is NOT a movie

• An interactive is a multimedia “object” which allows the learner to act upon the object and cause something to happen within the content.

• Interactives contain images, sound, text, graphics, and provide learner control.

What makes an interactive effective?

• Little research has been done on this, but some has been done on what is effective for e-learning and what makes games and simulations effective so we try to extrapolate that information to apply it to interactives.

Principles of e-Learning Clark and Mayer

from e-Learning and the Science of Instruction 1. Use words and graphics rather than words alone.2. Place corresponding words and graphics near each

other.3. Present words as audio narration rather than onscreen

text.4. Presenting words in both text and audio narration can

hurt learning.5. Adding interesting material can hurt learning.6. Use conversational style and virtual coaches.7. Use practice with feedback interspersed throughout the

lesson and teach learners to self-question.

Examples of interactives

• Mus100 L1: The Concept of Musical Space

• Coal Ash in the Classroom: L4

• Coal Ash in the Classroom: L7

• http://library.nyu.edu:8000/research/tutorials/boolean/tutorial.html

Mayer Article

• Mayer, R.E., Dow, G.T., and Mayer, S. (2003) Multimedia learning in an interactive self-explaining environment: what works in the design of agent-based microworlds? Journal of Educational Psychology. Vol 95. No. 4. 806-813.

• To test the Modality Principle – present words as audio narration rather than onscreen text for interactive media and the proposed Interactivity Principle – multimedia instruction is more effective when learners have control of the pace using interactive components.

• Compares the results of a near transfer test for learners using a pedagogical agent and learners using text when studying an electric motor in an interactive environment.

• Conducted 4 experiments using between 37 and 52 students at the Univ of Cali, Santa Barbara

• The results of the transfer test bore out as predicted and supported the principles.

Markey Article #1

• Markey, K. (2003). Interactive Multimedia for Library-User Education. portal: Libraries & the Academy. Vol. 3 Issue 4, p601-613.

• Description of Flash and it’s uses• Cites old research as recording “dismal results”

when comparing interactive and traditional methods. (1988 – 1999)

• Uses those results as a reason NOT to repeat the comparison in her study

Markey Article #2

• Markey, K., et al. (2005). Testing the Effectiveness of Interactive Multimedia for Library-User Education. portal: Libraries & the Academy. Vol. 5 Issue 4, p527-544.

• Four university library systems• Three Web-based multimedia “shows”• 30 subjects per show, voluntary, paid• Majority undergrad; few graduate students• 15–30 min of the “show”• Post test• Results: post-test scores improved significantly over their pre-

test scores; lack of difference in older students showed that user education is necessary at all levels.

What does this mean?

• Markey and Mayer appeared to be working on the same topic simultaneously and publishing similar results- that multimedia interactives can be effective instructional tools.

• It added to the evidence that multimedia interactives can be effective.

• It’s still necessary to provide evidence that multimedia interactives are effective tools for e-learning and are worth the time and effort it takes to create them.

Merlot.com

• Web page with thousands of peer-reviewed learning objects, including hundreds of interactives.

• www.merlot.com

Recommendations

• Conduct studies that compare traditional methods and multimedia interactives designed using the Principles of e-Learning. – Test for pre- and post-test results immediately and

over time. – Test for near and far transfer.

• Conduct surveys asking users their opinions and usage.

• Gather raw data regarding interactive usage and relate to measurements of success.

References

• Mayer, R.E., Dow, G.T., and Mayer, S. (2003). Multimedia learning in an interactive self-explaining environment: what works in the design of agent-based microworlds? Journal of Educational Psychology. Vol 95. No. 4. 806-813.

• Markey, K. Interactive Multimedia for Library-User Education. (2003). portal: Libraries & the Academy. Vol. 3. Issue 4, p601-613.

• Markey, K., et al. (2005). Testing the Effectiveness of Interactive Multimedia for Library-User Education. portal: Libraries & the Academy, Vol. 5 Issue 4, p527-544.

• Clark, R.C. and Mayer, R. E. (2003). e-Learning and the science of instruction: proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. Pfeiffer: San Francisco, CA.

• Retrieved from www.merlot.com on July 11, 2007.

Any

questions?