AUDITORIUM PRESENTATION

AUDITORIUM PRESENTATION

Constructing Multimedia Learning tools: Things we Learned the Hard Way

P.A. Stewart, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

ABSTRACT:

The construction and use of multimedia learning tools is a relatively new pedagogy. The numerous advantages inherent in electronic resources are somewhat moderated by the significant cost and effort necessary to construct and test them. Currently there is no well established methodology for constructing and testing useful learning tools and integrating them into a curriculum. This talk will describe a selected set of learning tools developed at the University of Toronto for use by medical students. The focus is on the errors we made and the lessons we have learned from them. We tentatively propose some principles of learning tool construction for the consideration of the audience. The proposed ìprinciplesî fall into two categories: process and design.

PROCESS

· Get the money up front, set the time aside - be realistic about your expectations if you don’t have infinite resources.

· Assemble the right skill set (content providers, designers, programmers, and educators) and donít mix them up.

· Involve user feedback very early in the process. Learn how to conduct a focus group. Better still; involve a professional educator whenever possible.

· Integrate the program into the curriculum i.e. do not offer the content in any other form; ask exam questions on the content.

· Pay attention to pedagogical principles.

DESIGN

· Use color intelligently - make good use of your designer.

· Make the most important thing on the page the biggest and most obvious - make good use of your designer.

· Keep the navigation very, very simple ñ make good use of your programmer.

· Include a well designed self quiz whenever possible - pay attention to pedagogical principles and make good use of your educator.

· Keep animations simple - only one event occurring at any given time.

· If the program is designed to be used more than once, avoid “catchy” novelties or metaphors to engage the user - they get old very quickly.

BENEFIT TO PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING SESSION:

Collectively, we at this conference have a great deal of experience in constructing learning tools, and appreciate keenly that they are expensive, time-consuming, and not always used by the target audience in the way that we anticipated. This talk will describe a small number of learning tools constructed at the University of Toronto for medical students. The focus of the talk is on the errors we made and the lessons that we learned from them. Our aim is to engender a sense of deja vu and a lively discussion on the "dos" and "dont's" in building multimedia learning tools.

P.A. Stewart

Division of Anatomy, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto,

1 King's College Circle,

Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

M5S 1A8

Phone: 416-978-8963

Fax: 416-978-3844

mailto:p.stewart@utoronto.caWebsite: http://www.utoronto.ca/neuronotes

CO-AUTHORS:

M.J. Wiley

B. Liebgott

Division of Anatomy, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto,