The Power of Multimedia in Modern Education: 

Introduction

Media are meant for broadcasting and publishing information. These media are defined as transmitters of information which are considered as “carriers of messages from some transmitting source (which may be a human being or an inanimate object) to the receiver of the message”. Media includes the means to create, store and present instructional content including tools such as chalk and talk, books and computers, slide projectors, video projection, document cameras, audio and video systems, etc. Each medium has its own unique characteristic and essential pedagogical implications which is selected according to the learners’ need and instructional objectives. In multimedia approach, different media (new and/or old) are integrated together for better teaching and learning. It is defined as the presentation of instruction that involves more than one delivery media, presentation mode and/or sensory modality.

Multimedia Approach

Multimedia approach to teaching-learning may be referred to as the use of appropriate and carefully selected varieties of learning experiences which when presented to the learner through selected teaching strategies, will reinforce and strengthen one another in such a way that the learner will achieve predetermined objectives in an effective way. It is an approach of teaching in which different mediums are incorporated to make the teaching-learning more effective, enthusiastic, inspirational, meaningful and interesting. It is one of the important innovations in the field of education technology to improve the process and product of education or teaching.

Definition

• Multimedia is the exciting combination of computer hardware and software that allows you to integrate video, animation, audio, graphics, and text resource to develop effective presentations on an affordable desktop computer (Fenrich, 1997).

Meaning

Multimedia is derived from the two words: Multi means many or multiple and Media means a way of conveying information. Thus multimedia means using more than one media. The teaching-learning process carried out through a number of media is termed as multimedia approach to education. It aims at providing meaningful learning experience and thus improves the process of teaching-learning.

Characteristics of Multimedia

• Multimedia is the use of a number of media, devices and techniques for teaching-learning.

• It is the contribution and net result of the researches and experiments going on in the subject of education technology for improving the process and products of the act of teaching-learning.

• The variety of media are carefully selected so as to prove quite effective in providing learning experiences to the learners for achieving the pre-determined teaching-learning objectives.

• While selecting different media for adopting multimedia approach it is cared that the presence of one must increase the effect of others.

• It asks for the judicious and planned use of the hardware and software available in the field of educational technology.

• Several media and techniques can be effectively used as appropriate vehicles for the needed communication of ideas in the process of teaching-learning.

Nature of Multimedia Approach

• Multimedia approach uses a number of media, devices, techniques, in the teaching-learning process.

• Multimedia approach has come out of researches and experiments in educational technology that have been undertaken in order to improve the process of teaching-learning.

• Multimedia approach aims at providing meaningful learning experiences via a mix of media in order to achieve predetermined objectives.

• The choice of the media has to be done carefully so that one does not hamper or reduce the effect of the other i.e. each media must complement the other.

• The media have to be used sequentially and judiciously. Only necessary ones are to be used. Then it would be possible to make optimum use of them in a most economical manner.

• In multimedia approach, several media and techniques are used as powerful means of communication.

Role of Teacher in Multimedia Approach

The teacher has to make a lot of modifications and adjustment if he has to adopt multimedia approach. His role would have a different connotation compared to the traditional role.

• The teacher has to adopt a number of methods and techniques.

• Teacher has to be aware of the different available media and their availability.

• Teacher should be physically competent to use and demonstrate the use of the different media.

• Teacher should be skillful enough to make a judicious choice of media and be competent enough to mix them sequentially and in an orderly manner.

• Teacher’s role is that of facilitator or manager of activities.

• Teacher has to lead his student for independent, individualized learning.

• The teacher should provide experience such that students can link practice and theory and integrate them.

Advantages of Multimedia Techniques

• Make the teaching-learning process more effective, meaningful, interesting and enthusiastic.

• It brings life into classroom situations.

• It provides variety and flexibility to classroom learning.

• It helps to relieve the teachers from daily routine work.

• It provides individualized instructions – Provides opportunities to the learner to learn in his/her own pace/speed.

• It also provides mass education – Provides opportunity to educate a group of students at time.

• It helps to retain the information for a longer time in our memory.

• It provides direct or firsthand experience to the students.

• It motivates the learner for effective learning.

Disadvantages of the Multimedia Approach

• Requires highly sophisticated infrastructure facilities, which may lead to heavy financial burden.

• Expertise and skill are required to operate the multimedia devices, which will lead to the problem of non-availability of human resources.

• Not feasible in all topics of study.

 MULTISENSORY APPROACH:

Multi sensory teaching technique means helping a child to learn through more than one sense. Teaching and learning should, therefore, make effective use of the sensory functions of the child.