Rethinking Multimedia Courseware Design

Title: Rethinking Multimedia Courseware Design

By: Abtar Kaur, Faculty of Education, Universit of Malaya

Link: http://myais.fsktm.um.edu.my/5151/

SUMMARY

This article is written by Abtar Kaur from University of Malaya. The article discusses about two theorist of teaching and learning which are objectivism and constructivism, which apply to the designation of multimedia courseware to suit teachers and students’ teaching and learning. The author emphasizes on both theories and provided advantages and disadvantages for both theories which can be a useful information for the designer to design new courseware that will benefit students in terms of enhancing their learning. Based on objectivist, they believe that learning is structured and directed by teacher and the planning of the lesson will be much from teachers’ perspectives. On the other hand, constructivist is the belief that individuals using their experiences as a foundation personally construct knowledge from internal representations (Jonassen, 1990). It means that students use their experiences to construct the learning process and the learning outcomes is acquired during the learning process.

This article compare between the two theories according to the multimedia courseware designed, instructional events, performance objectives, instructional strategy, practice & feedback and the assessment. The comparison between both makes it clear to the reader about both of theories that can be used when designing a multimedia courseware. In the aspect of performance objectives, it says that multimedia courseware that we are having now is a outcome of objectivism view which foucus the activity on the learning to meet the objectives of the lesson and do not provide students with opportunity to construct their own understanding. The instructional strategy of objectivist lead students to be able to master the outcome goal while constructivist, give choices to students what to learn and how to learn about it. Perkins (1991) discussed in detail how computers can be utilized for such activities as information banks, symbol pads, construction kits, phenomeria and task managers to aid in the achievement of constructivist learning. For practice and feedback, objectivist assessment focuses on determining whether the students achieved the performance objectives while assessment of constructivist test higher level of thinking skills and not pre- determined.

Opinion

Strengths

I like the way the author compare the two approaches. For every aspects, the author compare it straight away so that the reader can have quick understanding of both and straight away think of better theories of the two. The aspects that the author compare is also good that it measures the characteristics that a multimedia courseware should have in order to make it more interesting and authentic to students of mix ability.

The author provided some recommendations that can be used by the designer to design a better multimedia courseware to suit the mix ability students.

Weaknesses

As I read through through the article, I can see that the author compare the two theories in a good way but does not give enough examples of activities that can be used to design the courseware. The author focuses more on comparing the theories but but does not give enough information about it.
The author also mentioned about the combination of the theories in designing the courseware but again it does not provide the examples of activities that can be combined to make it more adaptable to various students.
Recommendation
From my reading of the article and some courseware that I have seen, the author really made a good point there of combining both theories in desinging a courseware. I recommend that governement should redesign the current courseware that we have now in school because they are so lame and not interesting and most of them are objectivism in focus while courseware should be something that enhance learning and understanding.
Maybe the author should provide some statistics or chart on the use ofmultimedia courseware in learning and the effectiveness of it.
A small percentage of the courseware incorporated some instructional design principles which are objectivist in nature (Abtar, 1996). However, fast learner were impatient and wanted something more chalenging (Abtar, 1997). Therefore, I suggest that the designing of coming multimedia courseware meet the purpose of it be designed which is for students. Ask teachers in schools to give their ideas on how the courseware should look like, and do not take someone who do not know the raelity of teaching to design it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, i would highly recommend the use of courseware in teaching and learning but give students something new to make them attracted. Computer in learning is a very good way to promote learning. But teachers have not fully utilized it as it requires lots of work and time constraints to maintain and adapt to the technology.