Structure and Tools Multimedia titles have structure or

architecture Navigational structure determines how user

can go through the overall content Activity structure determines how learner

interacts within a local activity on a screen Can you provide an example of each? Why do e-learning designers especially need

to plan navigational and activity structures? Different models of structure lend

themselves to different multimedia development tools

Linear Present content sequentially

Which relies more on linear structure: UC or AE?

Why might a linear structure seem less interactive, under user’s control? But how can it still be interactive?

Why might it be a good idea to start by designing a a linear structure, then elaborate?

Hierarchy Tree: root is main menu screen,

with branches to sub-menus or leaf screens How are The Universal Computer and

The Analytical Engine organized with a hierarchical structure?

What are the pros and cons of this approach?

How can drawbacks of hierarchical structure be overcome?

Multi-track Multiple streams of synchronous media User can switch between different channels in focus,

or collage several together I.e., you can watch a full-screen movie, or call up a

sidebar with text and/or control buttons How does UC feature a limited use of multi-track? Cartoon Guide to Physics has three distinct tracks:

One track has user-driven experiments with laws of physics In Lucy’s World track, a character explains physics as a story Hall of Fame track provides biographical and in-depth info

Interactive stories

User controls order of outcome of story

Branching story structure: Starts with common trunk User chooses between different branches Example in UM: A Taste of C++

Why are branching structures more expensive to produce?

Web stories Initial sequence, or “cut scene,” sets

the stage, introduces characters, etc. User then explores a “web” of places

to collect clues and meet more characters

When you solve a key to puzzle, another cut scene advances the story some more, opening the doors to new web of places

Virtual space

A familiar multidimensional space, such as a room or a book, which users know intuitively how to navigate though.

How would a book UI support this? To what other structure is

a virtual space usually similar?

Modular Independent media objects which user

can manipulate Barbie game lets children mix & match

dolls, houses, clothing & accessories Pieces are independent of each other could

even be sold as separate units Constructive: each piece has behaviors that

combine to create unpredictable interactions

Why might a constructive approach be useful for e-learning?

Simulation Build a model of some slice of the real

or imaginary world, then run it Popularized by games like SimCity What kind of e-learning applications are

especially suitable for simulations? Immersive training or testing applications

Can simulations be useful for other e-learning applications? See Turing Machine in The Universal

Computer

Reflection

Linear, hierarchical, interactive story, web story, virtual space, modular, or simulation—which navigational structure(s) might you use in your project? Why? Justify your answer in terms of your content, your audience, what you believe will facilitate learning, and ease or difficulty of development.

Authoring tools

Software for creating multimedia titles

Authoring tools match with different architectural styles

Range in a continuum from general languages like C++ and Java to specialized tools like HyperCard, Toolbook, Director and Authorware

Cards and Stacks Metaphor of index cards, which developers

arrange into stacks of cards Hypercard: the first popular multimedia

authoring tool, for Macintosh Supercard adds better color and richer media

types Thus cards can link to other cards in a stack

structure, and stacks link to other stacks Good for creating hierarchical and linear

structures, simple interactive stories and simulations

Myst authored in Hypercard

Time-based tools Metaphor is a film director constructing a title out

of scenes in a movie set Director assembles a cast of characters Characters (sprites) move on a stage Plots created as a score of frames Flash borrows its UI from Director, fine-tuned for

web What kind of navigational structures can we

create with these tools? Good for linear, multi-track or hierarchical

structures, especially with animation Especially strong at arranging synchronization of

sprite behaviors

Icon-based tools Metaphor is a flow line onto which developer drags

elements Authorware, IconAuthor: visual programming

by combining media building blocks What kinds of structure can you create with icon

tools? Linear structures are obviously easy Hierarchical structures supported with “maps” and

“frames” that nest other flow lines Menu structures are possible with user interactions Different elements can execute concurrently; thus

multi-tracking structures and animations are possible

Scripting languages For programming event handlers, e.g.:

on mouseUppause [stop the animation]

end mouseUp Event may occur on any part of a card,

sprite, frame or icons Director’s Lingo is known as a very rich

scripting language Authorware and Flash also have

scripting languages

Object-oriented tools Artifacts using self-contained units with well-

defined interfaces Smalltalk, C++. Python, Java, ActionScript 3.0 Also mTropolis, ScriptX and MediaForge Dynamic binding lets objects determine what

behaviors mean at run-time Especially suitable for modular or constructive

models and simulations Kaleida's DreamScape:

http://www.catalog.com/hopkins/lang/scriptx/demo/demo1.html

General programming languages Visual Basic and Java use an event-

driven model: code attached to objects waits for user- or system-triggered events, then springs into action

Java comes with a rich library of classes, including Swing and Java Media Objects library

C# is Microsoft’s answer to Java Good for simulations and may improve

performance Why is it generally better to use a more

specialized tool for multimedia applications?