In broad terms, the more ways a learner engages with the subject the more likely the learning experience will be remembered - and probably enjoyed. For many years successful teachers and lecturers have incorporated a range of techniques and strategies to maximize variety in the learning experience. Except when learners are highly motivated, presenting them with large quantities of passive text tends to result in limited engagement and therefore limited achievement. There are several factors that make multimedia increasingly important in the learning process:



Push factors

* The widening participation agenda results in a broader cohort of learners whose skill sets, circumstances and levels of motivation may be different from the traditional student. These students may respond better to interactive materials and multimedia than more traditional didactic approaches

* The accessibility agenda has highlighted the difficulties certain groups of learners may have with traditional materials

* The development of VLEs and Intranets has spawned the production of "shovelware" - swathes of passive text based notes online - which have (ironically) often reduced the quality of the teaching and learning experience from the learner's point of view. Multimedia and interactive resources make appropriate use of the added value that can be achieved by intelligent use of online materials.

Pull factors

* The increased functionality of everyday software like Word and PowerPoint allows interactivity and low-end multimedia production with a very low technical skill threshold.

* The improved IT infrastructures of institutions makes it much easier to make interactive/multimedia materials available to learners

The McNaught-Collins learning engagement model [1] illustrates how learner engagement comes about with increasing engagement in the resource or increasing engagement in the task. By adding simple interactivities or multimedia to learning materials, the learner can increase their engagement with the materials - an important contribution to the learning process.

Caveats

Multimedia and interactivity must be selected to add value to learning, not to demonstrate the technical skills of the developer. Evidence suggests that learning experiences that are "too busy" can result in lower levels of concentration and achievement. There must always be a clear purpose to multimedia and interactivity and at any point in the learning experience there must be a clear focus. Activity for its own sake may reduce the effectiveness of learning.

Images and interactivity

Images can add significant value for many learners, particularly those with disabilities or strongly developed visual learning styles. Images in Office applications can be made interactive using drag and drop with text boxes, screentips, hyperlinks or (in PowerPoint) action settings.

Images and video

Camera, web images , screen capture.

Ways to use Value added

Image/video in online resource enhances text description Clarifies text explanation. Provides sense of scale, familiarity, reality etc.

Projected image/video acts as stimulus material for class discussion Allows variety of learning styles and learner participation. Final annotated version can be printed or saved for later access.

Image/video in online material acts as stimulus for learners to interrogate or explain By providing information in a new mode/instance (eg map, graph, photo, video) transferability of learning is tested & developed.

Images/videos act as resource material for learners to use in presentations Preselected images can focus learner on key ideas. Learner actively engaged in creative activity. Encourages peer group collaboration.

Image used in online assessment with multi-choice The ability to apply knowledge to new circumstances can often be effectively tested with image based materials - eg maps, cartoons, graphs, video clips etc. Images may provide confidence building visual cues for learners with visual memories. Simple multi-choice responses can be created using drop down form fields in Word.

Image used in assessment with drag and drop Matching images to descriptions - or placing image elements onto the right part of another image - can be stimulating and effective, particularly if online feedback is available.

Image provides differentiated "self interpretation" By providing "pop-up" information on different parts of an image, highly contextualised information can be presented to those who want / need it without appearing cluttered. Pop-up information can be presented as either text (Word/PowerPoint screen tips) or audio (PowerPoint action settings) and can lead to additional information via hyperlinks.

In terms of accessibility, effective use of images can add value to dyslexic, Deaf and learning disabled students. Visually impaired learners may find succinct diagrams more effective to access than long textual descriptions. Learners with higher degrees of visual impairment may not be able to access image based materials in which case it is important to try to offer them stimulating alternatives - this may include tactile experiences, discussion, debate etc. A text description may be appropriate but it should not be presumed that text only versions always offer suitable alternatives if the aim is to engage learners in learning.

Sounds and interactivity

Adding sound to learning materials can make a difference for many learners - many suggested uses are in the table below. Inserting sound clips is very quick and easy in Office applications - but the clips do add significantly to the file size which may be an issue for learners accessing materials through a dial up connection.

Sound

Direct input via Office software. Direct input via Sound Recorder. MP3 input.

Sound file provides pronounciation help. Learners can listen and practice as often as they want or need.

Sound file provides narrative version of text on screen. Some learners find it easier to listen to information than to read it. This is especially important when learning a language. Benefits learners with audio as a preferred learning style.

Sound file provides extra information / explanation about an image. An effective way of adding an extra layer of interpretative information to meet the needs of diverse abilities.

Sound file acts as stimulus material for class discussion Allows "realistic" learning context - eg foreign speakers, environmental sounds. Alternatively, sound can provide helpful mnemonic aids - eg appropriate lyrics.

Sound file acts as stimulus material for learners to incorporate in own presentations Provides "pre-selected quality" with which learners create appropriate content around the sound clips. Requires critical evaluative thinking.

Sound file used in online assessment with multiple choice. Excellent for language skill acquisition. Allows repeated listening and instant feedback with privacy for making mistakes.

Sound file used in drag and drop to match appropriate images. By engaging both visual and auditory stimuli, learning is enhanced.

Sound files used to capture information from interviews, fieldwork or discussion. Speed of data capture. Many learners are more fluent in speech than writing.

Sound files available for personal listening via portable player Ideal for "background" studying (eg MP3 versions of e-books). Allows high dose of content without eyestrain.

In terms of accessibility, effective use of sound can add value for a wide variety of learners. Dyslexic learners and learners with learning difficulties can benefit. Visually impaired learners may find clicking on a sound clip much less of a cognitive load than reading the text using a screen magnifier. Learners with hearing difficulties may find listening to a sound clip - with the aid of headphones and volume control - is easier than listening in the real world of the lecture or classroom. Deaf learners will not be able to access a sound clip. Where appropriate to the learning objectives, a transcript should be provided.

Accessibility pros and cons

Using images and sound in Word and Powerpoint can greatly enhance student motivation, engagement and learning. The technical skills required are modest and easily learned and the ubiquitous nature of the software allows easy adaptation to meet different learner needs. These techniques empower many lecturers and teachers to meet the accessibility agenda by giving them more tools and greater flexibility than traditional methods afford.

The disadvantages of these approaches are that the use of proprietary software can create barriers for learners who can't afford it (although most of the functionality still works on open source products like Open Office). Adding multimedia elements to Office documents creates a big penalty in terms of file size and this can be an issue for users accessing over a slow connection. Neither of these, however, is a disability issues per se. Teachers and lecturers creating materials for learners still need to be aware of generic good practice in design, layout, fonts, colour, use of styles etc. They also need to be aware that any addition of accessibility for one learner (eg extra audio information) may result in a subtraction for another (eg a deaf learner) but the ability to use everyday tools to enhance learner engagement brings real possibilities of engaging teaching staff in creative accessibility solutions.

The challenge is to have a strategic approach to accessibility issues that encourages those with limited technical skills to use them creatively as positive solutions. Too much of the accessibility debate has centred around total solutions - creating materials that cover every possible accessibility angle. Whilst this is a reasonable expectation for a full time developer delivering long shelf life materials remotely it is unrealistic for an ordinary teacher/lecturer creating materials with a short shelf life for a known audience who will have access to human intervention in the learning process.

Design for all is probably unachievable -design for many is an important move forward, but the ability to mix and match "design for many" with "many designs" is a flexibility that empowers the teacher/lecturer to engage more deeply with accessibility issues. Using familiar Office based tools allows the benefits of e-learning to be explored without the need to become IT developers.