Producing Interactive and Multimedia Based e-Learning Content

The course Producing Interactive and Multimedia Based e-Learning Content (2012) - Grundtvig gives attention to e-learning and the use of multimedia and interactive elements (pictures, videos, animations, slide shows, sound files) including the technique behind.The training course introduces the participants to teaching methods.

Focus of the course is to learn about techniques to develop e-Learning contents. That covers stand-alone applications as well as lessons provided on a Learning Content Management System (LCMS). You learn to create multimedia content like videos, sound files, picture shows and how to use them in learning environments. You will produce CDs as well as lessons on a LCMS. One important issue of this course is to develop reusable content.

The course organiser was Europaische Bildungsinitiave from Austria.

My participation to this course was possible to the financial support of the European Commission through the Grundtvig Programme - Lifelong Learning Programme.

In this cooperative online-seminar we wanted to care about as many aspects of eLearning as possible. We will care about the advantages and disadvantages, about methods, about success and failure.

An important issue is that we tried to exchange our personal experience, so that everybody could learn from us. This knowledge transfer is one of the most important activities at such a cooperative seminar.

In this part of the eLearning course we met our colleagues for the first time - we learnt about their work as well as about the different conditions and environmental situation in the countries where your course mates come from.

What is an eLearning interaction?

An eLearning interaction is an exercise or activity that allows the learner to become more involved with the material, as opposed to simply reading text on the screen. An interaction is often a scenario where the learner is presented with a story or a problem that they must work through in order to achieve a certain outcome. This allows the learner to become more involved with the content, with the hopes that the interaction will help them better process, encode, and store the material in memory. We anticipate that the learner will have a better chance at retaining the information and transferring it to their job if they are more involved and engaged in the learning.

When should you use interactions?

Interactions should be added throughout an eLearning course as you see fit. I personally try to sprinkle one in every 4 pages – or one for every 10-15 minutes of learning. Add enough interactions to keep your learners’ interest, and keep the type of content in mind: if the material is dry and boring, use more interactions. For a good overview of how (and when) to use interactions, I highly recommend "e-Learning and the Science of Instruction," by Ruth Clark and Richard E. Mayer.

Good interaction vs. bad interaction

Just because the learner is clicking their mouse doesn’t mean they are benefiting from the learning experience. A significant amount of design still needs to take place on your part to make interactions effective. This is difficult. Have the learner apply the skills they learned. Don’t just let them slide by with a multiple-choice question. Challenge them! Get their brains working! Present problems that they must solve through a series of choices