Week 4 - Multimedia

Figure 1. Screenshot of Photopea New Project Page - taken by me (2023)

Multimedia & Technology

Multimedia is the combination of words and images that construct meaningful information (Mayer, 2014. p. 2). Therefore, the multimedia principle assumes that “learning with words and pictures is more effective than learning with words alone”. (ibid. p. 175). Essentially, in constructing knowledge through words and images, students engage with multimedia learning. This is understood by several key observations including the modality, redundancy, split-attention, signalling, and personalisation effects, each supported by strong scientific studies (Adesope & Nesbit, 2012; Ginns, Martin, & Marsh, 2013).

Currently, with the advancement of computer technology there has been “an explosion in the availability of visual ways of presenting material” (Mayer, 2014. p. 6) such as film, animations, podcasts, blog sites, or instructional videos. Therefore, from an educational and classroom context, I have engaged with two highly useful multimedia tools:

Tool 1: Stop Motion Studio

Figure 2. Setting up stop motion animation - Photo by me using Stop Motion Studio (2022)

Stop Motion Studio is a free application for IOS devices that lets students create stop motion videos with features including an integrated sound library, screen filters, and a layer-based image editor. With adequate scaffolding, this intuitiveness lends itself to being accessible for students and provides extensive opportunities for fostering deep learning and creativity (Farrokhnia, et al. 2020). For example, I was able to construct a short animation in a few minutes as seen below in Figure 3.

Figure 3. My short stop motion animation using Stop Motion Studio (2023)

Despite limitations in price-locked features and issues with consistent lens focussing, Stop Motion Studio provides effective engagement with multimedia and can be used in a variety of classroom contexts, such as multimedia focused lessons in Stage 4 History by “using written, visual and digital forms to communicate about the past”, students can create a unique timelapse of historical events as a short animation (NESA, 2022).

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Tool 2: Photopea

Figure 4. Screenshot of Photopea Home page - taken by me (2023)

Photopea, much like its better known counterpart Adobe Photoshop, is a web-based photo and graphics editor created by Ivan Kuckir in 2013. There are three major reasons why I argue Photopea may be a preferrable option than in the classroom: 1) It’s more accessible and beginner friendly, 2) It works in any web browser without requiring downloads, and 3) It is completely free. Therefore, multimedia learning and design activities benefit by using Photopea, especially for beginners in image editing. For example, I was able to create a quick image mask in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Creating a basic image mask in Photopea - screenshots taken by me (2023)

However, Photopea is limited by being less versatile, offering fewer features, and having a slower processing speed (Williams, 2023). Despite Adobe Photoshop being an overall better program, if constrained by limited funds and resources, Photopea is an adequate and affordable alternative for teachers and students. Which could be useful for activities in poster design, or collages.

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Pedagogical Implications

Figure 6. UDL Framework (DET 2021)

Multimedia learning aligns itself with the Universal Design of Learning (UDL) framework (Figure 6. ) which helps teachers design learning for all students to succeed and reach their potential (DET, 2021). The cross-curricular integration of multimedia has shown to actively support students' learning, facilitate creativity and agency, and improve their academic achievement (Lau et al. 2014; Kassim et al. 2014).

However, artificial testing conditions and lack of prior knowledge for teachers using multimedia illustrates a potential gap in research and pedagogical approach. Regardless, through effective scaffolding and multimedia technologies, teachers can foster effective learning and creativity.

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References

Adesope, & Nesbit, J. C. (2012). Verbal Redundancy in Multimedia Learning Environments: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(1), 250–263. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026147

Department of Education and Training. (2021). Universal Design for Learning planning tool. Available at: https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/learning-from-home/teaching-at-home/teaching-and-learning-resources/universal-design-for-learning

Farrokhnia, M., Meulenbroeks, R. F., & van Joolingen, W. R. (2020). Student-generated stop-motion animation in science classes: A systematic literature review. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 29, 797-812.

Ginns, Martin, A. J., & Marsh, H. W. (2013). Designing Instructional Text in a Conversational Style: A Meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 25(4), 445–472. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-013-9228-0

Kassim, H., Nicholas, H., & Ng, W. (2014). Using a multimedia learning tool to improve creative performance. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 13, 9-19.

Lau, R. W., Yen, N. Y., Li, F., & Wah, B. (2014). Recent development in multimedia e-learning technologies. World Wide Web, 17, 189-198.

Mayer. (2014). The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (Mayer, Ed.; Second edition.). Cambridge University Press.

NSW Education Standards Authority (2022) History: Stage 4 Syllabus. Available at: https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/learning-areas/hsie/history-k-10/outcomes

Williams, E. (2023). Photopea vs Photoshop. Fix The Photo. Software Reviews. Accessed: 21/3/23. Available at: https://fixthephoto.com/photopea-vs-photoshop.html