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Multimedia learning systems:

a future interactive educational tool

Andy Lock Yen Lowa,*,1, Kevin Lock Teng Lowb, Voon Chet Kooc,2aSchool of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, The University of Birmingham,

Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UKbFaculty of Management, Multimedia University (Cyberjaya Campus), Jalan Multimedia,

Cyberjaya 63100, Selangor, MalaysiacFaculty of Engineering and Technology, Multimedia University (Melaka Campus),

Jalan Ayer Keroh Lama, Melaka 75450, Malaysia

Received 24 July 2002; received in revised form 30 August 2002; accepted 24 September 2002

Abstract

The authors outline in this paper the enhancement of a learning technique by the deployment of a

novel multimedia learning system (MMLS). An overview of MMLS starting from the content

development flow to the implementation stage is discussed in detail. This project is currently being

launched at the Multimedia University (MMU) Malaysia. Macromedia Dreamweaver and Macromedia

Flash were used to develop the interactive environment within the two campuses in MMU. In addition,

a borderless education scenario is proposed by accessing the MMLS web site at http://

mmls.mmu.edu.my/, through a T1 connection and Internet browser at the office as well as throughslower connection speeds such as the common 28.8 kbps dial-up connection from off-campus sites.

D 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Multimedia learning system (MMLS); E-learning; Internet education; Interactive tool

1096-7516/02/$ see front matterD 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

PII: S 1 0 9 6 - 7 5 1 6 ( 0 2 ) 0 0 1 6 0 - 4

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +606-252-3942; fax: +606-231-6552. E-mail addresses: [email protected], [email protected] (A.L.Y. Low),

[email protected] (K.L.T. Low), [email protected] (V.C. Koo).1 Tel.: + 44-606-252-3942; fax: + 44-606-231-6552.2 Tel.: + 606-252-3004; fax: + 606-231-6552.

Internet and Higher Education 6 (2003) 2540
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1. Introduction

Malaysia has created the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) to help companies and higher

learning institutions to test the limits of technology and to prepare themselves for the future. The

MSC will bring together for the first time an integrated environment with all the unique elements

and attributes that are deemed necessary to create a perfect global multimedia environment.

Knowledge is fast becoming a powerful engine in life. The visions, innovations, and

inventions are the building blocks of developing a knowledgeable humane society. Internet,

Intranet, and Extranet applications are the latest method of communication with a distributed

audience. Therefore, institutions of higher learning are constantly venturing into new and

innovative methods and are radically changing the educational outlook to be competitive (Jain,

1997). The use of emerging multimedia technologies in education will create a major shift in the

educational service paradigm that promises major advantages over the present analogue

distance learning and face-to-face systems (Carver, Howard, & Lane, 1999; Lee & Sullivan,

1996). Radical changes in the computing infrastructure, spurred by multimedia computing and

advanced communication technology, will do more than extend the educational system.

Technological advances will make the lecture theatres and laboratories much more accessible

and effective (Carver & Biehler, 1994).

Computer-based delivery of training, communication, information, and entertainment has

matured into the most cost-effective medium to reach a large audience. The interactivity

possible in these new programs allows the user to have a unique, custom experience. Newer andfaster computers, combined with high-resolution graphics, audio, and video, make electronic

delivery possible for training and communication of many types. Thus, multimedia has

redefined many ways in which education is being delivered (Laurillard, 1993). The original

definition of multimedia was in the context of a computer system with the capacity to deliver

visual and audio information to a user interactively (Gonzalez, 2000). Specifically, multimedia

is an attribute of a system related to multiple data modalities and interactivity. In the context of

education, multimedia will provide flexible information, which is usually associated with

instructional design and authoring skills.

Multimedia learning system (MMLS) is an interactive educational tool for course content.Basically, this system provides an interface for academicians and instructors to publish their

course content on to the Web. It also provides an interface for them to retrieve various reports

on students progress. The main objective of the system is to monitor the students such as when

they are browsing the course content. In addition, it also serves as a medium for the students to

enhance their understanding of the course content besides following the conventional and

traditional way of learning. The authors believe that the MMLS is an effective method to

enhance the teaching quality while reducing the teacherstudent meeting time.

The authors describe in this paper how Macromedia Dreamweaver and Macromedia Flash

have been used as tools to develop the interactive environment within the two campuses in

Multimedia University (MMU). In addition, an MMLS web site was also launched at http://mmls.mmu.edu.my/ to enable the users outside the campus network to log on to the MMLS

server so as to provide borderless education. Also, a networked multimedia digital library

(NMDL) web site at http://vlib.mmu.edu.my/ was created as an effective focal point of

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document and information supply in digital formats, including worldwide library services andlibrary cooperation. Detailed descriptions are given from the planning stage towards the

realisation of the MMLS prototype. This is shown in Fig. 1.

The paper is organised as follows. In Section 2, a brief description of the campus network

architecture to implement the high-performance scalable network for MMLS is discussed,

while the detailed steps of planning, design, and development of MMLS are outlined in

Section 3. The authors show the first implemented MMLS prototype in the university as a test

bed in Section 4. Lastly, a future trend in multimedia interactive applications and conclusions

is discussed in Section 5.

2. Campus network infrastructure

MMU currently has two campuses: the Cyberjaya Campus and the Malacca Campus. The

campuses are approximately 150 km apart. In order to realise the benefits of MMLS, which

combine the best aspects of Internet services, multimedia, and web-based interactive learning,

the network infrastructure should be capable of supporting good-quality audio and video

streams within both campuses.

Fig. 2 shows a general overview of the campus network infrastructure. The CyberjayaCampus is currently using Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and FastEtherchannel (port

aggregation) as the backbone. The logical layout is based on a star-of-star topology with the

centre of the network connected to two main Ethernet switches to provide load balancing and

backup. The campus network bandwidth is about 622 Mbps. In order to increase bandwidth

per user, the campus network is subdivided into smaller segments by implementing a virtual

local area network (VLAN) across ATM backbone. Depending on the functional groups,

VLANs have been allocated for staff members, lecturers, and students. Each broadcast

domain is assigned to 100 nodes, and each node has its own uniquely defined private IP.

Currently, there are about 100 active VLANs within the campus.

The Malacca Campus uses Gigabit Ethernet as the backbone. The network bandwidth canreach up to 1024 Mbps via single-mode fibre link. The logical layout is also based on a star-

of-star topology. Both campuses are interconnected via a 2-Mbps dedicated lease line for

data, voice, and video transmission. By having a wide-bandwidth, high-performance network,

Fig. 1. Flow diagram towards realisation of MMLS.

A.L.Y. Low et al. / Internet and Higher Education 6 (2003) 2540 27


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both campuses are therefore capable of supporting interactive MMLS environment, which

include video and desktop conferencing, digital on-line library, groupware application, and

media server for video/audio streaming.

A basic requirement for MMLS is the effective delivery of web-based course contents fromthe server to an end-user client. In the test bed, the remote students may access the network

via Intranet (in-campus) or 28.8 kbps dial-up link (out-campus). The connection from

Cyberjaya Campus and Malacca Campus to the ISP is through 4 and 2 Mbps leased lines,

respectively. Depending upon network connection, it is possible to select different bandwidth

streams to minimise packet drops. The observed frame rate over campus network varies from

20 to 30 frames per second (fps), while over a 28.8-kbps dial-up link, the average frame rate

is about 15 fps.

3. Planning, design, and development

Successful MMLS requires well-planned and skillfully written content, attractive and

functional graphic design, and rapid implementation at a reasonable and affordable cost.

Fig. 2. General overview of the campus infrastructure.



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Quality in video production is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity. However, it is difficult to

reach todays sophisticated audiences without spending a fortune on video development. Itrequires a combination of innovative creative design, precise artistic direction, and strict

hands-on project management. Therefore, there are important considerations on what should

and should not be placed on-line and what tools work best to reach an instructional goal. Fig.

1 shows the MMLS content development flow, which the authors have generally classified

into two phases: Phase I in Fig. 3a and Phase II in Fig. 3b.

3.1. Analysis stage

Developing content for any course on MMLS begins with the analysis stage. Analysis is a

process of defining what is to be learned by the students in our courses. There are three stagesofanalysis: Needs Analysis, Learner Analysis, and Content Analysis/Task Analysis as shown

in Fig. 4.

Before developing the MMLS and to assist in the analysis stage, the authors have listed

some pertinent questions as depicted in Table 1.

3.1.1. Needs analysis

Needs analysis enables the identification of problems related to teaching and learning

that are specific to content in courses. It is a process of gathering data from the real

environment. The result of the needs analysis will help determine if the MMLS can beused to solve problems encountered in the conventional lectures. Needs analysis helps to

identify skills and knowledge lacking in students that can be addressed through MMLS.

This is easily done by feedback from students and academicians. Results related to

teaching the course can be useful to consider when deciding on the development of

learning materials for MMLS. It is then possible to identify areas in the content where the

students experience difficulties in learning, and the strengths and weaknesses related to

course content and presentation. For example, by sending a precourse survey to the target

audience and by interviewing a sample of students about the course to find out their

expectations from the course, such information can be useful in selecting the best methodto present the content.

3.1.2. Learner analysis

The purpose of learner analysis is to identify general characteristics of the audience or

students, their readiness for the course, and their preferences and limitations. This is done

using the diagnostic test (or pretest) to determine students levels of subject expertise.

Instructions that cater to students with different entry levels or preparations are given.

Physical limitations of the audience (sight, hearing, and other disabilities) must be considered

in the analysis. Audience skills that are needed in using MMLS, such as technical expertise in

using the Web as a tool, computer skills, study skills, communication skills, and languageskills, are vital in ensuring the effectiveness of MMLS. Learner analysis provides a better

understanding of students to enable better planning for a learner-centred program and to

better guide students to process online information.



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3.1.3. Content analysis/task analysis

Lastly, the purpose of content analysis is to identify topics and subtopics for a course. Thisanalysis also helps identify the prerequisite skills required for the students to learn the

MMLS. This allows for the identification of relationships between topics and for the selection

Fig. 3. (a) MMLS content development flow phase I. (b) MMLS content development flow phase II.



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of the right content for the tasks and skills necessary to learn. The relevant information

sources are then gathered from textbooks and references. Meantime, consultation is made

through the accreditation and professional bodies, and the potential employers within theprogram of study. The major learning tasks and subtasks are identified and arranged in an

instructional sequence. A close investigation on the key learning concepts for each task and

content to be taught is carried out. This involves the relationships between content that can be

Fig. 3 (continued).



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learned by discovery or peer interaction, and the part of the content that cannot be learned

using the MMLS or other resources other than by having live academicians/instructors.

Therefore, a decision is made on which part of the course content should be constructed. Task

analysis and content analysis result in a listing of learning tasks, subtasks, and content scope

that enables the arrangement of the course into relevant modules, units, and topics.

3.2. Design stage

Design is the process of specifying how the content is to be learned and presented on

MMLS. In order to decide on the design of the medium of MMLS, the authors have provided

some questions, which can be used as a guideline on the form of presentation, as depicted in

Table 2.

The system is closely examined to design a learning program to be delivered over the

MMLS that will ensure mastery of competencies in the area of knowledge, skills, and

attitudes (Shih & Davis, 1997). From here, the three levels of design are required in the

MMLS content development process. These are course framework design, pedagogic design,

and microdesign, as shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 4. Types of MMLS analysis.

Table 1

List of questions before developing MMLS (analysis stage)

. Did we experience any problem in teaching this course before?

. What are the problems that we encountered?

. Is the problem related to student learning?

. How do we solve it?

. Who are the target learners?

. What is the content scope?

. What must be learned?

. What can be learned by discovery or peer interaction?

. Can the control of course material be surrendered to students?

. What should be included in the course in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitude modification?

. Is there any part of the content that cannot be learned using MMLS or from resources other than live lecturers?



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3.2.1. Course framework design

The purpose of the course framework design is to identify important information about the

course to be communicated to students. The course framework is to inform students of the

information about the course, how to run the course, learning materials, and things related to

Table 2

List of questions when designing MMLS (design stage)

. What are the key learning objectives and learning outcomes expected?

. What teaching strategy will achieve the objectives?

. How will we know if the objectives are met?

. What learning activities will give students control over their learning experience?

. What kinds of guidance about how to process on-line information are our students likely to need?

. To what extent is the sequence in which information is encountered important to knowledge construction?

. What kinds of interaction with on-line materials are desirable for our students? Which are possible?

. Which information should be presented as text, pictures, graphics, video, or audio?

. At what points is it most advantageous to arrange on-line or off-line discussions among students and lecturer?

. What resources are needed to use these strategies?

. What media and methods are most cost-effective?

Fig. 5. MMLS design stage.



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student administration. The MMLS is used to prepare a course framework design template

and to distinguish the important information and helpful advice for studying on-line. Thecontent of the course framework is organised based on the initial task analysis and content

analysis.

3.2.2. Pedagogic design

The learning materials and presentation are planned in the pedagogic design stage. As

usual, a precise and concise learning objective is determined by judging from the task

analysis. This is to provide a focus for content, strategies, and media selections. This

serves to direct the learners attention to the expected learning outcome and desirable

performance. In order to achieve the expectation from the students, the objectives are

classified according to levels of learning and to set the criteria for measuring the learningoutcomes.

In the meantime, the assessment and instructional strategies are determined. There are

numerous opportunities given for students to demonstrate the task performance, or to exhibit

retention of knowledge in the particular course. Then, the students knowledge and skill

acquisition are tested through examination so as to ensure that the assessment task is

congruent with the learning objectives. The purpose is to identify appropriate strategies for

delivering the course content and to meet the needs of the specific audience by translating the

strategies that are feasible and appropriate to the Web platform.

Pedagogic design also involves providing opportunities for active learning and opportun-ities for the student interaction to be carried out in an on-line environment. From there, the

media elements are selected based on learning activities, content, and students preferences.

Instructional resources are equally important as the primary and secondary sources of

information for students. Without neglecting this crucial factor, an NMDL is created. The

library plays a vital role in supporting the instructional, research, and development

programmes of the university by providing a wide range of resources in printed and

nonprinted format to enable users access to a vast collection of information, resources,

and learning materials. Most of these materials are on open access and can be freely

consulted by browsers and borrowers alike. The collections and resources are carefullyselected to meet and suit the course requirements and are relevant to the current teaching and

research interests of the university. In moving towards the realisation of the NMDL, the

library will incorporate a very large number of distributed information sources that

communicate over the existing networks such as the Internet and the evolving national

information infrastructure. The library will be built as a distributed, modular system to

perform various tasks such as query processing, information integration, and information

management.

3.2.3. Microdesign

Microdesign involves designing the user interface and the screen for presentation. The lookand the feel of the learning materials are guided by the pedagogic design specifications. Here,

the Graphical User Interface (GUI) ensures that the humancomputer interaction is simple. It

is important that the user interface is user-friendly, accessible, functional, and motivating.



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Besides, the interface also ensures a high-level interactive design (including user control,

branching, and testing). A metaphor or a theme that is appropriate to the topic of the coursecontent and the target audience is selected. This is followed by drawing navigational tools on

the template with a hierarchy chart and a flow diagram to show the hypertext links between

all pages.

Screen design plays a crucial role in ensuring visually attractive and motivating presenta-

tion. In our designed MMLS, the text is standardised (e.g., font types, size, and colour) as is

screen layout (e.g., dynamic and static contents) based on the course theme and metaphor

selected. Subsequently, important elements are identified in each scene by using appropriate

pictures, animations, audio, and video. Graphics design is eventually incorporated to each

screen in order to attract the interest of the audience.

3.3. Development

The blue print or course specifications will guide the next development phase. Devel-

opment is the process of authoring and producing the learning materials for MMLS. Four

important inquisitions that can guide us through the development of the MMLS are noted in

Table 3.

The steps involved in development include storyboarding, creating the course web page,

and formatively evaluating the prototype, as shown in Fig. 6.

3.3.1. Storyboard

The purpose of a storyboard is to develop the screen frame by frame on paper. The frame

will describe each web page or document in detail. The flow of each scene for the lessons

should be carefully arranged in sequence and branching order. The content of each course

should include text, graphics, audiovisual elements, and navigation tools for each web page

that adhere to the format specified by the MMLS during the planning stage.

3.3.2. Web page prototype

This step involves creating all the elements described in the storyboard using programmingor specialised authoring systems or tools. In our MMLS, Macromedia Dreamweaver and

Macromedia Flash were used to author the learning materials. A special team is assigned to

produce graphics and animations to facilitate scripts narration tasks by the academicians and

instructors; thus, more effort could be utilised on course content development. Audio and

visual components are carefully inserted in appropriate frame. Some assignments and quizzes

were given after each lesson so that the progress of the students could be monitored.

Table 3

List of questions in developing MMLS (development stage)

. What materials could be presented in a digital format?

. How do the materials look and sound?

. Do the students learn from them?

. How do we improve them?



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Newsgroup and short notes sections were created for an open forum among the students and

academicians/instructors.

3.3.3. Formative evaluation

Formative evaluation is a process of continuous improvement of the learning materials. It

is carried out at all phases in the development of the course for the MMLS. In the

development stage, formative evaluation is conducted for the purpose of reviewing and

revising the learning materials or the prototype (Lawther & Walker, 2001). The process

involves self-review, experts review, and students review.

After the standard prototype of MMLS is presented, the academicians and instructors

should have a self-review for counterchecking of congruency between course objectives

and assessments, as well as the technical quality. This ensures that objectives are kept inmind and that the decisions made throughout the phases of analysis, design, and

development lead to the achievement of the objectives (Morgan, 2001). Expert reviews

are also sought from instructional designers and subject matter experts regarding the

Fig. 6. Flow diagram of development steps.



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Fig. 8. Screen shot after the audience log-on to the MMLS.

Fig. 7. Layout design of MMLS.



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learning materials, context appropriateness, and technical quality. The final review will be

from a group of selective students.

3.4. MMLS final evaluation

The purpose of the final evaluation is to assess the learning materials and the MMLS project

based on its effectiveness, efficiency, and appeal. This concerns the impact of the MMLS on

student learning and on the organisation goals. Ideally, the impact evaluation should be carried

out after at least one semester of use. This is to identify whether problems have been solved.

4. Implementation

When the revision is found to be adequate in the aspects of course planning, design, and

development, the final version is ready for use in the real context. Implementation involves

Fig. 9. Screen shot of a course content.



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developing a system of managing the change, installing the project, and monitoring it. In the

design of our second release of the MMLS layout, three frames were created, namely themenu frame, display frame, and control frame, as depicted in Fig. 7. The menu frame

provides the basic links for the interface.

The audience can log on according to their registered module (e.g., lecturers and students).

For the new users, one can register on-line so that the administrator can create a personal

account for each individual. Once the audience logs on to the MMLS server, a customised

subject list according to the user personal account is given.

Fig. 8 shows a screen shot after the audience logs on to the MMLS server. A watchdog

time will be activated so as to monitor the audience. After 10 min of inactivity, the audience

will be automatically logged off in order to avoid network congestion. A neural network can

be applied at this juncture to monitor the progress and behaviour of the audience and toprovide feedback directly to the academicians and instructors.

Fig. 9 depicts the screen shot of one of the course content. A careful design has been made

for each screen and the visual and audio effects have been added accordingly (Little &

Tobagi, 1995). An open forum that can be seen in the newsgroup and short notes for the

students to interact with their peers and instructors were created.

An NMDL is established as a measure taken to ensure that the students have sufficient

supportive information. The NMDL is designed to provide easy and swift access to the

materials needed by the students. It is an effective hub of document and information supply in

digital formats, worldwide library services, and library cooperation.

5. Conclusions and future works

The use of multimedia for supporting the classroom instruction is still in its infancy but is

not new (Chang, Hassanein, & Hsieh, 1998). In this paper, the authors have described and

developed a step-by-step guide to incorporate the MMLS into the education programs and

management operations at MMU Malaysia. The MMLS aims not only to increase efficiency,

but also to empower a geographically and temporally dispersed group of educators,administrators, and students to participate in a dynamic learning organisation, without losing

the small-classroom advantage. There is evidence produced by Lee and Sullivan (1996) from

a written examination, which indicated that multimedia is an effective medium for reinforcing

student learning and understanding. The MMLS enables the audience to communicate with

their instructors and peers more effectively. Also, the MMLS incorporates the multimedia

technology into the classroom to manage time and resources, and to enhance learning through

engaging activities.

Future research is needed to explore how the lecturers and instructors should work in teams

to develop individual technology goals and planning guides through on-line and offline

activities. Some of the areas that should be researched are standards-based activities, on-lineassessment, interactive educational games, on-line grade books, individual classroom

websites, on-line collaborative projects, WebQuests, and virtual field trips. Once these

revolutionary changes are made in the conventional classrooms and laboratories, one can



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expect students to be better prepared to explore the wealth of educational opportunities.

MMU is hence gearing itself for the challenges of the dynamic educational environment ofthe new millennium by offering the MMLS as a feasible alternative. Our goal is to attain the

highest quality in teaching and to position MMU as a world-class university.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to express their gratitude to all the staff members in MMU who

contribute towards realisation of the MMLS prototype.

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Jain, R. (1997, JanuaryMarch). A revolution in education. IEEE Multimedia, 4(1), 15.Laurillard, D. (1993). Rethinking university teaching. London: Routledge.

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