Blogs, which began as a way to easily post one's thoughts online in print, have evolved to include multimedia capabilities. A blog is not limited to text--audio and video can be incorporated. A video blog (commonly called a vlog) is a blog that uses video in its posts. People who create vlogs are vloggers, and the worldwide community of vlogs and…

An examination of the current state of the art of podcasting, with a focus on video podcasting. Included are a review of the history and technical aspects of podcasting and an overview of current educational applications of podcasting. A detailed description of an experiment conducted in creating and distributing video podcast episodes is…

A video mock-up is a "design story", described by Patrick Parrish in a recent "TechTrends" article as "imagining the journey of a learner's experience in engaging with a finished design". A design story allows designers to show their design vision to others and to observe features and benefits of the program as a learner would experience it. The…

A reactor is an example of an immersive interactive play in which animated images are projected onto the floor. A reactor allows people to walk on images and interact with them using their feet. With reactors, people can stomp on kernels of popcorn, shoot a pool using their big toes, or wade through a shallow surf on pristine beaches. This…

Defines multimedia and proposes a framework that classifies communications technologies by bandwidth (the amount and kind of data a technology is capable of storing, transmitting, or displaying) and applications. An introduction to the articles contained in this special issue on multimedia is provided, and some crucial concepts are highlighted. A…

By using the kind of two-way television system envisioned by Buckminster Fuller, school children can learn at their own rates and select interesting topics, thereby continually reinforcing the desire to learn. Today's new interactive video systems, from multimedia encyclopedias to hypermedia combinations, allow students to explore subject matter…

This article focuses on data collected from a project called "Shared Spaces: Informal Learning and Digital Cultures". The project aimed to build links between young peoples' leisure and learning experiences, by engaging with the content and styles of learning connected with digital cultures in homes and community centres. The article focuses on…

Delivery and formatting techniques for technical materials have traditionally been determined by common sense, not cognitive theory. In fact, for hundreds of years, verbal messages in the form of lecture and print have been the primary method of disseminating information to the learner. To move beyond verbal messages and toward the assimilation of…

This paper explores the insights that psychology can offer in shedding light on why hypermedia may work and thus in suggesting fruitful areas for future research. The philosophy underlying the paper is that research into the instructional efficacy of hypermedia should begin with a knowledge and appreciation of relevant psychological phenomena.…

Reports on two studies that compared adult students' responses to, and recall from, hypermedia materials with and without integrated video segments. Results suggest that embedded video can enhance learning from hypermedia: (1) video adds an affective dimension that makes hypermedia materials more meaningful; and (2) video is presented in a more…

Discusses the utilization of technology to assist the educational establishment deal with change. Topics addressed include multimedia metaphors such as graphical user interfaces; interactive videodisk systems; problems with current multimedia systems; a Multimedia Sampler developed at the University of North Carolina that includes applications…

This monograph combines an examination of theoretical issues raised by the introduction of two-way video and similar systems into distance education (DE) with practical advice on using compressed video systems in DE programs. Presented in the first half of the monograph are the following: analysis of the intrinsic links between DE and technology…

Noting that the merging of various types of media with the computer has presented the field of education with a hybrid technology called interactive multimedia (also referred to as hypermedia), this digest begins by defining this technology as "the integration of text, audio, graphics, still image, and moving pictures into a single,…

New technologies available today can be used to improve accountability, establish and manage learning environments, and extend contextual learning. To harness these technologies, however, beliefs and practices must be redefined in education, training, and human development. If technology is developed according to a systems approach, new…

Describes corporate training programs that use technology, including videotapes, hypermedia curriculum, and distance learning systems in the automotive industry, using fiber optics and cable to transmit university courses; the petroleum industry, using a video network; and the health care industry, via an interactive video conferencing system.…