<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Richmond,<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Sounds like we have had the same background/experiences with multimedia interfaces/content presentations with kids!</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>The really really important thing I have found with the kids in an educational setting is that if they have a mission they do sooo much better interacting with multimedia rather than just having them 'study' the material in the app.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>This means really well thought out activities and projects that they must do research utilizing the multimedia content app. yes they do spend the first 10-15 minutes wildly thrashing about, but then (if the assignment/projects are creative and interesting enoough or their fear of a bad grade is strong enough) they settle down to systematically looking for the content they want/need for their project.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>this then requires the design of the multimedia content to be more organized, indexed and cross referenced rather that the larger fields with embedded multimedia content. it also means the app needs to allow the kids to export stuff they need and also place bookmarks and notes in the content so they can come back over multiple sessions to get back to where they were and what they were doing.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>unfortunately, in my experience, the activities that go along with most multimedia projects are usually the afterthought and xeroxes of other traditional materials and rarely designed specifically for the product. i try and get the clients to actually design the two hand in hand so all the content is also developed to work well with the activities and even the functions of the app are exactly what are needed for the actviites to be done.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>love to discuss these thoughts with you offlist more if you are interested!</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>cheers,</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>jeff</DIV><DIV><BR><DIV><DIV>On Jul 7, 2005, at 1:00 PM, <A href="mailto:metacard-request@lists.runrev.com">metacard-request@lists.runrev.com</A> wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">My experience with<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>educational use of computers stretches</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">back for years & with GUIs about 12 - so for what its worth</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">this is why I think embedding objects in scrolling fields</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">is a good thing:</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">['adolescents' is to be taken to mean pupils/students</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">between 12 and 22 - no offence intended]</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">On opening an educational multimedia program (such as those</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">authored in Hypercard, RR, MC and so on) the first reaction</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">is impulsive: the pupil clicks on every clickable thing in</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">sight - all very interactive and guaranteeing that the</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">amount of information absorbed by the pupil is minimal!</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">If I wish my target audience to do some reading (OK, I know</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">that in certain parts of the world reading is being played</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">down - I am an old-fashioned reactionary) I have to find a</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">way to stop the "mindless clicking" - there seem to be 2</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">solutions to this:</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">1. Just present windows filled with text alone . . .</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>I have found (I've actually tried this!) that pupils go</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">"off the boil" quicker than I can snap my fingers - a 19th</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">century text book on-screen is a major turn-off.</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">2.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>Embed the 'jazzy buttons' in a scrollable text field</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">and let the pupils know that the REWARD (Oh, No, not a</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">behaviourist!) for reading the text will present itself in</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">due course - admittedly some 'bright' pupil will just</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">scroll down until he/she finds the clickables and miss out</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">the reading.</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">HOWEVER, I do believe that by embedding multimedia buttons</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">/ movie-players in the text this will minimise crazy</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">clicking.</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">While a large part of the world is hooked on the "I want it</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">now" idea, and the servicing of the minimal attention span.</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">I want to SLOW PUPILS DOWN so that they absorb information,</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">see multimedia in a meaningful CONTEXT, and are forced to</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">pay attention for more than a 2 second sound-bite.</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Sincerely, Richmond Mathewson</FONT></P> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>