Multimedia Transforms the way we Learn

Multi Media is a common term and most people who use computers or any type of digital media either for work or leisure will come across it on a regular basis. But what exactly is it and why has it quickly become the medium of choice for getting a message across?

Multimedia is basically a selection of moving images, animation, video and audio combined together to make an impressionable impact, far advanced from anything static imagery and words alone could ever do. Whether it is used as a sales tool or a training medium, multimedia transforms bland sales presentations and one-way training sessions into multi-way conversations involving audience integration; and the advantages of this are vast.

Multimedia Transforms the way we Learn - Image by Fernando de Sousa

Training with Multimedia

Anyone involved in delivering tutorials, training or instructions; whether it is product set-up and usage instructions for customers, or any level of business training within an organisation, will find great benefits from the use of multi media. These benefits include:

Accentuated appeal: The overall effect gained by multimedia is far more appealing and tends to hold viewer's attention much more effectively than a set of printed words and diagrams.
Increased success: Allowing the audience to interact with the training session means they are free to concentrate on the areas that are relevant to them, cutting the need to trawl through reams of unnecessary material. Incorporating a deeper level of interactivity whereby the user can make queries or request further information makes the presentation far more user friendly and, as a result, more successful.
Cost savings: There are significant cost savings to be made by employing multimedia in your educational campaign. Using interactive demonstrations and audio or video tutorials as a customer support medium - online or via a DVD, CD or Podcast - is far more cost effective than hiring staff to man telephone help lines. Additionally, the costs of hiring tutors to run in-house company training sessions or sending employees away on courses can be considerably cut by switching to multimedia programmes where one initial outlay will extend its reach to a vast learning audience.
Environmental Considerations: The materials and energy needed to print thousands of paper-based manuals has a significant impact on the environment. Switch to an internet, intranet or digital media-based system and the need for printed matter - and the wastage associated with it - instantly disappears.
Multi-level education: By combining words with audio, video and graphics, multimedia programmes can cater for a wide cross section of pupils with varying educational levels and learning needs. Not everyone learns at the same rate, which is why classroom situations are rarely successful for every pupil. With multimedia learning, the pupil can learn at their own pace and request additional assistance if required or simply go back over any points they didn't quite understand.
Multi-sensory learning: The human mind works by shifting fluently through written words, images and sound; gathering and assimilating information, then analysing it to form conclusions. Not everyone uses the same senses to learn; some prefer to listen, others prefer to watch, and some to try it for themselves. The mixture of a variety of media constituents contained in a multimedia training session enables more natural and spontaneous learning and allows the pupil to use their preferred sensory mode to absorb information.

There is a variety of ways in which multimedia educational programmes such as tutorials, training sessions or instructions can be created using things like Flash Technology, Video Streaming, PowerPoint, Publisher, Photoshop and many more. Similarly, there is a whole host of ways in which a programme can be delivered, including via a website, a company's intranet, CDs or DVDs, Podcasts or big-screen classroom presentations.

The benefits of using multimedia as an educational tool are vast.

Core Media Design creates professional, motivating and exceptionally appealing multimedia training or instructional programmes. Their advanced multimedia and flash technology experts will provide everything you need to get your message across to your audience; whether that audience is customers, employees, managers, re-sellers, distributors, your sales force or anyone else you have a need to educate.

For more information about their range of multi media design services, contact Core Media Design.

Published on: Tuesday, 2nd September 2008

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