Multimedia Technologies Study Guide PDF

**INTRODUCTION TO MULTIMEDIA** This module aims to provide an overview of the uses and difficulties in the use of multimedia as an application to various fields. Short discussions and self-tests were included to enrich your learning. Finally, an activity will have to be accomplished to assess your...

**INTRODUCTION TO MULTIMEDIA** This module aims to provide an overview of the uses and difficulties in the use of multimedia as an application to various fields. Short discussions and self-tests were included to enrich your learning. Finally, an activity will have to be accomplished to assess your proficiency. **By the end of this module you should be able to:** - **Demonstrate and understanding on the concept of multimedia** - **Identify the different elements and characteristics of multimedia** - **Understand the advantages and disadvantages of multimedia as an application** - Learn the various field of multimedia applications - Learn the history of multimedia and how it started Introduction Individuals who utilize the term "multimedia" may have different views or opposing perspectives. A home entertainment sales representative may think of it as an interactive TV with hundreds of digital channels delivered via internet connection. A technology vendor on the other hand would think of a computer, an all-round machine where you can attach various electronic devices to it. Today, the word "multimedia" also applies to all computer related products and services. It is simply the use of various forms of media that are converged all together. You have encountered multimedia if you have visited an online steaming service on the web, viewing an online clip you have downloaded, or if you have played games installed on a computer or a mobile phone. **What is Multimedia?** It is derived from the word multi and media. - **Multi** -- many, multiple - **Media** -- distribution tool and information presentation **Multimedia Elements** The different multimedia elements that can be subdivided further are the following: 1. **Text** - A collection of words, letters, or sentences that appear on titles, and menus that users read to navigate - Good for providing basic and specific information 2. **Sound** - Vibrations that travel through the air or another medium that can be picked up by the ear - Generated by electronic devices through blasting waves that vibrates in frequency 3. **Video** - A visual recording of moving images, with or without sound and saved on digitally or in disks - An electronic medium for recording, playback, copying, broadcasting and display of moving images and graphics 4. **Animation** - Figures and graphics in continuous motion - Simulation of movement created by a series of illustrations, or graphical elements displayed in rapid succession of frames 5. **Interactivity** - The ability of users to interact with an application through displayed images, icons, and menus - A fundamental feature in multimedia that allows users to navigate to applications in a nonlinear way - Interactivity comes in many forms, including keyboard inputs, mouse clicks, mouse hovers, voice command, touch, and through the use of digital pen - Figure 1.1 shows some of the interactivity that a user might encounter on today's devices. **Figures 1.1:**  *From the New York Times, photographed by Yana Paskova From longislandweekly.com* **Classification of media types** 1. **Continuous or time-based** Media that discloses in a durational dimension or specified time E.g. Sound, video 2. **Discrete or space-based** A media type that deals with still elements and are dependent on space dimension E.g. Images 3. **Captured Media** Refers to information captured in the real world E.g. Photographs 4. **Synthesized** **Characteristics of Multimedia System** 1. It must be computer-controlled - User is able to view, hear, and see using an electronic device such as a PC 2. It is integrated - At least one discrete and one continuous media combine for information presentation and sharing 3. The information they handle must be represented digitally - Consist of various forms of media that is created, stored, processed, and transmitted digitally 4. The interface to the final user may permit interactivity - Users are able to navigate, interact, create, and communicate. **History of Multimedia** Let's look at some of the earliest inventions that contributed to what we now know as multimedia. **The early camera** A brief history of the use of multimedia to convey or disseminate information may start with newspapers, which may have been the first mass media for communication. Before still-image cameras were invented, pictures and graphics were generally hand-drawn by an artist. These illustrations were created to better express the idea of a specific section or text. We can trace the past of the camera back to the Middle Ages. The first pinhole camera was discovered by a physicist named Ibn al-Haytham, applying the idea of camera obscura (Figure 1.2) -- reproducing an image with color and perspective preserve. The image that was produced that time was unfortunately not permanent. In 1816, Nicéphore Niépce (Figure 1.3) invented a small version of the camera obscura (Figure 1.4) and added a piece of paper covered in silver chloride which darkened where the light hit it and will create an image. This was too is temporary until on 1826 he managed to capture a natural image from a window, it did not fade and was considered to be the first photographic image. **Figure 1.2: Camera obscura**  **Figure 1.3: Nicéphore Niépce** *Source: www.bygonely.com* A silver plated sheet coated with silver iodide was added by Louis Daguerre. When exposed to light it would produce an image, this was in 1839 and was call the daguerreotype process. The body of the camera in these periods were bulky until Richard Leach Maddox created the first gelatine dry plate. This invention allows anyone to take instantaneous pictures without the need to use of a tripod to hold it in place. This invention started the idea of hand held cameras. The first digital camera was developed in 1988 but was never sold to the public until 1991 when Kodak released the Kodak DCS. History of the camera: [[Click here]](https://historythings.com/the-history-of-the-camera/#:~:text=The%20History%20of%20the%20Camera.%20The%20camera%E2%80%99s%20history,reproducing%20an%20image%20with%20color%20and%20perspective%20preserved.) **When does sound recording started?** The phonograph by Thomas Alva Edison, invented in 1877 was the first to device capable of recording and reproducing sound. It is stored in a tinfoil sheet phonograph cylinder. Figure 1.5 shows an example of Edison's phonograph, model GEM. The patent plate shows that the value of patens had been realized for a long time ago but despite of the warnings on the plate, the original owner, a good DIYer 100 years ago, modified this particular phonograph to include a more powerful spring motor and a large flower horn from the Tea Tray Company. **Figure 1.4: Small version of camera obscura** **Figure 1.5: Edison's phonograph**  *Source: Drew, M.S. et al (2014), Fundamentals of Multimedia Source: Drew, M.S. et al (2014), Fundamentals of Multimedia* Alexander Graham Bell later enhanced the phonographs. Major improvements include wax-coated cardboard cylinders and a cutting stylus that moved in a \"zig zag\" pattern from side to side across the \"zig zag pattern. The phonograph cylinders were further converted by Emile Berliner (Figure 1.6) to gramophone records. There is a spiral groove on either side of such a flat disk running from the periphery to near the middle, which can be easily played by a tone arm and stylus turntable. These components were upgraded over time, which eventually allowed quality sound reproduction. The gramophone record was one of the dominant audio recording formats in the twentieth century and declined in the mid 1980s because of the rise of audio tapes and other digital recording formats (Figure 1.7). **Figure 1.6: Emile Berliner with disc record gramophone**  *Source: Wikipedia* **Figure 1.7: Evolution of audio storage media** *Left to right an Edison cylinder record, a flat vinyl record, a reel-to-reel* *magnetic tape, a cassette tape, and a compact disc* Source: *Drew, M.S. et al (2014), Fundamentals of Multimedia* **Motion Picture** A motion picture popularly known as a movie or a film is a series of pictures that creates an illusion of movement and is projected on a screen. Below are just a few of the highlights on how motion pictures began. +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | 1830s | - - - | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | 1870s | - - - - | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | 1880s | - - - - - | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | 1890s | - | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | 1910 | - | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | 1927 | - | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | 1935 | - | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | 2003 onwards | - - | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ Additional reading: History of film [[Click here]](https://www.britannica.com/art/history-of-the-motion-picture) **Uses of Multimedia** The different elements in multimedia are put in many uses and can be found in a growing number of modern technologies. - Online video games that makes use of any portable device such as laptops, tables and smartphones. Mobile games ranges from basic to sophisticated 3D and augmented reality games that combines virtual reality and the real world creating a more immersive experience and interaction - Smart TV that makes it easy to stream your favourite movies and videos in a larger display without the need to connect to a TV antenna or subscribe to a cable/satellite service - Digital cameras that not only capture excellent pictures but are also equipped with a smile detection feature that activates the shutter when subjects smile - An online video editor that allows anyone to create stunning videos from a variety of templates and complete with editing, annotating, and remixing tools - Cooperative learning environment that allows students to share educational games with their classmates using two different controllers at once - Searching databases with the use of image scanners - Creating hybrid scenes by combining artificial and natural video, placing computer generated graphics and objects - Visual cues in a video conference can capture attention and help participants focus on topics being presented. - Customizable multimedia components that allows user to move around multimedia elements to their liking or decide what forms of media will be displayed on the screen, it can be a video, text, or remove graphics that they find distracting **Examples of Visual Cues**  ' *Source: www.theelearningcoach.com* **Effects of Visual Cues on Learning** 1. **Guide attention** 2. **Increase time attending and participation** 3. **Reduce extraneous load on working memory** 4. **Improve efficiency and processing** 5. **Enhance learning and retention** 6. **Provide structure** **Advantages of Multimedia** 1. **Increase learning effectiveness** Multimedia elements such as pictures, sound, interactivity, videos and others capture attention and increases learning and retention. 2. **More appealing** Multimedia allows a more rich content compared to the traditional one. It is more appealing and striking that it able to attract more people 3. **Improves personal communication** Increases communication efficiency and effectiveness due to graphics, and media that can be attach or inserted as part of a message. It clearly conveys feelings, or emotions that cannot be easily express in a text statement. 4. **Reduces corporate training costs** Allows self-paced training and pre-recorded videos that can be access on electronic devices in the comfort of one's home. Reduces cost for transportation, saves time and money on hours of in-house training. 5. **Easy to use** Provides customization and complete with animated tutorials and instructions. Composed of intuitive icons and graphics that functions as what it is in the real world. Examples are icons such as scissors that corresponds to "cut", a paint bucket that corresponds to color and others. Help files are also included in software together with links that offers video tutorials and support services. 6. **Provides high quality of presentation** Enables users to embed interactive videos, animations and other visual content to make it more immersive and engaging 7. **User friendly** Allows the use of an interface that is simple, clean, intuitive, and well-organize to provide a good user experience 8. **Great deal of information** Simplify complex ideas and still convey the message with use of infographic or information graphic. This is a type of visual presentation that contains imagery, and charts that gives an easy-to-understand overview of a content or topic. Commonly use to visualize timeline projects, and statistics. 9. **Multi sensorial** 10. **Integrated and interactive** Multimedia can be integrated in almost all electronic devices and documents from simple PDF files to video recordings. 11. **Entertaining and education** Use to develop visual effects and animations in movies and learning materials to engage them in an amazing and immersive experience. 12. **Creativity** Multimedia learning materials is useful to improve the student's creative performance; it allows learners to produce products of their vision and ideas. 13. **Wide variety of support** A variety of multimedia channels (chat, video conferencing, emails, and others) are available that are use for a wide range of support 14. **Trendy and modern** Breaks down the instructional type of setting and brings in a new way of learning through the use of virtual reality, and gamification **Disadvantage of using multimedia** 1. **Misuse of Multimedia** Students may play games, surf the web for leisure, or do unrelated tasks during class sessions. Classrooms that lack remote control software may experience difficulty in managing and monitoring student activities. 2. **Distraction in cyberspace** People may spend their time on unnecessary information on the internet and fail to focus on more important tasks 3. **Non-interactive** Multimedia applications on learning materials tend to be mechanical and non-interactive due to pre-programmed conversations that feel ineffective and scripted. 4. **Text intensive content** A lot of information is available on the internet can be overwhelming. Text media also lacks the expressiveness of speech that may diminish its impact. 5. **Impractical and unreliable** Large files such as video and audio recording may not able to load quickly on some computers or devices with less powerful hardware. 6. **Time consuming** Creating an effecting multimedia content for advertisement, learning or training requires skills and time 7. **Expensive** Software applications for creating multimedia content require users to purchase licenses to use the full features of the app. It also requires specific hardware requirements that may not match the current system of the users. **Importance of multimedia in various fields** 1. **Advertising industry** In the past couple of decades, advertising has changed a lot, and this is primarily due to the increased usage of the internet in industry. In the field of advertising, multimedia has a great and important role to play. They are first prepared on the computer using the software of experts, regardless of whether it is print or electronic ads, before releasing it to its market. **Different types of advertising available** - Print advertising - Radio or audio advertising - Television advertising - Online advertising on social media, video streaming sites and online games 2. **Education and training** In the field of education and training, multimedia plays an important role to learners. Charts, audio, visual aids, and learning instructions can now be combined into one device with the use of multimedia. A PC for instance can provide a display screen, a microphone and audio system as an alternative to traditional giving of instructions and written illustrations on boards and paper. All these features have facilitated to the development of a broad range of computer-based learning and training such as remote learning. 3. **Mass media and journalism** In a publishing house, the use of multimedia plays a critical role in preparing the designs for periodically published magazines and newspapers. News articles are also now made available online, aside from texts, it contains images that when clicked will direct the user to the full section of an article complete with videos and other images. 4. **Gaming industry** One of multimedia\'s most exciting applications is gaming. The internet has become the platform for massively multiplayer online role-playing game or MMORPG. The combination of visual and sound effects makes it more entertaining and exciting. 5. **Science and technology** Beneficial for surgeons to conduct complex procedures by using images produced from imaging scans of the human body. 6. **Film making** Multimedia in film production may include building storyboards, determining the right camera angles for every scene, aid in writing a story, and the use of video transitions. All types of animations, dubbing, and more are usually done using multimedia technologies. 7. **Fine arts** Digital artist is a new term to refer to artists that uses computer applications to create paintings, and illustrations of all types. 8. **Engineering and architecture** Used in designing 2D and 3D drawings of a building to be constructed or even a shampoo bottle that is yet to be manufactured. AutoCAD, Revit and SketchUp are just few of available multimedia software on the market today for rendering realistic models. 9. **Research** Primarily used for modelling and simulation. In a scientific research for example, a molecular model is created for manipulation. 10. **Fashion design** Fashion design is rapidly evolving in the advent of computers and new technologies, like many other industries. Fashion design colleges now teach methods of design aided by computers and other electronic devices. It helps users draw, drape models, adjust sizes, create textures and select patterns in just a click of a mouse. **Multimedia in the web** The internet is a vast communications system that connects computers worldwide and is the fastest growing multimedia distribution field. Many businesses are creating web pages that allow computers to access product details, including video demos, buying and subscribing to news updates. Here are some of the technologies used in the World Wide Web: - **Webcast** -- Include activities such as rock concerts, baseball games, and keynote speeches at conferences broadcast in real time over the internet**.** - **HyperText Markup Language (HTML)** -- The language used to create webpages. \"Hypertext\" refers to hyperlinks that might be used on an HTML page. \'Markup language\' means the manner in which tags are used to describe the layout of the page and the elements inside the page. - **HTML Tags** -- HTML tags are like keywords which determine how the content will be formatted and displayed by the web browser. A web browser can differentiate between HTML content and plain content with the tags. - **Animations** -- are one of the exciting parts of multimedia on the web that attracts visitors to interact and stay on a web page of product or e-commerce site. **Multimedia in educational applications** A major challenge to any educator is the diversity of ways to effectively deliver instruction to learners with different learning styles. Some learners are better with visual stimulation, while others prefer experimentation and practical tests. Multimedia can incorporate various media sources to provide an engaging material or setup that caters to all learning styles. Below are few of the important key notes of multimedia existing in educational applications. - **Edutainment** -- the combination of education and entertainment. While children games are developed for entertainment, it contain educational value that parents like - **Immediate feedback** - learners are able to preview results and review - **User-controlled** -- students can proceed at their own pace, stop the process and continue at any given time - **Non-linear --** students may come across with terms and concepts that may require them to jump to another section of a book or a learning material. Hyperlink may allow students to jump from one idea to another - **Information on-demand --** multimedia can facilitate students accessing course materials and information at any time **Activity 1** **Answer the following questions in complete sentences.** 1. **Based on the information presented, write your own description of multimedia.** 2. **Aside the various fields given that utilizes multimedia, name 3 other industries that make used of multimedia and explain why.** 3. **Which of the different types of advertising is the most effective and why?** 4. **How does the use of multimedia help students learn a concept studied in particular class?** 5. **Describe the effect of multimedia in education.** **Activity 2** **Describe the different inventors listed below that contributed to the evolution of multimedia.** 1. Nicéphore Niépce 2. Louis Daguerre 3. Etienne-Jules Marey 4. Alexander Graham Bell 5. Thomas Alva Edison **Activity 3** **Evaluate three websites that use multimedia. Develop a report that compares the sites. Include the following information:** 1. **The name of the company, the type of business, and the URL for each site.** 2. **An example of how each uses multimedia to enhance each of the company's web pages.** 3. **An example how multimedia could be used further to add enhancement.** 4. **An example of how multimedia is poorly utilized, and explanation on why it is on a poor use.** 5. **The best site based on your observation in terms of the use of multimedia. Include a discussion on why you've chosen the site.** **REFERENCES** - Drew, M.S. et al (2014), Fundamentals of Multimedia - Use Visual Cues To Enhance Learning (theelearningcoach.com), [[https://theelearningcoach.com/media/graphics/use-visual-cues-to-enhance-learning/]](https://theelearningcoach.com/media/graphics/use-visual-cues-to-enhance-learning/) - Advantages and Disadvantages of Multimedia \| Frndzzz.com, [[http://frndzzz.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-multimedia]](http://frndzzz.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-multimedia) - Use of Multimedia in Different Fields - ADMEC Multimedia (admecindia.co.in), [[https://www.admecindia.co.in/miscellaneous/use-of-multimedia-in-different-fields/]](https://www.admecindia.co.in/miscellaneous/use-of-multimedia-in-different-fields/) - The History of the Camera (historythings.com), [[https://historythings.com/the-history-of-the-camera/\#:\~:text=The%20History%20of%20the%20Camera.%20The%20camera%E2%80%99s%20history,reproducing%20an%20image%20with%20color%20and%20perspective%20preserved]](https://historythings.com/the-history-of-the-camera/#:~:text=The%20History%20of%20the%20Camera.%20The%20camera%E2%80%99s%20history,reproducing%20an%20image%20with%20color%20and%20perspective%20preserved). - Maio (2019), When Were Movies Invented? A Brief History of Motion Pictures, [[https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/when-were-movies-invented/]](https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/when-were-movies-invented/) - [[Film History Timeline (softschools.com)]](https://www.softschools.com/timelines/film_history_timeline/436/#:~:text=In%20the%201880s,%20multiple%20inventors%20began%20working%20on,first%20theater%20was%20built%20in%20Philadelphia%20in%201899.), [[https://www.softschools.com/timelines/film\_history\_timeline/436/\#:\~:text=In%20the%201880s,%20multiple%20inventors%20began%20working%20on,first%20theater%20was%20built%20in%20Philadelphia%20in%201899]](https://www.softschools.com/timelines/film_history_timeline/436/#:~:text=In%20the%201880s,%20multiple%20inventors%20began%20working%20on,first%20theater%20was%20built%20in%20Philadelphia%20in%201899).