More about the Microbiology Educational Software

A few days ago, I posted an article about Geetha's Usability Testing of a Microbiology Software project. I want to share some additional information I received from Geetha - It helps us all to view the project from the developer's eyes. The following is an excerpt from the Geetha's email....


I produced this Interactive Multimedia for my M. Phil on ‘Development and evaluation of Interactive Multimedia to enhance distance learning in microbiology’ I used the Macromedia Director 8 software in producing this multimedia. Actually, I developed the product in my own, since it is part of my research project. Also there were not any trained personnel when I started this in 2001 and also it was something new to the University at that time.

Help
Initially, I got help from Dr Buddhi Weerasinghe (Director /ET) who was then my supervisor, on how to develop this kind of multimedia. At that time I was learning ‘Director 8’in my own referring the user guide.

Later, by participating the workshop on ‘Developing multimedia courseware for distance education’ organized by CEMCA (Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia) at OUSL, 2001, put me into the correct path on how to develop interactive multi media (IMM) using Director 8.

Also I got help from Rani Ponnamperuma (graphic artist/ET) on how to place the graphics on a screen. Mr. Nobel Perera who was in the English Dept. at that time did the narration, and the audio studio staff of the ET helped me in recording. Throughout the production, Dr Gayathri helped me a lot by giving valuable comments in the design and developmental process. Also my peers (in the Botany Department) gave their comments in improving the product.

I also participated an International workshop on ‘Interactive Multimedia on Distance and e-Learning’, at IGNOU - Indira Ghandi National Open University, New Delhi, India, organized by South Asian Consortium for Open and Distance Learning and Inter University consortium for TEFED in 2005. That training enriched me with the instructional design aspects of producing IMM.

Advice to Other Developers:
Designing phase is crucial in the production of IMM. Planning and commitment from the very beginning brings about a better outcome in the end. We have to plan on the ‘product’ as well as ‘time schedule’. It is very necessary to think why we need a multimedia when choosing a lesson to produce one, and why cannot other media support this content area. That is because lot of effort has to be put into it when producing one. When planning the product, development of good storyboards, though it is laborious, will make half of the work done. When writing the storyboards we have to think visually, because IMM is not to include a lot of text but it is more effective as a visual medium. Also we have to think in students’ point of view when scripting. So that it is advisable for the developer to mimic/imagine the students role, and also go to his/ her undergraduate student hood when he learned these concepts and the difficulties that s/he faced in understanding the concepts.

It is also advisable not to do it in a hurry in between the busy schedule of an academic. That will affect the building up of creativity into it. Lengthy programs might take the student off from the program, so that to make students actively involve with the IMM, interactivity should be build into it. I feel, if not very necessary it is not practical to use a lot of video clips in an IMM. Whether it is in a CD or on the web, when added too many video clips, access to the program will slow down.

Though the technology can provide a lot, and the developers are competent with the use of technology, it is not advisable to use all that they know. That is because; technology should not be cumbersome to our learners. In a developing country like Sri Lanka, our learner profile is very wide in competence to use the technology. Though we produce a good product, and if it is not acceptable, user-friendly to our learners it will become a total failure. Therefore, the navigation should be clear, the structure should be simple.

It is very necessary to carry out evaluations (developmental testing) with the stakeholders continuously (at least once) before final product is published. Though the academics are competent with subject matter s/he should not take the autonomy of developing it. It is wise to evaluate on the ‘content’ as well as on ‘technology’ with the stakeholders, especially with the students. The feed back obtained will help us to re think, reformulate the IMM and end up with a better self-learning package.
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Thanks Geetha, for providing more background about your great project!