Multimedia, as the name implies, combines different media within a single interface, namely, graphics, text, video, sound, and animation, and links them together with various forms of interactivity. Users can click links in an image or text that triggers another media such as an animation or a video. From there they can return to where they were previously or jump to another media source. The assumption is that a combination of media and interactivity can provide better ways of presenting information than can a single media, for example, just text or video alone. The added value of multimedia is that it can be easier for learning, better for understanding, more engaging, and more pleasant (Scaife and Rogers, 1996). Another distinctive feature of multimedia is its ability to facilitate rapid access to mul- tiple representations of information. Many multimedia encyclopedias and digital libraries have been designed based on this multiplicity principle, providing an assortment of audio and visual materials on a given topic. For example, when looking to find information about the heart, a typical multimedia-based encyclopedia will provide the following:

•One or two video clips of a real live heart pumping and possibly a heart transplant operation
•Audio recordings of the heart beating and perhaps an eminent physician talking about the
cause of heart disease
•Static diagrams and animations of the circulatory system, sometimes with narration
•Several columns of hypertext, describing the structure and function of the heart

Social Studies
Views: 0 Asked: 07-13 11:20:32
Watch answer
On this page you can find the answer to the question of the social studies category, and also ask your own question

Other questions in category