Multimedia Learning : Results and Perspectives

In the last two decades of the former century different developments changed instructional-design theory and practice substantially. First, shifts in epistemological beliefs lead to the design of learning environments that foster the construction of knowledge and the engagement of problem-solving skills. Second, commitment to communities of learners has emphasized cooperative learning. Third, the digitalization of both visual and auditory information, which are stored in one format, and the rapid transport of this information on a global scale by using the Internet, lead to the multimedia revolution. This revolution together with the development of hypermedia techniques has offered the instructional-designers and students the possibility to search all available databases for information that they can use for their problem-solving activities. Moreover the revolution has offered designers and teachers the option of telecoaching or telementoring, which now are becoming normal practice for many teachers in the academic and distance education sectors. Finally, the use of interactive classrooms in which the students can engage with virtual environments has changed the nature of learning for students. In this volume, these developments will be addressed by scholars in the field of instructional design and multimedia use.