Getting Started with Multimedia in the Classroom and Tutorial Lab

Dr. David Alan Otts
Ms. Annette Williams
Ms. Carol Willis Dawson
Dr. Vivian R. M. Alley
Middle Tennessee State University

Abstract

This hands-on session will help participants to get started using HyperStudio to create their own multimedia materials for use with students in both classroom and lab settings. Participants should have a topic for their presentation or tutorial. Examples of multimedia presentations and tutorials currently used with developmental algebra students will be shared, and participants will receive a demo-disk of HyperStudio for both Mac and Windows platforms.

The MTV generation quickly loses interest in math topics presented on the chalkboard by some old fuddy-duddy 60's fossil lecturing about polynomials and rational numbers. A step forward is the use of the overhead projector, but students require even greater stimuli to hold their attention. Use of multimedia brings teaching methods into the 21st Century and helps students catch the dream of success in the 90's and beyond. Multimedia offers avenues for presenting material not possible with other methods, such as: (1) interaction, (2) animation to demonstrate concepts, (3) sound cues, (4) incorporation of stimulating visual effects such as flashing, and (5) non-linear progression. Each presenter has used multimedia authoring software to improve classroom instruction and to provide students additional review in a lab setting. New capabilities allow teacher-made stacks to be accesses vis the internet, allowing students the opportunity to study at home.

Our objectives are to report the benefits of using multimedia in the classroom and lab, to demonstrate actual materials authored by the presenters, and to lead participants in the development of their own multimedia materials. Rapid development of multimedia presentation methods and equipping of special multimedia classrooms provides the opportunity to examine the effects of multimedia based instruction on developmental students. The presenters will share the results of their research comparing the learning and math anxiety of students in a multimedia classroom to the learning and math anxiety of students in a non-multimedia classroom. While the data indicate no statistically significant difference in the learning of students in the multimedia classroom and that of students in the non-multimedia classroom, both students and observers felt that students are more engaged by the multimedia based instruction. The study comparing math anxiety using the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale as the pre- and posttest instrument is currently being conducted and will be shared with the participants.

All four presenters have and are developing multimedia based presentations for use in both classroom and lab. A presentation of elementaryalgebra topics and a tutorial on application problems made using HyperStudio will be shared with the participants as examples of teacher made multimedia. The lessons learned in developing these materials will also be shared.

Participants will experience hands-on work with multimedia tools by developing their own presentation. A sample development tool (HyperStudio) will be available for participants. Those who wish to bring their own hardware and software are encouraged to do so. Each participant will create a mini-presentation that can be used as the basis for an expanded tutorial.

Participants should have a topic for their presentation.

Dr. David Alan Otts Ms. Annette Williams Ms. Carol Willis Dawson Dr. Vivian R. M. Alley

Associate Professor Assistant Professor Assistant Professor Associate Professor

Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University

P.O. Box 386 P.O. Box 370 P. O. Box 16 P. O. Box 376

Murfreesboro, TN 37132 Murfreesboro, TN 37132 Murfreesboro, TN 37132 Murfreesboro, TN 37132

Fax: (615) 898-5907 Fax: (615) 898-5907 Fax: (615)898-5907 Fax: (615)898-5907

e-mail: dotts@mtsu.edu e-mail: awilliam@frank.mtsu.edu e-mail: cdawson@mtsu.edu e-mail: valley@mtsu.edu

Dr. David Alan Otts	Ms. Annette Williams	Ms. Carol Willis Dawson	Dr. Vivian R. M. Alley
Associate Professor	Assistant Professor	Assistant Professor	Associate Professor
Middle Tennessee State University	Middle Tennessee State University	Middle Tennessee State University	Middle Tennessee State University
P.O. Box 386	P.O. Box 370	P. O. Box 16	P. O. Box 376
Murfreesboro, TN 37132	Murfreesboro, TN 37132	Murfreesboro, TN 37132	Murfreesboro, TN 37132
Fax: (615) 898-5907	Fax: (615) 898-5907	Fax: (615)898-5907	Fax: (615)898-5907
e-mail: dotts@mtsu.edu	e-mail: awilliam@frank.mtsu.edu	e-mail: cdawson@mtsu.edu	e-mail: valley@mtsu.edu