1997 Japan Audiovisual Education Association,
Tokyo Japan)
(
1997 Japan Audiovisual Education Association,
Tokyo Japan)
Research and development of educational multimedia
in Japan started in 1988, with the "Development of New Media Materials
Project " sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports
and Culture in collaboration with the Japan Audiovisual Education Association.
This Project has been guided by Professor Terumi Nakano of International
Christian University for three years focused on the hypermedia rather than
multimedia.
Three years of hypermedia studies produced multimedia software, such as
"Bunkyo Museum" and "Hyper Science
Cube", that emphasized one of the fundamental concepts of hypermedia
gnon-structuredh or highly flexible structured. In addition, the rapid
development of telecommunication systems has popularized the word "multimedia"
especially in the world of business and industry. Some examples are high
definition television programme by NHK, like "Hypermedia: People and
Forest," and materials from the University of Osaka, like "Hypermedia:
Safety Traffic Education." In 1991, the Ministry of Education recognized
hypermedia and multimedia as one concept and enforced the continuation
of the project "Development of New Media Materials" for another
3 years. During this time, new hypermedia materials such as "Hyper
Science Cube II", hVideo- and Computer-based Manual for Utilizing
Hypermediah, "HyperScience: Weather Information," and "Japanese
Language Education: Shopping in Hyper-town" were produced and evaluated.
In 1992, a specially arranged new teacher training course has been started
by the Ministry of Education to accelerate the introduction of Multimedia
Personal Computers (MMPC) in schools as well as in the non-formal education
facilities and the elaboration and utilization of multimedia. These courses
show the special concern of the Ministry of Education and the Japan Audiovisual
Education Association to divulge the concept of multimedia to everyone,
not only to those related to education.
This article shows the trends and prospects of the development of multimedia
in education and teacher training curriculum for promoting the utilization
of multimedia mainly led by the Ministry of Education and the Japan Audiovisual
Education Association from 1988 to 1996.
2. Background of Multimedia Technologies
2-1 Development of New Information Technologies
In recent years, micro processing unit (MPU) became in high-speed and smaller
but with large capacity, while technologies such as liquid crystal display
and CD-ROM are identified as emerging technologies. These computer related
technologies have contributed to the standardization in compression and
representation of various kinds of information, and then the database and
interface technologies also became new streams in the Japanese society.
New information technologies integrate several current
media such as 16mm films, video tape recorders, still-cameras, CD,
LD and slides to give us new alternatives for exchanging information. Especially
an advent of so-called multimedia, which is characterized by stronger interactivity,
has served as a driving force for the school reform as well as for the
better dairy life in economic, social and cultural development of the nation.
Recently, in addition to multimedia, newer telecommunication technologies
represented by the Internet with high quality database give us global communication
facilities.
It is expected that the MMPC and the information and telecommunication
system based on the new information technologies give us more flexible
learning environment.
2-2 Multimedia Personal Computers
Compared to the past personal computers (PC), multimedia personal computers
(MMPC) are marked by such features as with CD-ROM of 540MB in capacity
and with high quality audiovisual capability. According to the gStandard
of MMPC ver.2.0h, presented in May 1993, the basic features of MMPC are
as follows; ‡@resolution
of the display: 640 x 480 - VGA, ‡ACPU:
486SX (25 MHz) , 4MB or more capacity for memory, and 160MB or more capacity
for hard-disk, ‡BCD-ROM
drive: built-in double-speed, and ‡C8-bits
digital audio and MIDI capabilities. On the other hand based on the report
titled gPromoting Audiovisual Education Utilizing New Education Media
(Report)h by the Ministry of Education in March 1992, the term ghypermediah
is defined as a unified device with the use of computer that processes
texts, sounds, and images and turns them into audiovisual materials.
The adoption of this definition can be appreciated in the materials produced
during the project "Development of New Media Materials", conduced
by the Ministry in 1988. The importance of utilizing expensive instruments--computers,
compact disks, video disks--to gather and process audiovisual information
for educational purpose is still considerated. In another words multimedia,
in general, contains a vast bulk of high quality information compiled in
the node of the network with the links, which is characterized by gnon-linearity.h
So that the users of multimedia have stronger interactivity with such system
or information in the nodes to retrieve, browse and customize according
to their own idea or interact as they may think, which enables them to
help learn by themselves and change their way of thinking or transform
their cognitive structure by expanding their world of thinking activities.
In addition to this since learning process by the users is compiled respectively
in the system the multimedia is considered as one of the effective media
which makes education more scientific and promote education with a various
range of audiovisual media.
3. Progress of Educational Policies for Multimedia
3-1 Publication of Resource Material gEducational Use of Multimedia -
Guidebook of Computers in Audiovisual Education -: for Primary and Lower
Secondary Schoolsh
The Department of Learning Information, the Bureau of Lifelong Leaning,
the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture started preparatory
activities in 1988 to create new policies for utilizing new media, and
then developed the Standard Curriculum of Teacher
Training for Audiovisual Education. In 1992 the Ministry of Education
launched a special project to look for the capabilities of multimedia in
education and ended in 1996 as its first phase. This publication is one
of the products of activities describing trends and issues on the application
of multimedia in education by showing examples and questions and answers
to promote multimedia in education and to expect utilization of them to
improve educational methods. In the first section of the book brief experiences
in multimedia and audiovisual education, its meaning and characteristics
and its capabilities in education are described with special reference
on the use of multimedia, which has just started in education. In the second
section of the book eleven examples in primary schools and eight in lower
secondary schools are introduced in two pages each heading gPurpose of
Utilizationh gSummaryh gResults and Issues Remainedh and gAdvice
for Better Utilizationh respectively. With respect to the third session
gOn the Promotion of Audiovisual Education with the Use of Multimedia
- Questions and Answers -g is composed of gHow to Introduce Multimedia
in Educationh , gOn the In-school Training and Organizationh, gOn Regional
Cooperationh, gSome Notice to Develop Multimedia by Teachers Themselvesh,
which include five, five, five and seven questions and answers respectively.
At the end of the book two reports, the report gPromoting Audiovisual
Education Utilizing New Education Media (Report)h by the Educational Media
Sub-committee of the Council for the Lifelong Education of the Ministry
in March 1992 and a report gCopyright Issues on the Computer Programmes
in Schools and its related Authorities (Announcement)h by the National
Cultural Affairs Authorities in September 1993, are summarized for reference.
3-2 Announcement of a Report gPromoting Educational Measures for Coping
with Developments in the Multimedia (Round-Table Summary)h
In June 1994 gExpert Group for Promoting Educational Measures for Coping
with Developments in the Multimediah was formulated in the Ministerfs
Secretariat of the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture.
The first meeting was held in July 1994 followed by six meetings to publish
a report prepared by the Round-Table on Promoting Educational Measures
on 2 gPromoting Educational Measures for Coping with Developments in the
Multimediah in January 1995. This report is reflected by the experts from
several related areas concerning multimedia to includes the comprehensive
and systematic proposal for the fundamental approach to the wider range
and overall educational measures such as multimedia in education, sciences,
culture and sports. In this report the following important aspects are
pointed out: ‡@The
measures concerned should endeavor to promote from the usersf point of
view within the total government policies and services, ‡AMultimedia
should be utilized to education for formulating sound human being and to
develop sciences, culture and sports, ‡BThe
enhancement and improvement of Information literacy and training of personnel
for the coming highly information and telecommunication oriented society
should be taking into account, and ‡CFundamental
strategies for the measures are; (a) Formulation of basic idea for the
utilization of multimedia in education and its related fields, (b) Development
of conditions for facilities, icjResearch
and development of the contents and methods for utilization and software
concerned, (d) Training and recruitment of professional knowledge and skills,
(e) Promotion of copyright policies, (f) Development of overall policies
and closer linkage and cooperation with other sectors concerned. In addition,
to develop fundamental conditions two major approaches are recommended
and emphasized the development of software, information media like multimedia,
information and telecommunication networks, and databases in considering
the progress of research and development on the utilization of multimedia
and infrastructure of environment coping with the advanced information
and telecommunication technologies. The first approach is applied by the
beginning of the 21st century to (1) develop school environment,
whatever school be such as national and public as well as primary, secondary,
special and university level, where each student can use one personal computer
in class , (2) develop local area network (LAN) within the campus in all
national higher education institutions (, while as to the national universities
in 1994 it has been already achieved) , (3) endeavor to support the development
of information education media system in private and public universities,
and also (4) the development of LAN within the campus of the private and
public universities. The second approach, however, by the end of the year
2000, is to (1) establish in every prefecture Learning Information Service
System for promoting regional lifelong learning, (2) develop in small regions
within each prefecture Educational Software Library Centres to use educational
software, (3) develop the new function in the National Education Hall which
serves as national centre for overall information dissemination on education
and culture, (4) train all teachers to acquire basic knowledge and skills
of computer utilization, (5) with regard to the certificate of supervisors
in non-formal education, make it possible to learn basic contents on information
society, and (6) develop a organ which enables to give information and
services on the existence of copyright.
In addition, with regard to the term gmultimediah in the report is described
as follows; since it is difficult to define the term due to the technologies
concerning the multimedia being developing, so that as compared with past
existing media multimedia is a media which has features such as (1) to
handle several types of information, characters, numbers, visuals and sound,
in unified form, (2) to have the several interactive functions, information
gathering, editing and retrieving, (3) with the use of such functions to
exchange various amount of information within the advanced information
and telecommunications networks. This is not the definition of the multimedia
but just description of multimedia by explaining general characteristics
such as capability of various representation, easy to interactivity, capability
of faster processing of vast amount of information and easy to individuality
in needs of information access. In respond to such description, it can
be said that gmultimediah will make much more progress with the technological
development of semiconductor, telecommunications and software based on
the accumulation and comprehension of philosophy in technologies and information
systems developed.
Recently the development of computers and electronics technologies have
been bringing about new media and new words, and nowadays gmultimediah
and ghypermediah implies almost the same meaning as one of the new media
to give a variety of expectation in the world of education as well as that
of business.
3-3 Development of g100-school Projecth - Promotion of the Internet in
Education -
In 1994 the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture launched
a new education programme utilizing gThe Interneth and new telecommunication
tools in collaboration with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry
and other authorities concerned. This is called g100-school Project,h
the aim of which was to develop new educational environment with the use
of computer networks where almost 100 schools from primary to upper secondary
join to exchange information and experiences. To pursue the aim the Centre
for the Promotion, Use and Development of Educational Software was established
on the Shonan-Fujisawa Campus of Keio University, and 102 schools were
selected out of 1,543 applicant schools to distribute computer terminals
in each school. Schools in this Project included 17 primary, 29 lower secondary,
39 upper secondary, 9 combined (1 primary and lower secondary, and 8 lower
and upper secondary), 6 special education and 2 others like American School.
All of these schools were divided into two groups, Group A and Group B,
based on the experience and competency of teachers in networking; Group
A includes 31 schools, and B 71 schools. In this regard each school, connecting
each other with new educational networking system including the Internet,
has received for three years special assistance by the Centre for Educational
Computing to utilize unified information in texts, sounds and video images.
According to the results presented in the final annual meeting held in
March 1997, each experimental school was able to develop higher-order information
oriented school environment, to send effectively valuable information compiled,
and exchange globally and actively information with national and international
institutions concerned.
3-4 Others
As of 1996, 10 special national projects regarding multimedia have been
conducted under the guidance of the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports
and Culture. Some of them are the Project on the Development of Inter-University
Networking with Telecommunication Satellite, the Pilot Project on the Development
of Multimedia University, the Project on the Promotion of Enrichment of
Learning in Public Halls with the Use of Telecommunication Satellite, the
Project on the Research and Development of Utilization Method of New Telecommunication
Facilities in Schools in Remote Area, the Project on the Japanese Language
Education to Cope with Highly Information Oriented Society, etc. In this
regard, utilization of multimedia in education is widely being encouraged
and promoted throughout Japan.
4. Meaning and Characteristics of Hypermedia
After conducting research and development
of the application of hypermedia in education, Professor Nakano describes
its meaning and characteristics as follows:
a. Integration.- Hypermedia combines a big amount of information (messages)
before presenting them on the display, exceeding multimedia capability.
b. Interactivity.- There are two issues to consider in the interactivity
between media (learning program) and learners. One refers to the adequacy
of the program to the learners' level, and the other, to the mutual adjustment
of the program and learners.
c. Non-structure.- All the data stored up in hypermedia has no-structure.
In other words, every objective in the learning process is easily achieved
because of a closer meaning given by the learners to the process.
d. Expandability.- Depending on the users needs, it is possible to add
new information in hyperdocuments or even change them to some extent.
Statements concerning multimedia mentioned
by Professor Nakano can be thought to be supported by the introduction
and assimilation of the development of the situated learning and the learning
based on constructivism in education, which will be the powerful view to
the learning to realize both the gNew View of Learning Abilityh implied
in the 1989 version of the Course of Study and gAbility to Liveh in the
discussion of the 15th Central Council for Education.
Although people in general have now more time for themselves, the intrusion
of different media into theirs lives is so marked that they can hardly
spend any spare time without them. For example, through media, new business
are arranged, events occurred during the last class are described, meetings
with the colleagues after working hours are examined at home, etc. People
are "multiprocessing" all the time, sometimes even unconsciously.
A person receives multi-information in form of images, sounds, data, and
texts, and at the same time, he can send this information to others with
some changes improved as V. Bush stated in 1945 in his thesis.
Digital technologies and telecommunication systems work together setting
the bases of an unlimited media that processes "digital" information.
Digital media in educational environment allows students to access information
"whenever they want, through the media they like, and in the amounts
they like". Students are no longer restrained to rigid schedules prepared
by their teachers or fixed media formats. Thus, they are in control of
the information received, changing it according to their understanding
and personality, and later sending it to others.
5. Educational Meaning of Hypermedia
The concept of hypermedia was introduced by V. Bush in his thesis of 1945. However, it was not until some years ago that computers make it possible to incorporate hypermedia in education. Since then, several reports have been written on development and evaluation of educational material, installation and development of an interface that integrates different kinds of media, non-structured and non-linear information processing, and validation of the use of different styles of programs and lessons.
Professor Nakano considers the educational meaning of hypermedia as:
Lessons using hypermedia were expected not
just as a "Trait-Treatment-Task-Interaction (TTTI)," but as a
more complicated transformation that involves: learners, learning subject,
learning material, and application of learning process or lessons. To develop,
theoretically and empirically, these 4 factors of transformation the following
research themes were proposed:
This means that the no-structure characteristic of hypermedia allows a
"Trait-Treatment-Task-Interaction(TTTI)" and a expanded and customized
information according to the students likes and feelings. Students reorganize
the information in a creative and personal way by editing it as something
of their own. The tendency has been to prioritize hypermedia ability to
make improving changes and to accelerate the development and use of multimedia
material in schools realized by the multimedia personal computers (MMPC)
which is identified with the unified form of gTV with telephone and high
quality audio system.h
There are 2 theories of the development of
hypermedia. One prioritizes the origin and principal characteristic of
a non-structured material and system, while the other refers to computer
assisted instruction (CAI) with the addition of images and sounds.
In CAI, teachers define the goals to be achieved and the students help
themselves with textual, audible, and visual information. Consequently,
hypermedia is delivered to let students establish their own goals and to
search and choose from a vast variety of information depending on their
needs and interest.
Basically, the introduction of hypermedia in education started in 1988
with the financial support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports
and Culture. The first hypermedia materials were "Bunkyo Museumh
(1989) and "Hyper Science Cube" (1990). These experiences were
collected and further developed in subsequent materials: "Hyper Science
Cube IIh (1991), hInoshishi-Kegaji: Life of Shoeki Andoh (1992)
, "Manual for the Utilization of Hypermedia", "Hyperscience:
Weather Information" and "Japanese Language Education: Shopping
in Hypertown" (1993).
These hypermedia materials are expected to change educational theories,
utilization of materials, and application of development methods. At the
same time, another institutions were producing programs to accelerate the
introduction of multimedia and hypermedia in education. For example, "Hypermedia:
People and Forest" (1990) by NHK which was developed for the utilization
of high definition TV programme, and Osaka University with its "Hypermedia:
Safety Traffic Education"(1990). Other contributions to the development
of hypermedia in education can be found in 1991 such as "Hypermedia
System ISWALKER" by Hirayama, "Japanese History Hyper Dictionary"
by Kato, "Supporting Children's Library Searching" by Sugimori
and by Yaguchi "CAI - English Conversation." In this regard,
we can say that research and application of educational multimedia and
hypermedia actively started in 1991.
Taking examples in 1992 research works, software produced by the Software
Technology Research Group are "Aunt Mariko's Secret" and "Automobile
Company" for fifth gradersf social study course. In 1993, software
like: "Electronic Dictionary for understanding Mathematics" by
Saeki, "Multimedia Material: Snow Country" by Nambu, "Astronomy
for Lower Secondary Science Course by Yamanaka, and "The Atom and
the Atomic Nucleus for Upper Secondary Physics Course" by Yoshie.
In 1994 due to the advances in telecommunications and databases brought
by the Internet, educational materials and systems introduced new changes.
It can be said, however, that the fundamental, practical and evaluation
research and development on gInteractivityh, gDistractionh in the sea
of information and gNavigationh with regard to multimedia are insufficient
both in quality and quantity.
Tables 1, 2 and 3 show the number of research papers concerning multimedia
and total number of research papers, their categories, and content respectively,
all of which are presented in the annual national conventions in 1991 to
1996.
Research on multimedia and hypermedia in 1991 and 1992 are found in the
several sessions such as educational media, classroom studies, audiovisual
education, educational methods, informatics or information literacy studies,
while in 1993 a symposium gMultimedia and educational technologyh and
Project Study gMultimedia and CAIh are organized to make the number of
research papers on multimedia and its related studies up to more than 10%.
In 1994 four sessions named gMultimedia in Educationh are opened, while
in 1995 a session gNetwork and Learning Environmenth and in 1996 gInformation
Telecommunication and Technologyh are organized respectively. In this
regard it can be pointed out that years 1995 and 1996 are reflecting the
development of multimedia and computer communications, though both 1991
and 1994 conventions are marked by gUnited Conventions of Educational
Technology and Its Related Associationsh gathering several members of
associations to increase the total number of research papers; namely the
Japan Society for Educational Technology, the Japanese Society of Computer
Assisted Instruction, the Japan Association for the Study of Audiovisual
and Broadcast Education, the National Council of Educational and Practical
Research and Guidance Centres, and the Educational Technology Sub-committee
of the Japan Association of Electronics Information and telecommunications.
Table 1 Number of research papers concerning multimedia and its related term and Total number of research papers in the annual conventions
|
Words in the Title |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
|
Multimedia |
‚X |
‚T |
15 |
49 |
30 |
13 |
|
Hypermedia |
12 |
12 |
13 |
15 |
‚V |
‚T |
|
WWW |
@ | @ | @ |
‚P |
‚U |
‚R |
|
Total |
21 |
17 |
28 |
65 |
43 |
21 |
|
iTotal No. of research papersj |
(325) |
(233) |
(229) |
(471) |
(297) |
(310) |
@
Table 2 Category of research papers with multimedia et al in the title
|
Category |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
|
Survey |
@ | @ | @ | @ |
‚P |
@ |
|
Development |
‚W |
‚X |
14 |
45 |
11 |
‚X |
|
Production and Evaluation |
‚R |
‚R |
‚X |
‚U |
‚S |
@ |
|
Utilization and Evaluation |
‚S |
‚S |
‚P |
‚S |
‚U |
‚R |
|
Evaluation |
@ | @ |
‚P |
‚Q |
‚W |
‚S |
|
Theoretical |
‚R |
@ |
‚R |
‚R |
‚W |
‚R |
|
Practical |
‚R |
‚P |
@ |
‚T |
‚T |
‚Q |
|
Total |
21 |
17 |
28 |
65 |
43 |
21 |
@
Table 3 Content of research papers with multimedia et al in the title
|
Content |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
|
Teaching/Learning material |
14 |
11 |
16 |
26 |
‚X |
‚V |
|
System |
‚V |
‚U |
12 |
39 |
34 |
14 |
|
Total |
21 |
17 |
28 |
65 |
43 |
21 |
@
7. Procedure of Developing Multimedia Material
The procedure of developing multimedia materials is not yet established,
which refers to the critical issues on the creation of gHyperdocumenth
and gContents.h However, teachers tend to create multimedia in order
to pursue gNew View of Learning Abilityh in education due to the development
and dissemination of various kinds of high quality but low cost peripherals
and to the existing software supported by the easy to access interfaces
like gDrag and Drop.h Under these circumstances, with a view to helping
improve the quality of teachers-made software, research and development
of formulating the procedure of creating multimedia rather than system
development are urgently needed. One of the research results has been realized
in the teacher training and workshop conducted by the Ministry and the
Japan Audiovisual Education Association.
Table 4 shows a general procedure for developing multimedia materials.
The development of multimedia materials--to
hyper--is not a systematic procedure. During the production of the materials,
sometimes the producer must jump from one stage to the other without finishing
either of them. Stronger "interactivity" that characterizes hypermedia
materials makes it possible to start with a bit of idea of the material
to produce, collect and arrange related information - in texts, images,
graphics, sounds -, and organize them in a database. Each producer will
proceed in a creative and dynamic way. For this reason, it is important
to take the information the way it reaches him, without polishing it at
all.
Simply organizing the developing stage, we may find the following procedure:
(a) Form a working group
(b) Find an idea to start from, give
it form, ripe it, and magnify it.
(c) Collect and arrange related information. Information may be in form
oftexts, images, sounds, etc.
(d) Design the plan to follow for the material.
(e) Input the data into the computer using multimedia development software
(authoring software),
digitizing them with the use of various
kinds of peripherals such as word processors, scanners, digital stillcameras,
digital video cameras, microphones, LD, CD etc. If necessary,produce the
necessary computer program.
(f) Develop a usersf manual which includes a guidebook and a technical
information book.
(g) Validate the material with users.
(h) Improve or reform the program or its utilization with link, buttons,
andinterface options.
(i) Organize the program in a software package for its diffusion.
(j) Carry out teacher training.
In addition , of course, it is important to previously master the functions
and operations of the hardware and software to be utilized.
The first and second steps are the most important. It is here when the
producer try gto hyperh. All the spontaneous thinking must be taken to
a rational level through continuous auto interrogation in order to give
form to the title of the material. Producers must always ask themselves:
Who is this for? What for? What should be the characteristic? Is there
enough data? Is there a better way to achieve the goals? etc. This is a
basic and rough way to define the title of the multimedia to be produced.
After the multimedia material is finished, it must be able to produce a
"hyper" in the users, the same "hyper" that the producer
experience during the elaboration of the material.
With regard to software to develop multimedia, several powerful and easy
to use can be taken in the market as examples; namely, "Authorware"
from Macromedia Co. Ltd., "Drawing book- Pro" from Fujitsu Co.
Ltd., "Super Yuki" from NEC Co. Ltd., "Media Room"
from ASCII Co. Ltd., and "Q-media" from Q-media Co. Ltd. These
software were elaborated based on Apple's 1976 "HyperCard ,"
meaning that they are gobject-oriented,h gnode-link fashion with buttons,h
and gcustomizable.h These software are now utilized by the operating
system (OS) with MMPCs and can be upgraded to process digital images and
sounds with computer peripheral boards. Users are now able to access information,
rapidly select it, and transfer it. They can even make contributions as
if the information that reaches them were of their own.
8. Teacher Training Curriculum for Developing Hypermedia
Material
In March 1992 the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture published
a report gAudiovisual Education Media Training
Curriculum Standardsh which includes gTraining Curriculum Ih and
gTraining Curriculum IIh, while the past version of the curriculum was
developed in 1973 to name gAudiovisual Education Training Curriculum Standardsh
composed by introductory, intermediate and advanced levels. Several features
are found in the new version of the standard, one of which is encouraging
teachers utilize media in integrated form described in both sections g4
Basics of Integration of Education Mediah and g5 Basics of Learning Information
Systemh in the ggeneral remarks.h In 1992 gA Manual for Training Education
Media for Planner Useh and in 1993 gA Manual for Training Education Media
for Practitionersh have been appeared.
Regarding the training curriculum, in 1992, the Ministry of Education started
a new training course in development of multimedia material, and at the
same time the Japan Audiovisual Education Association started sponsoring
the "Workshop on the Development of Multimedia Materials".
The training course conducted by the Ministry was for four days to reach
key personnel in regional education board throughout the country, while
the Japan Audiovisual Education Associations was for three days to spread
basic knowledge of multimedia to people in general, even to those not only
related to education. Tables 5 and 6 describe brief training items and
course schedule organized by the Ministry in January 1997 and by the Japan
Audiovisual Education Association in July 1996 respectively.
Table 5 Training Items and Schedule
(1997 Training Course on theDevelopment of Multimedia Materials by the Ministry)
Training Items
‡@Utilization
of Multimedia in Education
‡AMultimedia and Copyright
‡BDevelopment of Multimedia Materials
‡CCreation of Home-page
Schedulei4 days; 24hoursj
Day 1
iafternoonj
Orientation
‡@Lecture on the Utilization of Multimedia
in Education
‡ALecture
on the Multimedia and Copyright
Day 2
imorningj
‡BLecture
and demonstration on the Development of Multimedia Materialsh
iafternoonj
Practice on the Development of Multimedia Materials
Day 3
(morning)
Practice (contfd)
(afternoon)
Demonstration and Discussion
Day 4
(morning)
‡CLecture followed by Practice on
the Creation of Homepage.
iafternoonj
Demonstration and Discussion
@
Table 6 Training Items and Schedule
(1996 Workshop on theDevelopment of Multimedia Materials by the JAVEA)
Training Items
‡@Features
of Multimedia and Education Use
‡ACurrent Trends of Authoring Software
and peripherals
‡BDevelopment of Multimedia Materials
‡CClassroom and Practical Use of Multimedia
Schedulei3 days: 21 hoursj
Day 1
imorningj
Orientation
‡@Lecture on the Features of Multimedia
and Education Useh
‡ALecture and Demonstration on Current
Trends of Authoring Software and peripheralsh
iafternoonj
‡BPractice
on the Development of Multimedia Materialsh
DemonstrationAScenario
writing
Day 2
imorningj
Practice (cont'd)
iafternoonj
Practice (cont'd)
Day 3
imorningj
Demonstration and Discussion
‡CPresentation of Case Study on Classroom
and Practical Use of Multimediah
Trends and Issues
In addition, training items of the course in January 1996 by the Ministry
of Education included (1)Lecture gMeaning of Multimedia Use in Education,
(2) Lecture gMultimedia and Copyrighth, (3) Lecture gApplication of
Multimedia in Educationh, (4) Lecture gTrends and Issues on Multimedia
g, (5) Lecture, Practice and Discussion gDevelopment of Multimediah,
(6) Lecture gPractical Development of Multimediah and (7) Others in 23.5
hours. So that compared these with Table 5, both (3) and (4) in the 1996
course were neglected and in the 1997 course gCreation of Homepageh was
added to cope with latest trend in computer networks. In respond to such
reorganization of the course item, in the 1997 course to the participants
the information on existing two kinds of multimedia, a package-type and
a telecommunication-type, were introduced, while they were asked to examine
various kinds of multimedia like gBeethovenfs Symphony No. 9h gThe
Fist Emperor of Chinah gBunkyo Museumh gHyper Science Cube IIh for
a subsequent discussion on links, interface, method of navigation, etc.
applied in them. The elaboration and validation of multimedia depend on
the meaning and significance given to "multimedia ." In this
workshop, multimedia and hypermedia were considered almost the same. Hypermedia
is referred to as a media with strong interactivity, while multimedia as
non-structured and with the ability to link contents.
At the end of the workshop, 9 developed materials were presented, "Enjoy
Yourself in Ibaragi Prefecture: Hot Spring editionh, gOutlines of Multimedia
Training Courseh, gMr. Sewingh, gThe Poet of Ibaragi: Ujo Noguchih,
gWhat Happened in the Course?h, "Is Your Body Healthy? - How Long
Would You Live?", "Introduction to Prefectures", "Earthquake
Mechanism," and "Earthquake". From the experience of elaborating
multimedia materials, it was established the importance of the material
to allow independent learning guided by the users' own interests. However,
it was the most difficult element to achieve and multimedia and hypermedia
were criticized to be just an "introduction to the content".
This recognition was enough to make changes to the curriculum. The curriculum
was then modified to promote the connections between contents. For example
in the Workshop of 1997, there were 44 participants, 32 of them from an
educational institution. Table 7 presents some tips to help the participants
of the workshop in the most difficult stage of the production of multimedia
material.
@
Table 7 Some TIPS for the Initial Stage in the Development of Multimedia Software
| 1. Draw a single scene of a film or a movie that
impressed you or is still in your mind.
If you are not able to draw it, write it down with a single sentence or a single word. If you have no one, then choose a book or music with which you have been impressed : write down the title of the book or music, and show a single scene with which you have been impressed in the form of a word, sentence or drawing.2. Those who have no such films, movies, books, music, may consider drawing a imagery or writing it down in a single word or sentence . e.g. what do you want to do to : what is your dissatisfaction, what are you troubled in, what should be solved ? 3. Express in a single word the fact that impressed you, why is still in your mind, or why are you troubled, and then write down several words successively e.g. communication with parents and children, friendship, human being, balance, social life, ....... These words may lead you to the title of your Multimedia Software.4. Express and/or draw several imageries which are associated with the original imagery or word or even with the former ones in such a way as why, what else,.... e.g. animal society, "Kinds of Mammals"(Toei Films Co. Ltd. 1987), "American Society and Their Life"(Kyoritsu Movie Co. Ltd.), individualism, ..... . These films, movies, books, sounds, words may be useful reference and resource materials to be included in your Multimedia Software. |
These courses and workshops sponsored by
the Ministry of Education and the Japan Audiovisual Education Association
reveal that duration of the training is enough in 2 or 3 days to achieve
the objectives, while almost all participants had difficulties in integration
and expanding their idea. So that when organizing such training courses
in multimedia both of these together with expressing their own experience
by their own words it should be introduced clearly before going into practice
sessions. In addition it should be also pointed out that participants understand
to grade up their skills in systematic thinking,decision and representations.
It should be also pointed out that course contents of the computers within
the Advanced Training Programme of Audiovisual Education conducted by the
Ministry are changed from "Project on Computer Training Course"
and "Development of Software" into "Project on Multimedia
Training Course and Development of Multimedia."
In educational multimedia and hypermedia, computers are considered the
fundamental media. Computers facilitate the interaction between the theory
and the practice of education. Computers process and store visual and audible
information from audiovisual and broadcasting materials in databases. Then,
the stored information is mixed with information from VTR, video camera,
LD, CD-ROM, and CD. Regarding authoring tools and presentation software,
multimedia takes them as an element that helps in the function, purpose
and operation of the materials.
The process of learning with multimedia is absolutely different from each
student and multimedia can be recognized to support his own learning style.
The way of information processing of mankind, however, has not yet solved
to give us the difficulties to create high quality linkage with a sound
view to his learning in any subjects like science and literature. In this
regard, with the elaboration of collecting practical data and information
though development of several kinds of software and conducting teacher
training courses the investigation of the knowledge structure of each student
will be cleared and this makes the educational meaning and utilization
of multimedia as well as multimedia technologies more relevant.
Structural reform is now progressing in Japanese society. In connection
with this school education system is also expected to be dramatically changed
to respond to the recommendations by the 15th Central Council
for Education, which organized in April 1995 to discuss gThe Five-day
School System,h gEducational Use of Multimediah and their related issues
based on the new philosophy of education gAbility to Live.h So that in
schools multimedia should develop and utilize in order to achieve effectively
wider range of educational objectives in existing and new subject matters
with a view to develop studentsf sound ways of living and thinking in
the future.
1. Terumi Nakano, 1991, Problems in the Research and Development of Hypermedia: Educational applicability of new media, Audiovisual Education, 45, 6, 34-38.
2. The Japan Audiovisual Education Association, 1992, Hypermedia: Hyper Science Cube II, The Japan Audiovisual Education Association, Tokyo.
3. The Japan Audiovisual Education Association, 1994, Self-development and utilization of Multimedia: Summary Records on the Development of Hypermedia Materials, The Japan Audiovisual Education Association, Tokyo.
4. The Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, 1994, Educational Use of Multimedia - Guidebook of Computers in Audiovisual Education -: for Primary and Lower Secondary School, Dai-Ichi-Hoki Publishing Co. Ltd., Tokyo.
5. The Japan Audiovisual Education Association, 1994, Self-development and Utilization of Multimedia Database: A pilot Study to Create Regional Network on Images in the Region, The Japan Audiovisual Education Association, Tokyo.
6. The Japan Audiovisual Education Association, 1996, 1996-Workshop Handbook on the Development of Multimedia Materials, The Japan Audiovisual Education Association, Tokyo.
7. The Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, 1996, 1996-Advanced Training Course Handbook on Audiovisual Education Media, The Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, Tokyo.
8. The Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and
Culture, 1997, 1996-Training Course Handbook on the Development of Multimedia,
The Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture , Tokyo.
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