Concept Of Multimedia

Concept of multimedia programs:

Multimedia means combination of different media. Multimedia refers to computer-mediated information that is presented concurrently in more than one medium. It consists of some, but not necessarily all, of the following elements: text; still graphic images; motion graphics; animations; hypermedia; photographs; video; and audio, i.e., sounds, music and narration. Multimedia can support multiple representations of the same piece of information in a variety of formats. This has several implications for learning.(Ke, 2008). “Multimedia is interaction with multiple forms of media supported by the computer. The computer is both the tool of multimedia and its medium.” (Cartwright et al. 1999, p.1). According to Vaughan

According to Stair “Multimedia is computing our way to Educational Reform.” The concept of multimedia has existed for many years. There is lot of confusion about what exactly Multimedia is. A simple way of defining multimedia is that it denotes the combination of several media to transport information in several forms from one point to another. The technology of using text and words, diagrams, graphics, sounds and video images collectively to show everything more effectively is called as Multimedia. Multimedia is a powerful tool for making presentations, also multimedia offers unique advantages in the field of education. For instance, text alone simply does not allow students to get a feel. Multimedia enables us to provide a way by which learners can experience their subject in a vicarious manner. The key to providing this experience is having simultaneous graphic, video and audio, rather than in a sequential manner. Lau (2013) describes three primary forms of technologies to deliver multimedia content; communication technologies to impart information, social networks to collaborate and interact and gaming, a relatively new form of educational technology that aims to turn educational content into an

Image: Digital image files appear in many multimedia applications. Digital photographs can display application content or can alternatively form part of a user interface. Digital image files use a variety of formats and file extensions. Among the most common are JPEGs and PNGs. Both of these often appear on websites, as the formats allow developers to minimize on file size while maximizing on picture quality. Graphic design software programs such as Photoshop and Paint.NET allow developers to create complex visual effects with digital images. iii. Audio: Audio files and streams play a major role in some multimedia systems. Audio files appear as part of application content and also to aid interaction. When they appear within Web applications and sites, audio files sometimes need to be deployed using plug-in media players. Audio formats include MP3, WMA, Wave, MIDI and RealAudio. iv. Video: Digital video appears in many multimedia applications, particularly on the Web. As with audio, websites can stream digital video to increase the speed and availability of playback. Common digital video formats include Flash, MPEG, AVI, WMV and QuickTime. Most digital video requires use of browser plug-ins to play within Web pages, but in many cases the user's browser will already have the required resources