An evaluation of Digital Chisel 3.0 as a multimedia authoring tool in a year seven classroom

Most commercial interactive multimedia authoring packages are designed to be used by teachers and trainers to build commercial training or classroom teaching applications (Handler, Dana, Peters & Moor, 1995; Magel, 1997). The evolution of interactive multimedia technologies however, has made it possible for students to become actively involved in creating their own interactive multimedia projects, and in so doing, gain considerable learning benefit (Lehrer 1993). Facilitating this in the classroom and particularly at the Year Seven level, requires the use of a cost-effective, purpose-built authoring tool. Digital Chisel 3.0 (DC3), was developed by Pierian Spring Software (1997), as just such a product. This study was a summative product evaluation, utilising qualitative methodology that assessed the effectiveness of DC3, as a multimedia authoring tool for student use in a Year Seven classroom. Two adult expert reviewers and four Year Seven students assisted with the evaluation. The sources of evidence for this study included the use of participant observation, conversational and semi-structured interview, video recording, questionnaire and anecdotal field notes. The process of analysis was inductive, using the Analytic Framework suggested by Le Compte, Millroy & Preissle, (1992, pp. 763-766). Digital Chisel 3.0 was packaged with an easy to read printed manual and a useful audio/visual library on CD-ROM. With WYSIWYG display and drag-and-drop visual programming environments, the students found the component routines in DC3 relatively easy to learn. The use of the Microsoft style of interface and edit conventions allowed the previous learning of the students to be readily transferred to this product. The students also found constructing complex interactions in the Workbench relatively easy to master, as no scripting was required. DC3 was also customisable to three learning/school levels. Probably the most outstanding problem with this application was the amount of RAM it required to run efficiently. In it\u27s former configuration, it did not allow \u27room\u27 for multi-tasking and definitely did not run smoothly at the recommended 32 Megabytes of RAM. This both lowered the efficiency of operation, and severely challenged the motivation of all the users. The Table facility was almost totally unusable, as it failed to hold inserted elements and remained unstable through all attempts to use it. Although the intention for DC3 was to allow for cross-platform application, this function was not evident at the time it was evaluated. However, despite its shortcomings, Digital Chisel 3.0 proved to be well received by the students. They expressed enthusiasm for the extra freedom that this product\u27s features provided

Ohjelmistoratkaisu vuorovaikutteisiin WWW-pohjaisiin itseopiskelusovelluksiin

This thesis deals with computer-based education of acoustics and digital signal processing. The focus throughout the thesis is on interactive, self-study web-based applications even though many issues are of more general nature as well. The emphasis is especially on describing interactivity while using educational applications and the use of log information for evaluation of learning. The goal for the thesis has been to develop a web-based solution for audio signal processing education with emphasis on advanced, intelligent interactivity. The basis for this interactivity is the double agent architecture for web applications. The architecture allows the control of the interaction process by means of logs and using them as a basis for content adaptation. Furthermore, the novelty of this method is its applicability to evaluation of learning. The log information, provided by the architecture, can be used for on-line evaluation of users' requests and thus provides means for content adaptation. Furthermore, the log information can also be post-processed and used for off-line evaluation of the learning process by both teachers as well as students themselves. The latter has also pedagogical importance supporting the development of self-reflection and metacognitive skills.Työ käsittelee akustiikan ja digitaalisen signaalinkäsittelyn tietokonevusteista opetusta. Painopiste on kautta linjan vuorovaikutteisissa, itseopiskeluun tarkoitetuissa WWW-sovelluksissa, vaikka työssä käsitellään aihepiiriä laajemminkin. Työ keskittyy erityisesti vuorovaikutteisuuden kuvaamiseen ohjelmistoa käytettäessä sekä käytön yhteydessä saatavan lokitiedon hyödyntämiseen oppimisen arvioinnissa. Työn tavoitteena on ollut kehittää etenkin audiosignaalinkäsittelyyn soveltuva ohjelmistoratkaisu hyödyntämällä nykyaikaista WWW-teknologiaa. Avainasemassa on ollut pyrkiä kehittämään nimenomaan älykkään vuorovaikutteisuuden kuvaamiseen sopiva ratkaisu. Vuorovaikutteisuuden perustana toimii WWW-sovelluksille suunniteltu ns. kaksoisagenttiarkkitehtuuri. Arkkitehtuuri mahdollistaa vuorovaikutusprosessin ja sisällön ohjaamisen lokitiedon avulla. Menetelmän keskeisin uusi oivallus on tämän lokitiedon käyttö oppimisen arviointiin. Lokitiedot mahdollistavat sekä reaaliaikaisen käyttäjien toimien analysoinnin ja sisältömateriaalin muokkaamisen tämän mukaisesti, että jälkikäteen tapahtuvan oppimisprosessin arvioinnin. Arviointia voivat jälkikäteen tehdä sekä oppimateriaalin tuottajat (opettajat) että oppimateriaalin käyttäjät (opiskelijat) itsearviointina. Tällä on oppimisen kannalta tärkeä merkitys ns. metakognitiivisten taitojen kehittymiselle

Comparing the effectiveness of instructor-led training to stand-alone web-based training : a case study

Web-based Training (WBT) is still a relatively new technology, and the full extent of WBT functionality has yet to be realized. Most of corporate America recognizes the necessity of a well-trained workforce; however, instructor-led training is often difficult to implement due to a variety of logistical issues. These issue, include cost constraints, location issues, and limited resources. WBT has been touted in recent years as a viable alternative to traditional, instructor-led training. However, the effectiveness of WBT versus instructor-led training has been questioned by its many critics. This case study tested the effectiveness of a stand-alone web-based training program and compared the results to that of an identical instructor-led course. The course provided highly task-oriented instruction for a computer software package and was developed using a proven instructional design methodology. The data from this study indicate that WBT is as effective as instructor-led training for purposes of software application training

Model-Driven Development of Interactive Multimedia Applications

The development of highly interactive multimedia applications is still a challenging and complex task. In addition to the application logic, multimedia applications typically provide a sophisticated user interface with integrated media objects. As a consequence, the development process involves different experts for software design, user interface design, and media design. There is still a lack of concepts for a systematic development which integrates these aspects. This thesis provides a model-driven development approach addressing this problem. Therefore it introduces the Multimedia Modeling Language (MML), a visual modeling language supporting a design phase in multimedia application development. The language is oriented on well-established software engineering concepts, like UML 2, and integrates concepts from the areas of multimedia development and model-based user interface development. MML allows the generation of code skeletons from the models. Thereby, the core idea is to generate code skeletons which can be directly processed in multimedia authoring tools. In this way, the strengths of both are combined: Authoring tools are used to perform the creative development tasks while models are used to design the overall application structure and to enable a well-coordinated development process. This is demonstrated using the professional authoring tool Adobe Flash. MML is supported by modeling and code generation tools which have been used to validate the approach over several years in various student projects and teaching courses. Additional prototypes have been developed to demonstrate, e.g., the ability to generate code for different target platforms. Finally, it is discussed how models can contribute in general to a better integration of well-structured software development and creative visual design

Advanced Technology for Engineering Education

This document contains the proceedings of the Workshop on Advanced Technology for Engineering Education, held at the Peninsula Graduate Engineering Center, Hampton, Virginia, February 24-25, 1998. The workshop was jointly sponsored by the University of Virginia's Center for Advanced Computational Technology and NASA. Workshop attendees came from NASA, other government agencies, industry and universities. The objectives of the workshop were to assess the status of advanced technologies for engineering education and to explore the possibility of forming a consortium of interested individuals/universities for curriculum reform and development using advanced technologies. The presentations covered novel delivery systems and several implementations of new technologies for engineering education. Certain materials and products are identified in this publication in order to specify adequately the materials and products that were investigated in the research effort. In no case does such identification imply recommendation or endorsement of products by NASA, nor does it imply that the materials and products are the only ones or the best ones available for this purpose. In many cases equivalent materials and products are available and would probably produce equivalent results

Designing graphical interface programming languages for the end user

This thesis sets out to answer three simple questions: What tools are available for novice programmers to program GUIs? Are those tools fulfilling their role? Can anything be done to make better tools? Despite being simple questions, the answers are not so easily constructed. In answering the first question, it was necessary to examine the range of tools available and decide upon criteria which could be used to identify tools aimed specifically at the novice programmer (there being no currently agreed criteria for their identification). Having identified these tools, it was then necessary to construct a framework within which they could be sensibly compared. The answering of the second question required an investigation of what were the successful features of current tools and which features were less successful. Success or failure of given features was determined by research in both programming language design and studies of programmer satisfaction. Having discovered what should be retained and discarded from current systems, the answering of the third question required the construction of new systems through blending elements from visual languages, program editors and fourth generation languages. These final prototypes illustrate a new way of thinking about and constructing the next generation of GUI programming languages for the novice